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christineolivia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape and Blood
Minor: Sexism
ciarapip's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Murder
conspystery's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a really interesting interpretation of and perspective on The Odyssey. I loved this Penelope— her self-awareness, her internal conflict, her bitterness towards Helen and her begrudging adoration of her son, her imperfect and almost fragile love (if that) for her husband, her grief for all the repetitive loss (of all sorts of things!) in her life, and how real she felt, above all.
At first I hated how Penelope treated Helen. It felt bitter and cruel and unnecessary, like she was blaming another woman for the misogyny they both had to deal with rather than confronting the actual issues at play. But in reality, I think people are flawed, and as both Penelope and Helen are, their almost rival-esque relationship in this story makes total sense. I don’t really know how to put it other than it felt REAL, imperfect and bitter as real people can be especially when faced with an unfair situation and difficult circumstances, and that’s the reason Penelope’s voice is so striking in this book. That the story comes from her, not only as she knows it but also as she wishes to tell it, lends it a unique kind of reclamation-y feel that I just adored throughout the whole thing.
And, of course, the maids, reflecting all the unfairness of the narrative, bringing light to a side of The Odyssey that is so often ignored or overlooked… so good. Penelope, through her narration and her emphasis on the maids, paints an at times conflicting picture of Odysseus: this considerate, clever man, but also tinged with ego such that it’s never clear to Penelope whether his actions towards her and others are for their benefit or his own. He is so multifaceted in this story, thoroughly imperfect, and their relationship is built on a kind of mutual understanding of both of their self-deceptive tendencies— once again, Penelope is self-aware here, achingly so, and it gives the book layers that are so interesting to pick through. So the death of the maids functions as an ultimate question to Odysseus’s character while at once bringing about a note of conclusion to Penelope’s perception of him. They serve to remind him not only of his guilt for murder, but his guilt for treating Penelope as he did, for giving in to his ego rather than seeing her as a person.
I don’t know how much I agree with this book’s ideas about Penelope and Odysseus, but I can definitely say that the interpretation presented here is full of pieces to consider, and it emphasizes them with a believable, raw, and real voice all the way through. This Penelope, and this version of her story, was unique and tragic and wonderful in all the ways I’d hope for in a book like this. I loved it.
At first I hated how Penelope treated Helen. It felt bitter and cruel and unnecessary, like she was blaming another woman for the misogyny they both had to deal with rather than confronting the actual issues at play. But in reality, I think people are flawed, and as both Penelope and Helen are, their almost rival-esque relationship in this story makes total sense. I don’t really know how to put it other than it felt REAL, imperfect and bitter as real people can be especially when faced with an unfair situation and difficult circumstances, and that’s the reason Penelope’s voice is so striking in this book. That the story comes from her, not only as she knows it but also as she wishes to tell it, lends it a unique kind of reclamation-y feel that I just adored throughout the whole thing.
And, of course, the maids, reflecting all the unfairness of the narrative, bringing light to a side of The Odyssey that is so often ignored or overlooked… so good. Penelope, through her narration and her emphasis on the maids, paints an at times conflicting picture of Odysseus: this considerate, clever man, but also tinged with ego such that it’s never clear to Penelope whether his actions towards her and others are for their benefit or his own. He is so multifaceted in this story, thoroughly imperfect, and their relationship is built on a kind of mutual understanding of both of their self-deceptive tendencies— once again, Penelope is self-aware here, achingly so, and it gives the book layers that are so interesting to pick through. So the death of the maids functions as an ultimate question to Odysseus’s character while at once bringing about a note of conclusion to Penelope’s perception of him. They serve to remind him not only of his guilt for murder, but his guilt for treating Penelope as he did, for giving in to his ego rather than seeing her as a person.
I don’t know how much I agree with this book’s ideas about Penelope and Odysseus, but I can definitely say that the interpretation presented here is full of pieces to consider, and it emphasizes them with a believable, raw, and real voice all the way through. This Penelope, and this version of her story, was unique and tragic and wonderful in all the ways I’d hope for in a book like this. I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder
savvylit's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
The Penelopiad should be required reading right alongside The Iliad and The Odyssey. Margaret Atwood has so skillfully mirrored sparse, Homeric storytelling in this saga. However, this isn't the sort of feminist retelling that gives Penelope a fascinating or redemptive arc. Rather, just as in the original stories, Penelope spends the book being the waiting wife. That's not to say that she's at all happy to wait, though. Penelope is tragically resigned to her lonesome fate. Given her equally lonely childhood described in the earlier parts of The Penelopiad, her forced self-reliance makes sense as her default state. That's what makes this book so well done - The Penelopiad feels like an incredibly realistic portrayal of Penelope's life. In reality, people don't necessarily get to become heroes of their own stories.
The absolute best part of The Penelopiad is the chorus of maids. In the chorus-narrated sections of the book, Atwood plays with form in the most delightful ways. There's a shanty, a courtroom drama, poems, and more! It was thrilling to see what the maids would say next, and how they would say it. Furthermore, the maids' very presence in this story is key to the feminist bend of this retelling. The maids are mentioned so off-handedly in the original stories - despite the devastatingly misogynistic nature of their slaughter.
Lastly, the segments featuring Penelope speaking from the underworld reveal her innate snarky and dry sense of humor. One can almost imagine the heroine she could have been having she ever been afforded more agency when she was among the living.
The absolute best part of The Penelopiad is the chorus of maids. In the chorus-narrated sections of the book, Atwood plays with form in the most delightful ways. There's a shanty, a courtroom drama, poems, and more! It was thrilling to see what the maids would say next, and how they would say it. Furthermore, the maids' very presence in this story is key to the feminist bend of this retelling. The maids are mentioned so off-handedly in the original stories - despite the devastatingly misogynistic nature of their slaughter.
Lastly, the segments featuring Penelope speaking from the underworld reveal her innate snarky and dry sense of humor. One can almost imagine the heroine she could have been having she ever been afforded more agency when she was among the living.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder
aet_rebecca's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape
3arth2kaye's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Infidelity
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and War
kotahlotah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Abandonment
lauramcc7's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, and Murder
jae0141's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, and War
sunbathingturtle's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.25
I really, really enjoyed the maids’ chorus. Super lyrical and creative and entertaining.
Penelope suuuucks in this tho and I found her narration (the main portion of the book) to be quite a slog.
I was hoping this book would be a reinterpretation of the Odyssey from Penelope’s perspective but I’d actually classify it as a simple retelling from her perspective and an actual reinterpretation from the 12 maids’ perspective.
Long live the 12 dirty dirt-girls blood-deep in moon.
Penelope suuuucks in this tho and I found her narration (the main portion of the book) to be quite a slog.
I was hoping this book would be a reinterpretation of the Odyssey from Penelope’s perspective but I’d actually classify it as a simple retelling from her perspective and an actual reinterpretation from the 12 maids’ perspective.
Long live the 12 dirty dirt-girls blood-deep in moon.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Murder