“Why did I think it would nonetheless be business as usual? Because we’d been hearing these things for so long, I suppose. You don’t believe the sky is falling until a chunk of it falls on you.”
The Testaments picks up approximately 15 years after the events in The Handmaids Tale. Told from the perspectives of three different women affected by Gilead, The Testaments gives a more detailed look into the day-to-day workings of the region (and the lies and deceit that run below the seemingly pious exterior).
“She, too, has been alone in the dark, I thought…She, too, has gazed into herself, and has seen the void.”
Much like The Handmaids Tale, The Testaments is uncomfortable and disturbing to read, especially given our current political climate. I would recommend that readers wanting to pick up this book also check out the series on Hulu – The Testaments references plot points from both the original book and the show.
“It was always a cruelty to promise them equality, since by their nature they can never achieve it. We have already begun the merciful task of lowering their expectations.”
Overall this is good. It’s a somewhat satisfying conclusion to the original book, but can be predictable and almost cliche at times. I also feel that the show is going to have to take a certain path now that the fate of some characters has been revealed in this book (unless it will be like Game of Thrones and the show will end up in a different direction).
Read with Aimee 