“You don’t believe the sky is falling until a chunk of it falls on you.”
The Handmaid's Tale is one of my top 5 favourite books of all time. So, when it was announced that Margaret Atwood was releasing a sequel, I experienced two reactions:
1. Finally!
2. Oh no!
Serious excitement. Serious trepidation.
A sequel to a beloved book is both. I mean, I STILL haven't read Go Set a Watchman (I know, I know).
But I wanted to read The Testaments, and so I asked (and received) a copy for Christmas, and then, in February, I finally read it.
And....
I loved it.
Whew.
“As they say, history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
The novel picks up more than fifteen years after the van door closed on Offred at the end of The Handmaid's Tale. It follows three distinct female voices: two young women (one growing up in Gilead, and one in Canada), and Aunt Lydia.
Yes, fans of The Handmaid's Tale. Aunt Lydia.
For me, those sections - Aunt Lydia's - are the best.
I will say that the book differs from its original in tone and style. This one is more action-driven, and some of the critics say it is too "made-for-TV" in style, written more to please fans than anything.
Well, maybe.
But I read it quickly and was engrossed in it, and I was happy I read it, which is so "up in the air" for a sequel.
Does it have the profound literary merit that Handmaid's Tale had? No, probably not. But, at the same time, it had an impossible standard to which it had to rise. The most anticipated book of 2019. From an acclaimed author. Linked to an extremely popular television show.
And let's not forget the subject matter. In a volatile political environment, the current events of North America, this book was going to have a mixed response, to say the least.
Which is perhaps the point.
“The truth can cause a lot of trouble for those who are not supposed to know it.”
Other critics say that it follows too many tropes that are cliche (or almost cliche) now, and that Handmaid's Tale didn't do that. Well, of course not; Handmaid's Tale helped establish and invent those things that have since become tropes.
Did it surpass Handmaid's Tale on my list of favourite books? Well, no. But that doesn't mean I didn't love it. And that is the primary difficulty of a sequel to a beloved, important book; it not only has to stand on its own, it not only has to live up to reader expectations, but it also has to "measure up" to the original novel; it has to step out of the shadow of its predecessor, but not too far out, or the fans won't be happy.
Keep a toe in the shadow, while it stands beside it.
A nearly impossible task.
And yet, this one, in my opinion, comes fairly close.
At any rate, if you enjoyed the first book, and you also enjoy the television series, you should probably give the book a try. But maybe don't expect the same experience reading this as you would have reading Handmaid's Tale. Come into it with an open mind, and perhaps you will enjoy it as much as I did.
What are your experiences with sequels to favourite books? Any success stories?
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