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sburchart's review against another edition
- 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
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
laurenzokro's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
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)
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, and Sexual harassment
annamorgan27's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism
tessr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
ajs279's review against another edition
3.5
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
leazzz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War
sas_ram's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: War
exlibrissum's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Death, Rape, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Infidelity
agw622's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Sexual harassment
ellyg_97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Classism