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The Testaments
- Narrated by: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ann Dowd, Mae Whitman, Derek Jacobi, Tantoo Cardinal, Margaret Atwood
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
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The Testaments
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Winner of the Booker Prize 2019.
The British Book Awards Audiobook of the Year 2020
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is read by Ann Dowd, Bryce Dallas Howard and Mae Whitman with Derek Jacobi, Tantoo Cardinal and Margaret Atwood.
Margaret Atwood's dystopian masterpiece, The Handmaid's Tale, is a modern classic. Now she brings the iconic story to a dramatic conclusion in this riveting sequel.
More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.
Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets.
As Atwood unfolds The Testaments, she opens up the innermost workings of Gilead as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.
'Dear Readers: Everything you've ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we've been living in.' Margaret Atwood
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- HistoryLover
- 13-09-19
Remarkable! Oddly Uplifting
I listened to this audio book in three long sittings because I simply couldn’t stop. Like a train on a track the narrative of this book steams ahead, growing in power and momentum. It is impossible to stop, once started.
I, like many others, found THE HANDMAID’S TALE to be one of the most important books of the C20th & as a professional historian I’ve often dwelt on how the Past & present converge in the story. So I was keen to read the much anticipated sequel - having watched all three seasons of the HULU TV production too I wanted to know if there would be any nod towards the storylines crafted there. There is. Big time.
In many respects THE TESTAMENTS is a world apart from THE HANDMAID’S TALE. It is far less claustrophobic, less ‘bitty’, less surreal. It is also less doomed, less gloomy, less violent. In fact THE TESTAMENTS is oddly, fascinatingly upbeat. It is a paean to the #MeToo movement, an empowering story of fighting the system.
The historian in me was satisfied: I got a good sense of the expansion and crisis of the mature Gileadaean regime and the use of Historical Notes to close the book - echoing THE HANDMAID’S TALE - was very satisfying.
As an audio book, this is a wonderful production. Each of the three protagonists is played well, but a special notice goes to Ann Dowd, reprising her TV role as Aunt Lydia. Her voice has such melody, such an incredible cadence that it was quite hypnotic. Atwood gives Aunt Lydia some very funny, tongue-in-cheek lines; Ann Dowd delivers them to perfection.
I enjoyed this book enormously. I recommend it as a clear classic of our time.
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51 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Emma
- 10-09-19
amazing
as a lover of the first book, I found this book equal as good. it has lived up to it promise of answering many questions, however I am left with few to which I hope the show will answer. this is a must buy, I have truly enjoyed this book, I finished it with in a day.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- kindle
- 15-09-19
A stunning sequel to a beloved tale
The inclusion of the voice of The actor who plays Aunt Lydia in the current TV series brought a strong modern connection. As an avid fan/viewer, I enjoyed the fact that Margaret Atwood has woven the end of the tale in such a clever way, so as to still leave plenty of room for the intervening tale to still be told.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- dianavonr
- 15-09-19
Fantastic performance, leads on well from TV show
loved this book. had it on both audible and in hard back. been waiting for a long time and not disappointed. don't want to give any spoilers
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Michele
- 28-09-19
Exceptional
Beautifully written and narratted. Surprisingly, the epilogue-type chapter was the saddest of all. Expectations exceeeded!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-10-19
Excellent
This an excellent book
We all must read this book, which is a resemble of today world.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 17-09-19
An absolute masterclass
I can not recommend highly enough. The simple yet brilliantly chilling premise is one thing, but the fleshing out of the characters with such depth is another. The evolution of Aunt Lydia is gripping, and to hear her words from Anne Dowd directly I honestly feel really added to this in a way that a standard book could not. I have shed a tear for June, and one for Becca, but my main sadness now, is that I have finished it. Thankyou Margaret Atwood.
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- Kristie
- 29-10-19
Just fantastic
I've listened to it twice now and just love it. Fantastic ending to handmaid's tale. Love the layout it the story too
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- karen
- 19-01-21
Interesting
Enjoyed the book and the narrators except for Derek Jacobi. He was not a good fit for this book
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- p m wootton-davies
- 20-11-20
Great listening
Fascinating sequel to The Handmaids Tale. It was an intriguing answer to what happened next
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