Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

31 reviews

sburchart's review against another edition

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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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laurenzokro's review against another edition

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informative reflective sad medium-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

4.0

So much to appreciate and consider about this book. The reinvention of relationships central to the story's telling- Penelope and Odysseus, Penelope and Telemachus, Penelope and her maids - was well done, and effectively demonstrated the value in examining <i> The Odyssey </i> from Penelope's perspective. I thought that Penelope and Telemachus' relationship was particularly fascinating to look at, with Penelope feeling disconnected from her son in many ways due to Odysseus' absence and her inability to protect their home (and his inheritance) from the suitors' pillaging. It makes for an interesting exploration of power, hierarchy, and patriarchy that we don't get from the original. 

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)
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tessr's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad medium-paced
  • 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

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elanuruysal's review against another edition

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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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ajs279's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

3.5

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angiesesameseed's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

A female focused take on the era of Odysseus. A sobering peak into the brutality experienced by the women in Ancient Greece.
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leazzz's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced
  • 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

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sas_ram's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • 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

I don't know what I expected. But after hearing so many praises about Margaret Atwood I was looking forward to it. I can't seem to like her humour though. I also detested Penelope as a main character. The plot is also flat (yes I'm aware that is based on mythology). I also didn't like the modern elements, the narration structure...
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hiddeninfantasy's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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theportalmaster's review

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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? Yes

3.0

I’m torn and unsure of how I feel or what to say. Firstly it’s important to note that I really enjoyed the writing style and pace. It went smoothly. Secondly, while I love original Penelope for her smart thinking and willpower, I’m not sure how I feel about her in this book. Frankly I never saw Penelope as being faithful to her husband as most seem to rather than a woman trying to not get married again and live in peace on her own. The faithfulness was just a farce and more believable excuse for the time, imo. I thought this book would take the same path. It wasn’t the case. 
Despite that, in this book we don’t see any of Penelope’s wit and wisdom (shown in the original Odyssey and claimed by this Penelope to have), but maybe that’s the point. Idk. She is the main character who acts as a side kick if that makes any sense. She just takes every order and rolls with it, even by some people she has supposed power/title-given authority on. Like letting others raise her son as they please, even when she disagrees. She never seemed to put up even the most minimalistic of fights. She always disagrees in silence, in her own head, and harbors negatives feelings about it (obviously). Oh and also, the women in this book are so belittling and hateful towards each other, sometimes for no reason whatsoever, which is why I’m not sure of my feelings. There’s not a single female cousin that you don’t hate Penelope, we get it! Same for you Helene, Odyssey’s mom, Odyssey’s nurse, all of you girls, we get it. None of you likes each other. 
Last but not least, Odyssey. I have always loved his adventures but never understood why the fuck he left again so soon? Couldn’t you chill a little longer after the massacres that happened in the palace and the trauma everyone endured waiting for you? Yea yea, adventurous spirit and all that, but you got responsibilities too. Feels like this author also has some very negative feelings towards him because this book? Oh my, this book doesn’t spare him at all. Quick. Think of a bad trait. Yea, whatever crossed your mind, this book’s Odyssey probably got that LOL
Now I know this review is all over the place but I’m not submitting an assignment so be nice. Maybe I’ll rephrase it better in the near future.
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