Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

24 reviews

kjm19's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

The ending was so good. 

Parts of it felt too conversational and contemporary for my liking - but I appreciate this was intentional. 

Loved the elements of poetry and stage play writing, it was very impactful in telling different sides of the story. And I enjoyed that Penelope’s prose was diaristic mainly and set in the present. 

The last few chapters were very good and I managed to finish them in one sitting after spending a while reading the initial 65% of the book. The whole 12 maids imagery analysis - chefs kiss - and then their never-ending revenge on him in future lives. 

‘We’re no more real than money’
‘Pretty maids, all in a row’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

linnybear's review against another edition

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Slavery and War

Minor: Infidelity and Rape

sburchart's review against another edition

dark sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Body shaming and Abandonment

cepbreed's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

elanuruysal's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Rape and Sexism

rachelmcg2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and War

Minor: Infidelity and Kidnapping

ajs279's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

lochnessvhs's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

2.25

I am always confused when I read mythological retellings to give voice to the (usually voiceless) women in myth and then that one woman whom the author has given voice to spends a great chunk of her time talking about how awful all the OTHER women in myths are. In a brief 199 pages, Atwood manages to throw nearly every other female player in the orbit of Odysseus under the bus for seemingly no reason.

Additionally this retelling somehow failed at giving Penelope any type of personality. She truly was like the water her mother told her to be - formless and pliant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Murder, and Classism

lizzym126's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence and War

exlibrissum's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Infidelity