The Testament: A novel

By Elie Wiesel

On August 12, 1952, Russia's greatest Jewish writers were secretly executed by Stalin. In this remarkable blend of history and imagination, Paltiel Kossover meets the same fate but, unlike his real-life counterparts, he is permitted to leave a written testament. From a Jewish boyhood in pre-revolutionary Russia, Paltiel traveled down a road that embraced Communism, only to return to Russia and discover a Communist Party that had become his mortal enemy. Two decades later, Paltiel's son, Grisha, reads this precious record of his father's life and finds that it illuminates the shadowed planes of his own.
        
Passionate and fierce, this story of a father's legacy to his son revisits some of the most dramatic events of our century, and confirms yet again Elie Wiesel's stature as "a writer of the highest moral imagination" (San Francisco Chronicle).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307806444

Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel was the author of more than forty books, including his unforgettable international bestsellers Night and A Beggar in Jerusalem, winner of the Prix Médicis. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States Congressional Gold Medal, and the French Legion of Honor with the rank of Grand Cross. In 1986, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities and University Professor at Boston University for forty years. Wiesel died in 2016.

Reviews for The Testament

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When billionaire Troy Phelan commits suicide just after signing a will, there is a surprise for his dysfunctional family. All of the three ex-wives and six adult children who had gathered for the signing, minutes after they left the room, were cut out with a new handwritten holographic will, given from Troy to his lawyer. The family had just had cameras in the room, and had videotaped three psychologists saying he was in his right mind when he signed the will they thought would make them all enormously rich. They are in for a shock when, one month later (after they’ve gone out and spent the money they thought they were getting), they learn that the will they saw him sign was no longer valid; the new will left his 11 billion to his long-lost illegitimate missionary daughter, Rachel, currently living somewhere in Brazil. Troy’s lawyer, Josh, sends one of the other lawyers in his firm to Brazil to find Rachel. I thought this was really good. Boy, that family was hateful! We didn’t really get to know Troy, and apparently he wasn’t likeable, either, but you could sure see why he wanted to cut those ungrateful offspring (and ex-wives) out of the will altogether! Much of the novel was Nate trying to find Rachel in Brazil, which was entertaining, which leads me to mention that here were a number of humourous moments in the book, as well, which was kind of fun.

[joannsmithainsworth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable.

[oscarwilde87_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Testament is different from your usual John Grisham novel in that it does not focus so much on courtroom action and legal debates but rather on the personal life of the protagonist, Nate O'Riley. When Troy Phelan, a billionaire, jumps off a balcony into death, his children immediately start spending the money they have not yet inherited. What they do not know, however, is that Troy Phelan has changed his will in the last minute before his death and his children will not get anything. Phelan has an illegitimate daugher, who does missionary work in the Pantanal region in Brazil and she is to be the sole heir of his fortune. In order to find her, Nate O'Riley is sent on a trip to Brazil. Before he can take the trip, he has to leave his rehab facility, though. Nate is in rehab for the fourth time, fighting his alcohol and drug issues of the past. Having lost two families and almost his license to practice law, he takes the trip in order to make a fresh start and get out of the country that will only make him fall back to his old habits. Nate's trip into the Pantanal is a life-changer for him.I liked the character of Nate O'Riley a lot. Especially when he goes back to a courtroom to question witnesses, you see how good he must have been at his job. At the same time you can perfectly understand why he wants to quit his job in order to start a new life. The ending of the novel was a little unsatisfying to me and I think the story was a little drawn-out in certain parts. Still, not a bad read. 3.5 stars.

[sparkleandchico · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I used to be an avid reader of the likes of Grisham, Patterson etc but found myself moving away from secular fiction after I became a Christian. I remembered that a few of Grisham's novels had moral or Christian principles--The Testament is one of these.

The story centers around the suicide of billionaire Troy Phelan. He has effectively lived a careless life of self indulgence treating those around him with contempt. He married three times and was believed to have had six grandchildren whose lives he also ruined by spoiling them with million dollar payouts at intervals. No longer able to bear the weight of living he chooses instead to plunge to his death triggering an inevitable fight over his will. But what if there was a mysterious illegitimate daughter serving as a missionary in a remote country.....?

Nate is a recovering alcoholic. He is also a lawyer and assigned to the Phelan case. His task, to track down the elusive Rachel whilst resisting the allure of the bottle that has wrecked his life to date.

I enjoyed this the second time round. The biblical principle that the love of money is a route of all kinds of evil is clearly shown through this story. The author also does a good job in highlighting how an alcoholic will always struggle with the temptation to drink.

The author claims to be a Christian and as already noted I have seen these themes in his books at times. He states in his bio that a close friend of his is a Baptist missionary. In this novel he nearly explains the way of salvation in a manner understandable to all readers. However, he also states elsewhere that he believes that faith is a private matter....how can it be private when we have been given the Great Commission by Jesus Himself and when people are perishing on a daily basis? This author has a great platform for evangelism should he choose to use it. He has spent millions of dollars on football stadiums which maybe shows where his priorities are....

There are a few swear words in the book but it is not strong language. There is no graphic violence or sexual content apart from a few innuendos. I recommend this book.

[bookscentlover · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

How have I never read Grisham? This book. Spiritually fulfilling, relaxing to read, like meditation, yet a pageturner, pardon that cliche. Good thing I have the next book in hand already. Absolutely fantastic, this book.

[jaimitaylor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mind boggling!

[donagiles · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good story, man is in rehab , learns to trust in God and learns to live.Lawyer - hates job, drink & drugs ruined his and family life.

[bookheaven_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Simplistic but enjoyable

[macfiar-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Grisham is a great writer and delivers an interesting plot. However, the end is rushed and there are some legal holes you could drive a truck through. Plus one of the story lines just sort of dies.

[susandennis-139327 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am an unapologetic fan of Grisham. The Testament revolves around a gazillionaire with a large family that could be the poster for dysfunctional (not to mention scumbags). He jumps out the window just after signing a will leaving everything to one heretofore unknown illegitimate child who is now a missionary in a remote jungle in South America. The story grabs you at the start and does not let go until … well, I finished it last night and it hasn't let go yet.

[nora_reads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite books of all time!

[sunnydrk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic. Fast-paced with interesting characters. Great storyline.

[charlotteburt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Its not a work of great literature but I really enjoyed this search for a woman who doesent want to be found.

[jonimfisher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A suspenseful story about greed, family, and temptations. I enjoy the research Grisham does that gives the reader a you-are-there experience.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Several times while reading this book I thought I'd read it previously--but if I did, it must have either been before I started keeping an online bookshelf or this book didn't transfer over from Shelfari. The ending was different than what I thought it would be, so it is possible that I read a different book with a similar theme.SPOILERS POSSIBLE: READ AT YOUR DISCRETION:***Most of us dream about winning the lottery and what we'd do if we had millions of dollars. Well, the Phelan children (except Rachel and Ramble) got 5 million dollars each on their 21st birthday--and most ran through it irresponsibly. (Ramble's not yet 21 so we don't know what he'll do with it yet--the picture painted of him makes it seem that he will waste it like his siblings and half-siblings--however, he will have one difference in his life in that Troy is already dead before he gets the 5 million dollars--and he will know that there is no more coming from that source.) They all need/want more and expect to get it from Troy Phelan's estate. Rachel's been a missionary for 11 years--when we initially meet her, she seems to have no interest in the money--not even as a way to help the people she serves by being able to get a new boat or medicines she needs to treat them. I can see why Troy, or any parent, would want to give her the money over the wasteful ways of the others.But this is also a tale of lawyers--some greedy, some not. Josh Stafford and Nate O'Riley seem to fall in the not greedy side of the table. Josh wants to honor the wishes of his client (Troy) even though the last will Troy made seems odd to him. Josh also has no love for Troy's children (barring Rachel whom he's never met and didn't know about until after Troy's death) or Snead (Troy's long-time servant). Nate's fighting demons of his own and is sent by Josh to locate Rachel. Though finding her is hard, the trip changes Nate for the better. I actually thought there was going to be a romance develop between Nate and Rachel that would have him serving alongside her in Brazil. Nate finally embraces sobriety, makes amends with his younger children and their mother, tries to make amends to his older children (with less positive results, but at least he tried and perhaps over time they will see that he's a changed man), and decides to leave off practicing law as soon as he's done representing Rachel's interest in the Phelan matter (something Josh pushes on him). Nate can't help contrasting the Rachel he met with the rest of the Phelan children whom he meets upon deposition in the case. In the end, it seems he will find new life in administering the trust set up with Rachel's portion of the estate.On the greedy side, we have all the lawyers for the Phelan children and ex-wives. It seems all they see is dollar signs. Hark poaches two other of the siblings with the promise of lowering his per cent of the cut as more sign on (of course, he stands to gain more total with 3 siblings in his stable vs. the 1 he started with). Their percentages of the take range from 17.5% to 50% and many passages show the lawyers tallying up what their part will be if they take a settlement etc. Sneed chose to stay in his position--we're not told why--perhaps he was paid well, perhaps he hoped for a share of the estate in exchange for his years of faithful service. He acts like Phelan took advantage of him. Of course, he is disappointed to not receive a mention in the will (most of us would be) but IMO he shouldn't have stayed with a job on the off-chance he might get a bequest. If he really hated the job, he should have found other employment. He was compensated for his work and that's all he should have expected. (In fact, he was written out of the will after once asking Troy what he could expect when Troy died--that's ballsy! I'd never ask an employer what he/she was leaving me! Then again, I hope I wouldn't expect additional compensation for employment unless it was spelled out in a contract.) So once Sneed knows he's not named at all in the will, he's willing to sell his story to the side that will pay him most.

[brumby18 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Biit of an anti novel... maybe a movie treatment.

[floratina · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

READ IN DUTCH

This is my first - and so far last - John Grisham novel. I didn't like it, although the blurb sounded quite interesting.



A very rich eccentric finds a way to troll his greedy grandchildren, by cutting them out of his will and committing suicide right after he's made the change. The grieving grandchildren employ lawyers of course, and another lawyer is sent in to the middle of nowhere in the Brazilian jungle to break the news to a woman, who now is very rich.



What follows is a long story, that was incapable of holding my interest. The writing wasn't bad, but I didn't care for the characters and couldn't think of why they would go to such great lengths to tell her about it. I'd say that if you choose to life so far from anything, you don't really want to be found. At the end, I'm not curious to read any more novels by John Grisham, as this one disappointed me.

[nancynova · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

about wills, very good

[gogglemiss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read John Grisham, since This is my first Grisham read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I liked this at the start, but then it got too preachy for me. The protagonist's "conversion" wasn't the least bit believable. He prays once and is no longer an alcoholic. And I didn't like seeing him proceed to lie about things even if the family didn't deserve the money. Just really a weak, weak book.

[marjoleinl-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

With this book, I did something rare.. I didn't finish it. I didn't like it al all. The idea of the story was good, and so was the beginning. But after about 100 pages, it started to bore me. :(

[beckyhaase · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THE TESTAMENT by John GrishamI started this book thinking “oh no, another bad will, lawyers fighting it out” book. I was wrong. This book is really a character study of two people: one selfless, powerless, kind, gentle, loving, astute; the other selfish, brutish, drunk, egotistical, powerful. It is also about a land – beautiful, treacherous, unforgiving, abundant. When these forces meet, the story begins.Grisham is a great storyteller; his characters are real, the situations are plausible, the tension is unending. THE TESTAMENT has a clear message, told clearly in a powerful way. This is a story that will stay with you. I’m glad I read it and you will be too.5 of 5 stars

[thermopyle-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I quickly skimmed my way through this one, but even then was it worth it? No, not really. I've read The Firm and The Pelican Brief, but this didn't make it up to even those low bars. Apparently Grisham isn't going to work for me as a guilty pleasure.

[ecw0647 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Testament contrasts the heirs of a very rich man who decides that he wants to leave all his money to someone who doesn’t want it.
Troy Phelan, a 78-year-old fabulously wealthy eccentric is sick of living and tired of his money-grubbing relatives who can’t wait for him to die so they can partake of his billions. Their grasping has already spawned a legion of lawyers. Phelan has developed a plan to exclude all of them from his will. First he invites a battery of psychiatrists, hired by the family to certify that he is of sound mind — essential for the family since they assume the extent will will be the one in force at the time of his death — and after their seal of approval has been dutifully taped and witnessed, he reveals a holographic will to his personal attorney that pays only the debts of family members incurred as of the date of his death. He then walks over to the window of his immense office building and jumps out the window. A clause in his last testament prohibits his attorney from revealing the contents of the will before thirty days are up and all the remaining money, in the billions he leaves to an illegitimate child, Rachel Lane, no one has known of who, for the past eleven years, has been a missionary in the Brazil jungles.
The reading of the will tears everything loose. Lawyers begin to belly up to the trough, knowing that whatever the outcome of the will’s inevitable challenge — even though the will had specifically completely disinherited anyone in the family who challenged its provisions — they will benefit handsomely. The first item of business was to hire a PR firm to present the children as loving heirs cut out of their rightful inheritance by a demented man. As one lawyer (Grisham must really hate lawyers and PR people, they come across as such miserable people) noted, PR firms, i.e. professional liars don’t come cheap — he was charging $600 per hour and $400 per hour for his “useless” accompanying staff.
They also hired a new batch of psychiatrists — after having fired the first group, they had to get some who could now overrule the original finding of sanity. They found one quickly in the classified section of a magazine for trial lawyers.
A boozy lawyer agrees to search the Amazon Basin for the lost woman. A very good read

[sail7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I only give it three stars because the story just fades out at the end. Still a satisfying read, but 3/4 through, you wonder how he's going to tie up the loose ends, and he does it rather quickly without the richness of prose he's given the first part of the book.

[ellenm33 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book! The main charactor is a louse, he's made a mess of his life and he knows it. His boss is his best friend and has his back through it all. His last assignment allows him to exercise his demons, and finally find peace. Mr. Grisham has created a believable cast of charactors and sheds terrific insight on a dark and lonely condition in life.....addiction.

[dadbrazelton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Superb. Masterful. I have never read a book that I absolutely did not want to end. Alas, the ending was a little too abrupt.

[michaeldeavers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Super book that Ranks right up there as his best. I got this book from the book club. I've read just about all of John Grisham's novels, but for some reason I missed this one. I'm certainly glad I didn't, because I thought The Testament was close to being one of his best. I really enjoyed "The Partner", but this book ranks right up there. The characters were likable and believable. Mr. Grisham has demonstrated once more that he has a social conscience. He created a lovely and easy to understand description of the Gospel of Jesus. Certainly, the best that I have ever read. I'm sure that if people read this book they will get a better understanding as to how God works and that he his there for them in their time of need. Just a wonderful story

[bennyb_29 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was the first Grisham book I ever read. I enjoyed it so much I kept reading his other stories. A gripping tale that surprised me all along the way through.

[zhoud2005 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book.