Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

45 reviews

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Death, and Animal death

Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, and War

teresaangelica_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective fast-paced

4.0

If it were just Penelope’s perspective it would’ve been a 3 star range rating. However, the addition of the 12 Hanged Maids as a narrative chorus elevated my rating and really made the entire retelling worthwhile. Definitely a unique retelling that was executed well.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: War and Pregnancy

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: War, Rape, and Sexual content

redheadorganist's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Sexual content and Rape

chrissisbookclub's review

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

kleaf's review against another edition

reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Slavery, Murder, and Rape

sarahsbooklife's review

dark informative reflective sad medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual content, Gore, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexual violence, War, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and Violence

juliarchetype's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Slavery

Moderate: Death

richardgarrardsm's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

A brilliant and acerbic retelling of a Homeric classic. Very fast-paced (I finished it in a day), but very absorbent. Atwood’s talent for storytelling doesn’t diminish throughout the book, telling the story from multiple different angles and settings. The feminist inversion adds a lovely touch to the source material, a most patriarchal of all poems. Overall, a very slick and highly readable tale.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Death, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

ciwanski's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This was such a quick read for me. Almost read it in one night which I haven’t done in many many many years, but sleep took control of my eyes about halfway through. 

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the writing was quick and straight forward and easy to follow. I loved the chorus line parts and I could see each chorus section staged so clearly in my head. Very much made me want to read the play version of the novel. I especially loved the anthropology lecture section which talked about the significance of the number 12. The quote at the end, “Point being that you don’t have to get too worked up about us, dear educated minds. You don’t have to think of us as real girls, real flesh and blood, real pain, real injustice. That might be too upsetting. Just discard the sordid part. Consider us pure symbol. We’re no more real than money,” really just stuck with me. I think that’s an incredible passage. 

I appreciated the candidness in heroic myth vs sleazy probably reality and the indifferent uncertainty in the Gods. Made it seem more real to me. 

I almost rated this a 4.75 but then I couldn’t think why it wouldn’t just be 5. Very much enjoy Atwood’s writing and messages on femininity and inequality. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Slavery, and Death