Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Penelopiad

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.

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savvylit's review against another edition

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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.

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3arth2kaye's review against another edition

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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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teresaangelica_'s review against another edition

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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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shakespeareantragedy's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

Depressing, highly readable, and absolutely bloody ingenious, The Penelopiad is one of the only books I've ever been able to read in one sitting. The mundanity with which the narrator recounts the horrors she was subjected to VERY effectively emphasizes the ways in which they are perpetuated by both current and past cultures. Possibly my favourite format of storytelling ever.

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papercosmos's review against another edition

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challenging reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

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amsswim's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

3.5 stars leaning to 4. Liked this a lot especially after reading Circe recently. An interesting look on a damsel character.

Margret Attwood has a very interesting way of writing. I mean that as a high compliment. I liked the chapter breaks too, often funny.

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sarahsbooklife's review

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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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