Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - The Penelopiad

really really good. i loved the chapters from the maids. i love an unreliable narrator and this definitely had that in spades. atwood writes unlikeable female protagonists so well (the edible woman, alias grace, etc). and i loved how it illustrated even though penelope spent her whole life playing the perfect, modest wife, whether she was or wasn’t, that will not save you when you’re at the whims of men and the patriarchy. In her relationship with Helen, who by all means was not the dutiful wife or woman, the reader can see penelope’s internalized misogyny and anger that a woman so clearly not living by the rules could be in the same if not better position as she. not to say atwood’s helen is perfect either. would recommend for anyone who’s an atwood fan or looking to get into her works. triumphant final chapter. the themes prominent in atwood’s writing are as usual present here. i loved this short story

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courtneyfalling's review against another edition

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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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pinksl0thslippers's review against another edition

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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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sophiagl's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective medium-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

4.75

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thatonenerdygirl's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
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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solasuaine's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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drp_moonlight's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad

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

4.0

The most important factor of this book is the style. It is written from the perspective of a Penelope already long dead. It does not shy away from stating that it is coming from a 21st century. Penelope's narrative is interspersed with the Maids' perspectives, giving the illusion of a classic play.

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emmawoodhouse's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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