Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

39 reviews

leazzz's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Cursing, Blood, War, Trafficking, Sexism, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Rape, Torture, Sexual assault, Grief, Abandonment, Violence, and Death

sas_ram's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Sexual assault, Bullying, Murder, Sexual violence, Rape, Violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: War

hiddeninfantasy's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Murder, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and War

helenamichelle's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, and Slavery

angryglitterwitch's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny fast-paced

4.0

So clever, so biting, so funny, so well-written. P much everything you'd expect from Margaret Atwood retelling The Odyssey 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

dracksp's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape, Misogyny, War, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Sexual harassment

therecoveringbookworm's review against another edition

dark funny reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Misogyny, Classism, Rape, and Violence

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

contre_qui's review

dark funny fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

This is such an interesting take on Penelope's story. It's very irreverent and tongue in cheek, and Penelope's voice is compelling and interesting. It wasn't quite what I expected - it's not like more modern myth retellings like Madeline Miller. This is a retrospective view of events from Penelope's perspective. It's already happened, she's kind of bitter about it, and she discusses what happened and how she felt. Also featured are the twelve maids hanged at the end of the Odyssey, and they make a nontraditional Greek chorus which adds a lot of texture and humor to the novel. Really interesting form overall, and I definitely recommend.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual content, and Murder

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