Book Review: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

In the highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood answers some of the questions that have tantalised readers for decades.

“You don’t believe the sky is falling until a chunk of it falls on you.”

I’m not gonna lie... I could read about Gilead until the cows come home. I find this dystopian world absolutely fascinating - and equally terrifying, given our current climate. Combine this with Atwood’s sharp, insightful commentary and her stunning prose, and you have all the necessary ingredients for an amazing book!

However, I do feel like it pales in comparison to The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s perhaps unfair to compare it to a book that has become so revered and well-loved, but I couldn’t help doing that as I was reading along. There are three narratives in The Testaments, and as many of the reviews I read agreed with, one of the narratives is just not as enjoyable as the other two. I can do without an annoyingly whiny teen, thank you very much. Aunt Lydia’s narrative was certainly the highlight of the book for me! I’d have been more than happy if the entire book was from her perspective.

That being said, it did feel a tad predictable at times... and some parts felt spoon-fed. A lot of the ambiguity that worked so well in The Handmaid’s Tale was missing here.

I’ve seen a lot of comments about how this novel was simply unnecessary and I can totally understand that viewpoint. I just really enjoyed being back in Gilead and I can’t deny that I found this to be a real page-turner! I had a good time! However on reflection I did end up deducting half a star from my original rating. 3.5 stars.

Johann

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