Testimony by Anita Shreve Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Testimony
Book Review: A page turner
Summary: 5 Stars
Hugely enlightening. I could never have imagined that a few moments of stupid behaviour could lead to so many ruined lives.
The book should be read by all parents of teenagers, plus all teenagers (over the age of about 16).
Book Review: A page turner
Summary: 4 Stars
I always enjoy reading Anita Shreve's novels, and this book is no exception. The scandal that touches the lives of each character in the story alters the course of their lives dramatically. It is reminder that the consequences that come from recklessness can far-reaching and life changing.
Though this book was undoubtedly written for an adult audience, it would be a powerful cautionary tale for young adults (late teens).
Book Review: A real page turner!
Summary: 5 Stars
I could not put it down. I am a fan of Anita Shreve. Some of her books I loved some were just ok. This one grabbed me from the start. I really enjoyed the fact that each chapter came from a different character and and their version of what happened. Some were sympathetic, some not.I really liked this book!Book Review: A tale of betrayal and the fallout
Summary: 3 Stars
The fall-out from one drunken night for one school in one town is seemingly endless. When a tape of three male students, and one younger female student falls into the hands of the headmaster, his decision on how to handle it to keep it within school walls has repercussions for many. This book covers the time leading up to that night, the event itself, the fallout for the students, and their families.
This book started out incredibly convoluted for me because it's written in alternating voices. Almost too many to keep straight. And then it alternated between first, second and third person narratives and jumped from two years ago to current many times which didn't really add much for me initially. But the story the book told outweighed the writing style and by the end, I really felt that the book was better for the writing. We're privy to the girl's accusations of rape, the boys' denials of rape, and their stories. Not to mention the girl's roommate who witnessed the initial accusation of rape. Indeed, two of the most heartbreaking voices were Silas, one of the accused, and his girlfriend Noelle. Silas has the most rigid understanding of morals, and right and wrong. And his guilt at his part, and the aftermath for him is painful to read about. The love he felt for his girlfriend was as fierce as I've read about in any book before and his heartache over the betrayal of her, and fearing the hurt he would cause was one of the most resonant aspects of the book.
Altogether, I'd very much recommend this book but I'd add that it's potentially slow going at first and even a bit frustrating initially until you're so immersed in the story that you enjoy the many different accounts.
Book Review: A very professional job
Summary: 5 Stars
Connoisseurs of American literature should begin this novel at page 103. There they will find the key to its fictional techniques, its central subject and its radiating ethical and moral dilemmas. It is simply a brief allusion to William Faulkner's classic "As I Lay Dying". Anita Shreve does it all over again with, if anything, even greater professionalism than Faulkner. I agree with all of the other very favorable reviews. How many other serious contemporary American novelists can display such a mastery of plot, point of view, characterization and sheer narrative verve in an in-depth exploration of everyday moral dilemmas? She is a real professional.Testimony: A Novel