Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Penelopiad

So much to appreciate and consider about this book. The reinvention of relationships central to the story's telling- Penelope and Odysseus, Penelope and Telemachus, Penelope and her maids - was well done, and effectively demonstrated the value in examining <i> The Odyssey </i> from Penelope's perspective. I thought that Penelope and Telemachus' relationship was particularly fascinating to look at, with Penelope feeling disconnected from her son in many ways due to Odysseus' absence and her inability to protect their home (and his inheritance) from the suitors' pillaging. It makes for an interesting exploration of power, hierarchy, and patriarchy that we don't get from the original.

I also think that the discussion of age was a really interesting angle, one I hadn't taken into consideration when reading/learning about <i> The Odyssey </i> - to look at a few examples, how Penelope was only 15 when she got married to Odysseus, how young the suitors were (relative to her) once they started courting her, and how the maids essentially grew up with Telemachus. All of these instances felt like a true reinvention of the story, and helped put a lot of other aspects into a different context - in particular, one where Odysseus was not a clear-cut hero.

It was also interesting to look at how Atwood depicted the double standards of feminism, showing that even Penelope could be hypocritical / an unreliable narrator - after all, the maids end up distancing themselves from her in the underworld due to her treatment of them when they were being assaulted by the suitors (using them as a way to leverage information), especially ironic when considering how heavily Penelope criticised Helen's use of her sex as power and leverage against others.

Favourite quote: "Ask the Three Sisters, spinning their blood-red mazes / Tangling the lives of men and women together. / Only they know how events might then have been altered. / Only they know our hearts. / From us you will get no answer." (p. 69)

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withlivjones's review against another edition

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challenging lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A fantastic Odyssey retelling with a bold narrative voice, lots of female rage, and some really interesting and unique interludes from the twelve maids Odysseus killed. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is fun to read. I only wish Helen was written with a bit more empathy - I’m quite tired of retellings that just portray her as a promiscuous mean girl, it’s overdone and boring. Overall, a definite must-read for anyone who likes Greek myth.

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gouachebleue's review against another edition

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3.25

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garnethalo's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A beautiful Greek Myth retold. From the eyes of Penelope and the twelve maids, you won't see Odysseus the same way.

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cepbreed's review against another edition

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dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I first fell in love with Penelope after reading Emily Wilson’s version of The Odyssey. I say this with a bit of shame but it’s the only play or epic I’ve read all the front matter for. I loved The Odyssey when I was a freshman in high school and I loved it even more after Wilson’s interpretation. I’m all for un-deifying Odysseus which is what attracted me to The Penelopiad. All of this build up and genuine interest in the character did me no good while reading this book. I just felt like Atwood’s interpretation fell flat for me. I loved the inclusion of the twelve maids’ voices and the theory of Penelope as “female-goddess cult leader,” but everything else was nothing new. Maybe it’s all the praise Atwood gets and the richer Penelope centered readings that have come out in the past few years. I still really enjoyed this though; I was reading another Penelope focused novel but I DNFd it because it was so boring. Finishing a book is the bare minimum but it says something.

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