Testimony by Anita Shreve Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Testimony
Book Review: Faulkner Would Be Proud (Maybe)
Summary: 5 Stars
Anita Shreve commented in an interview that her novel TESTIMONY was written after she reread William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying (which is actually mentioned in TESTIMONY--a character writes an essay on Faulkner). The novel is clearly influenced by Faulkner's format: over a dozen characters narrate brief chapters in tandem, keeping the action flowing quickly while providing a diversity of view and perspective. The only difference is that some of Shreve's chapters are in the third person instead of the first.
TESTIMONY, however, is far more accessible than Faulkner's dense prose. The story is simplistic but human, highly addictive in its controversial nature: a group of older boys at a prep school in Vermont shed their inhibitions one night, raging with alcohol and hormones. Each of them is taped having sex with a fourteen-year-old freshmen girl--because they're all eighteen or above, they're considered adults and therefore criminals. Lives are ruined. Lies are told. Coverups are attempted. Bitterness, adultery and disquieting revelations abound. The freshmen girl may not be as innocent as you'd think, and the adults handling the situation are far more flawed than they'd like to admit. Everything is rendered in gorgeous emotional detail.
I couldn't stop reading. You probably won't be able to, either.
Book Review: Favorite Shreve Novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Beautifully written, TESTIMONY is a cautionary tale that explores the precipitating factors and aftermath of a student sex scandal at a private Vermont high school. Told through the alternating personal testimonies of 21 people involved or impacted, its creative structure is an all-out exploration of viewpoint: first-, third-, and even second-person, in past and present tenses.
The explosive premise brought to mind the Duke University lacrosse-team scandal and the local and national reactions to it. Short chapters drew me in, and the close-up points of view revealed character in a way that led to understanding and, in almost every case, sympathy. It was tricky at first to keep the characters straight while so many were being introduced. But as things progressed and an underlying story took hold, it became riveting. Highly Recommended.
Book Review: Forbidden Temptations...
Summary: 5 Stars
In a small Vermont village, most-known for its private boarding school for the privileged children of the wealthy, and some who are there on scholarships, a scandal is brewing.
We see the story unveiled, piece by piece, in the voices of the participants. First we learn of a tape, discovered by Mike Bordwin, the headmaster of Avery Academy. It is a sex tape and it reveals the activities of some of the best and brightest - along with the unfortunate
appearance on the tape of a fourteen-year-old girl - which makes the action unlawful in the state of Vermont.
Next, we find Ellen, the mother of one of the boys, receiving a disturbing phone call, followed by a headlong rush to Avery, to learn more about her son's misdeeds.
Over the next several chapters, the voices include the boys, the parents, the girl, the girl friend of one of the boys, the law enforcement officials, and even journalists and researchers - all eager to peek behind the scenes and uncover the antecedents to the behavior of these
adolescents on one horrible night in January.
In cleverly paced story-telling, the author peels back the layers until finally, at the very end, we see how the events began - or so it would seem - with one illicit action between two adults, which set a chain of subsequent events into play.
Intriguing, suspenseful and haunting, this tale reveals how simple desire and need can lead to transgressions with consequences that seemingly unfold over the indefinite future.
Testimony: A Novel is Anita Shreve at her best.
Book Review: From S. Krishna's Books
Summary: 5 Stars
Testimony is a powerful novel that that weaves an intricate story of truth and consequences. It is told after-the-fact through the eyes of multiple people involved in the scandal. The title is actually a description of the book, as each of these people are giving testimony as to what happened that fateful night and how it affected them. This method provides mere glimpses into multiple lives, but allows for a more sophisticated understanding of how the consequences of the actions of a few individuals affected a wide range of people.
Because that's what this book is about - consequences. What are the consequences of a single action? How much do mistakes cost? How much should they cost? Are there crimes for which a person should pay his or her entire life? But it also delves deeper into the psyche than it seems. Was it just the fault of the boys on the tape? What about the girl, was she at fault? What about the circumstances surrounding each of the boys? If one of them was having a hard time at home, was the fact that he made a poor choice the fault of his home life?
I think the most delicate part of Testimony, and the part that will be the most discussed in book clubs and such, is whether the girl was at fault. It is clear from her portrayal in the novel that she is no innocent and knew what she was doing. At the same time, legally, the boys were responsible for their actions. It is a heinous and incredibly awkward thing to read about, and engenders internal conflict within the reader - whose side am I on? Is it really even a matter of sides, or is the whole thing so unthinkable that it just doesn't matter? It really provides fodder for thought and discussion.
This is a serious subject and one that is becoming all the more relevant as children are increasingly eager to become adults at younger and younger ages. There was one point made in Testimony that I thought was incredibly interesting. It was towards the very end, but is not any kind of a spoiler. One of the characters says, "I don't believe any of us...gave a single thought to the age difference. We knew there was a disparity, of course, but I think because we were all part of the same community, allowed to attend the same dances, even encouraged to attend the same dances, it never occurred to us that one girl might be off-limits while another wasn't." Of course, this is no excuse, but it does present an interesting point that I have never considered. It is definitely a book worth reading. I especially recommend it to book clubs because this is a book that will produce a lot of discussion.
4 and a half stars rounded up to 5
Book Review: Good, but not Great
Summary: 4 Stars
Riveting, as far as most pop fiction goes. I would have liked to have seen more of the characters fleshed out so some of those loose threads at the end would have had the chance to be tied up.