Frans-Jan reviewed Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'Testaments' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Highly recommend this fantastic story of our times !!
Paperback, 448 pages
Portuguese language
Published Nov. 12, 2019 by Rocco.
Os Testamentos
by _
4 stars
(47 reviews)
O conto da aia, a obra-prima distópica de Margaret Atwood, tornou-se um clássico de nossos tempos. E agora a autora oferece a seus leitores a sua aguardada e surpreendente continuação.QUINZE ANOS APÓS os eventos de O conto da aia, o regime teocrático da República de Gilead aparentemente se mantém firme no poder, mesmo após as sucessivas tentativas de insurgência. Mas há sinais de que suas engrenagens começam a se deteriorar.Nesse momento crucial da história política do país, as vidas de três mulheres radicalmente diferentes convergem, e as consequências deste encontro poderão ser explosivas. Duas delas cresceram em lados opostos da fronteira: uma em Gilead, criada em meio a privilégios como filha de um importante Comandante, e outra no Canadá, onde frequenta a escola, trabalha na loja dos pais, participa de protestos anti-Gilead e assiste na TV às notícias sobre seus horrores. Os testamentos dessas duas jovens, que fazem parte da …
O conto da aia, a obra-prima distópica de Margaret Atwood, tornou-se um clássico de nossos tempos. E agora a autora oferece a seus leitores a sua aguardada e surpreendente continuação.QUINZE ANOS APÓS os eventos de O conto da aia, o regime teocrático da República de Gilead aparentemente se mantém firme no poder, mesmo após as sucessivas tentativas de insurgência. Mas há sinais de que suas engrenagens começam a se deteriorar.Nesse momento crucial da história política do país, as vidas de três mulheres radicalmente diferentes convergem, e as consequências deste encontro poderão ser explosivas. Duas delas cresceram em lados opostos da fronteira: uma em Gilead, criada em meio a privilégios como filha de um importante Comandante, e outra no Canadá, onde frequenta a escola, trabalha na loja dos pais, participa de protestos anti-Gilead e assiste na TV às notícias sobre seus horrores. Os testamentos dessas duas jovens, que fazem parte da primeira geração a chegar à idade adulta nessa nova ordem mundial, são entrelaçados por uma terceira voz: o revelador manuscrito de uma das executoras do regime, uma mulher que exerce sua autoridade implacável por meio do acúmulo e da manipulação de segredos de Estado que podem ameaçar todas as estruturas do poder. Segredos dispersos e há muito enterrados, capazes de unir essas três mulheres, fazendo com que elas encarem quem realmente são e decidam até onde podem ir em busca do que acreditam.
tgt reviewed Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'Testaments' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
The Aunt Lydia parts were fantastic; the rest, less so. Learning more about the history of Gilead and how it was viewed and dealt with from the outside was wonderful and I'd have happily read a lot more of that. The journey into and out of Gilead on the other hand was rushed and overly neat. There was also a definite lack of urgency or surprise, but I suppose a relatively uplifting tale was welcome.
The Aunt Lydia parts were fantastic; the rest, less so. Learning more about the history of Gilead and how it was viewed and dealt with from the outside was wonderful and I'd have happily read a lot more of that. The journey into and out of Gilead on the other hand was rushed and overly neat. There was also a definite lack of urgency or surprise, but I suppose a relatively uplifting tale was welcome.
Balise reviewed The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'The Testaments' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I don't think it would have worked as well for me without the tie-in provided by the series, but with that context, it was a fantastic read that I enjoyed tremendously.
Amber Herbert reviewed The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'The Testaments' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
The Testaments was enjoyable and answered many questions I had after reading The Handmaid’s Tale, but it wasn’t necessary. I haven’t watched the show, nor do I intend to after finding out it strayed so far away from the first novel, so my expectations for this sequel were based solely on what I read and loved about Offred’s story. If you enjoyed the first book, I’d definitely recommend giving this a read, but don’t fall under the false assumption that it will trump The Handmaid’s Tale because it certainly falls short of the tense and atmospheric debut of Gilead.
fitx0 reviewed Los Testamentos by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'Los Testamentos' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Se me ha hecho pesado hasta la mitad. Luego a partir de ahí me lo he acabado en dos días. No es mejor que la primera parte pero es más esperanzador.
Kat Trigarszky reviewed Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'Testaments' on 'Storygraph'
3 stars
So much hype, so much noise surrounding this book. At the end, I now have two main thoughts: firstly, I don't think it is worthy of a (shared) Booker Prize win; and secondly, I find it hard to believe that a person (Aunt Lydia) could act the way she did and not get caught in such a society, ultimately bringing Gilead crumbling down.
If you are willing to suspend your disbelief and run with the story that, yes, she was simply biding her time and waiting for the appropriate moment to seek her revenge and cause the entire structure of Gilead to fall, then this is a great story. And in that sense, I romped through this book. However, it falls far short of Margaret Atwood's other novels - the majority of which I have loved simply because there is no neat resolution at the end.
Unfortunately, this feels like …
So much hype, so much noise surrounding this book. At the end, I now have two main thoughts: firstly, I don't think it is worthy of a (shared) Booker Prize win; and secondly, I find it hard to believe that a person (Aunt Lydia) could act the way she did and not get caught in such a society, ultimately bringing Gilead crumbling down.
If you are willing to suspend your disbelief and run with the story that, yes, she was simply biding her time and waiting for the appropriate moment to seek her revenge and cause the entire structure of Gilead to fall, then this is a great story. And in that sense, I romped through this book. However, it falls far short of Margaret Atwood's other novels - the majority of which I have loved simply because there is no neat resolution at the end.
Unfortunately, this feels like a book written to tie in with the tv series and to answer the question posed at the end of the first novel: how did Gilead fall? And for me, not knowing Offred's fate and what caused such a society to fail were what made The Handmaid's Tale such a brilliant and chilling read.
Lavinia reviewed Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'Testaments' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
When I first read the Handmaid's Tale, about 30 years ago, it had a powerful effect on me. I read it again, a few days ago, and this powerful effect is still there.
The Testaments though it's a different story, intense and strange. It didn’t provoke the same feelings. it is only barely connected to the Handmaid’s Tale novel with respect to character, style, or tone. It looks more like a political and theological satire of misogyny, corruption and apathy. It’s a thriller.
I was intrigued by the character of Aunt Lydia. A complex, twisted and ruthless character. A survivor. Her hatred towards the theocratic Gilead turned her into the monster she ultimately became. No action, however cruel, can stop her. And eventually she takes her revenge. She is a fascinated character, the backbone of the story, the one that connects all the other characters.
patchworkbunny reviewed Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'Testaments' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Thoroughly entertaining page turner...which is not something I'd have said about The Handmaid's Tale! I loved Aunt Lydia, I liked getting answers. Most the negative reviews I'm seeing are people who are wanting another literary masterpiece or don't like teenager characters in dystopian settings... So maybe skip it if that's you.
I listed to the audiobook and I thoroughly recommend.
Oreo Teeth reviewed The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
Review of 'The Testaments' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
My high expectations were exceeded
Three points of view added a depth to this tale that made up for the fact that a second novel rarely has the impact of the first.
Hearing the story from the perspectives of an Aunt, a Commander's daughter, and a Canadian girl gave me a more nuanced and intimate view of Gilead.
