Reviews tagging 'War'

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

25 reviews

azalia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Classism, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, and Slavery

Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Sexual violence

Minor: Toxic relationship, War, Emotional abuse, Gore, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, and Torture

of_course_it_is's review

reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Misogyny and War

rhysecakes's review against another edition

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

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Violence, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

courtneyfalling's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-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

3.5

I had to read this as a high school freshman right after my English class finished The Odyssey, and I really loved it then. It has a very second wave feminist approach to Penelope's story and Odysseus's brutal slaughter of her twelve maids, alongside all Penelope's suitors, and it made me realize how much of an aside, an afterthought, the maids were treated as in The Odyssey itself, as well as all the ethical and gendered issues present in classical mythology. I was at an age where I felt like I was constantly given conflicting advice about girlhood then punished no matter what advice I took, and so the main framing of the story hit home. But looking back now, it's... very second wave. In a cliche and kind of predictable way. And I wish we'd gotten more perspectives from the maids themselves, not only their generalized and preachy choruses and Penelope's external, often patronizing take on them. And there's so much crap Margaret Atwood keeps doing that I really only revisited this to see what I think now, and I don't plan to read any more Margaret Atwood after this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: War and Slavery

Minor: Infidelity

pinksl0thslippers's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, and War