tonharlan's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
eilidhmacq's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Rape, Violence, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Infertility, Pedophilia, Incest, Suicide attempt, and Sexual assault
Minor: Murder and Suicide
orionmerlin's review against another edition
5.0
Atwood at her best. Reminiscent of "Year of the Flood" in the changing perspective between various female narrators. Aunt Lydia is one of the most interesting fictional characters I have ever encountered, so complex and conniving - she plays a longer game than any I've ever seen. The expectations were enormous for a sequel people have wanted for over 3 decades, and our esteemed author delivered on all counts! I cried, my heart ached for the untenable world these characters are searching for a way out of - and I binge-read the book in two days, mostly because I wanted to know how it ends, but also so I could return it to the library and let someone else read it ASAP!
readingchica22's review against another edition
3.0
Did not love it as much as The Handmaids tale but I don’t think it deserves all the hate. I liked learning more about the beginning of Gilead with Aunt Lydia and actually enjoyed reading her chapters. I even liked Agnes! But our Canadian homegirl was so f-ing annoying, I hated her. She was a brat from the beginning to the end and made absolutely no character development. Like she’s supposed to be the heroine? This bratty, selfish, snobby know it all? Bye.
chirson's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars.
Atwood knows how to write a propulsive, gripping thriller, and The Testaments certainly is that, even if its tendency towards melodrama renders all plot twists fairly predictable. There are some brilliant small moments and turns of phrase that have some power, but this is also very visibly not a book of new ideas or power but a bit of literary fanservice, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I don't really see the award-worthy material here.
The novel brings together three narrations - of Aunt Lydia (my least favourite story, and not quite convincing; the origins just don't quite work in my head, and her role is very obviously meta-referential); a girl living in Canada named Daisy (who I see some reviewers disliked; I think she doesn't quite get as much interiority as I might have liked, and the second half of her story in particular makes her flat, but the early parts and her trauma resonated at least a little); and a girl growing up in Gilead, named Agnes. Agnes is the stand-out for me, and an opportunity for Atwood to let her ability to write the human heart shine. Her feelings towards her family are complex; her later friendship with Becka - well-written and genuine.
I am curious how "redemptive" other readers see Lydia's narrative. It's a curious thing, really. I mean, there's certainly some redemption in writing her as a covert ally of Mayday - but then, she's mostly doing it out of spite and vengefulness, isn't she, and she still survives by being a monster; the secret good doesn't obliterate the obvious evil.
She writes her own story, and her way of telling it is clearly meant to be self-serving, so everything she says should be taken with a grain of salt - and her true nature is still revealed in her deeds. She's as willing to persuade another aunt to kill an obviously evil character (or two) as she is to persuade Becka to commit a heroic suicide (I assume that's what she meant Becka to do all along; people talk when tortured, after all). She's a collaborator hedging her bets, and her lack of true belief is only a symptom of how bad the world is that she helped build. She is a useful illustration of how humans change to fit warped systems. She's terrifying.
Atwood knows how to write a propulsive, gripping thriller, and The Testaments certainly is that, even if its tendency towards melodrama renders all plot twists fairly predictable. There are some brilliant small moments and turns of phrase that have some power, but this is also very visibly not a book of new ideas or power but a bit of literary fanservice, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I don't really see the award-worthy material here.
The novel brings together three narrations - of Aunt Lydia (my least favourite story, and not quite convincing; the origins just don't quite work in my head, and her role is very obviously meta-referential); a girl living in Canada named Daisy (who I see some reviewers disliked; I think she doesn't quite get as much interiority as I might have liked, and the second half of her story in particular makes her flat, but the early parts and her trauma resonated at least a little); and a girl growing up in Gilead, named Agnes. Agnes is the stand-out for me, and an opportunity for Atwood to let her ability to write the human heart shine. Her feelings towards her family are complex; her later friendship with Becka - well-written and genuine.
Spoiler
I didn't particularly like the tidy ending. Bringing Offred back into it, even by implication, gives us the impression of Gilead as smaller, more intimate, and reduces its story to a personal drama for me.I am curious how "redemptive" other readers see Lydia's narrative. It's a curious thing, really. I mean, there's certainly some redemption in writing her as a covert ally of Mayday - but then, she's mostly doing it out of spite and vengefulness, isn't she, and she still survives by being a monster; the secret good doesn't obliterate the obvious evil.
She writes her own story, and her way of telling it is clearly meant to be self-serving, so everything she says should be taken with a grain of salt - and her true nature is still revealed in her deeds. She's as willing to persuade another aunt to kill an obviously evil character (or two) as she is to persuade Becka to commit a heroic suicide (I assume that's what she meant Becka to do all along; people talk when tortured, after all). She's a collaborator hedging her bets, and her lack of true belief is only a symptom of how bad the world is that she helped build. She is a useful illustration of how humans change to fit warped systems. She's terrifying.
fedak's review against another edition
3.0
Fan service novel after people pestered Atwood for 30 years about what happened after the Handmaid's Tale. Quite good for about the first 3/4 with a couple big reveals (one of which I saw coming a mile away, one I didn't)
In the last part, Atwood clearly wanted to bring two of the protagonists together and clearly couldn't think of a way to do it. So we ended up with a nonsensical plot sequence for the latter third.
It was also disappointing that Atwood basically added nothing to Gilead that wasn't in the first novel- and I was hoping to see more about how the US devolved to the point where the Gilead revolution was possible.
In the last part, Atwood clearly wanted to bring two of the protagonists together and clearly couldn't think of a way to do it. So we ended up with a nonsensical plot sequence for the latter third.
It was also disappointing that Atwood basically added nothing to Gilead that wasn't in the first novel- and I was hoping to see more about how the US devolved to the point where the Gilead revolution was possible.
gsroney's review against another edition
3.0
This is definitely more of a page-turner (odd phrase to use, since I listened to the audiobook) than The Handmaid’s Tale, but also feels wholly unnecessary. It seems to do less to add upon the story and the worldbuilding of the universe than the TV adaptation. One nice aspect of the audiobook: Ann Dowd reprising her role as Aunt Lydia.
“I feared I might lose my faith. If you’ve never had a faith, you will not understand what that means. You feel as if your best friend is dying, that everything that defined you is being burned away; that you’ll be left all alone.”
“I feared I might lose my faith. If you’ve never had a faith, you will not understand what that means. You feel as if your best friend is dying, that everything that defined you is being burned away; that you’ll be left all alone.”
mkinne's review against another edition
4.0
The happy(ish) resolution of The Handmaid's Tale. It adds more detail and confirms early suspicions that Gilead would rot from within.
juliahoh21's review against another edition
5.0
Sheer perfection I love Margaret Atwood Amazing Amazing the sequel we always needed amazing wow