The Testaments

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https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/opinion/sunday/margaret-atwood-the-testaments-handmaids-tale.html

The article focuses on a new Margaret Atwood's novel, "The Testaments", and relates it to the current political situation of the US and some other places in the world as well. The author of the article compares the reality in the United States in the time of Trump’s term to the regime of Gilead, a fictional Republic created by Attwood in "The Handmaid's Tale", one of her most popular books, to which "The Testaments" is a sequel. The state of affairs is, of course, not as horrible as in the books but many events may actually be considered parallel, for instance the recent change of the abortion law in Alabama and its probable repercussions would fit in the books' vibe.

I have not read the second novel yet, so I can not relate to its plot but I am a little bit worried if it will be as good as "The Handmaid's Tale". I would personally call it a masterpiece and I am afraid that reading the second part might influence my opinions on it. Margaret Atwood should probably be trusted on the quality of her own books but I have read a few follow-up novels, which were released a several dozens of years after the first one, and usually I've had mixed feelings about it (for example the continuation of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" - I am still unsure what I think of it). I do not expect "The Testaments" to be written in the same tone as "The Handmaid's Tale", I just hope that it will be as relatable and will give me (and hopefully, if it has a message similar to the first part, many other people) some original thoughts on the direction in which the world is going.

Komentarze

  1. englishdiary22 września 2019 09:29

    The reviews in the British press have been quite enthusiastic. The Guardian published two different but equally glowing reviews.

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