Reading notes: The Testaments
After finishing The Handmaid's Tale I was immediately excited for The Testaments. However the book was just sold-out at my bookstore, and thus I didn't get around to it for a while. Now having finally read it, I can say it was worth the anticipation.
The book is still written from the perspective of a kind of diary of the main characters, this time there being three instead of one. Atwood moves between the three characters, and uses this device excellently to build tension making you keep wanting to finish one more chapter before heading to bed.
The theme of the book seems to be less personal, leaving less space for the themes of female desire and agency as the first book, and is more focused on the power and politics of the Republic of Gilead. It is more plotting, marauding, scheming and escaping. What Atwood does exceptionally well is portraying the attitudes and thought-processes of a fascist theocracy. The sexual insecurity underlying fascism, and the almost juvenile intentional misogyny by the fascist to feel less impotent.
Line-by-line the book is also very good, as the style is evocative and not overly dull or meandering, making it easy to read while being engaging.
It's hard to overcome the height of The Handmaid's Tale, but The Testaments is at least a worth successor.