Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

75 reviews

tessr's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Murder

christylouise's review

challenging dark funny reflective 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

3.25

The way Margaret Atwood doesn’t mention Penelope’s age until after her wedding/consummation to Odysseus is marvellously done. It reads like a punch to the gut.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Murder

miguelito_juanito's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Slavery

elanuruysal's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Infidelity, and Violence

Moderate: Sexism and Rape

maria_borges1507's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad fast-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

5.0

Extraordinary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, and Violence

rachelmcg2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Grief, Death, Classism, Physical abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: War, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Vomit, and Violence

Minor: Kidnapping and Infidelity

caelfind's review

dark emotional tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Violence

ajs279's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, War, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Slavery, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, War, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Classism

sarabookshelf's review

3.75

Maybe I had too high expectations, but this book just didn't hit the mark for me. I guess I really wanted to learn more about Penelope, and I feel like not much was told that we didn't already know from the original story. I liked the way the story was written, although the references to current period sometimes took me out of the story. And I appreciate the background of the maidens chapters and how it was meant to read like a traditional greek play, but I feel like the execution was not always successful. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Slavery

lochnessvhs's review

fast-paced

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

2.25

I am always confused when I read mythological retellings to give voice to the (usually voiceless) women in myth and then that one woman whom the author has given voice to spends a great chunk of her time talking about how awful all the OTHER women in myths are. In a brief 199 pages, Atwood manages to throw nearly every other female player in the orbit of Odysseus under the bus for seemingly no reason.

Additionally this retelling somehow failed at giving Penelope any type of personality. She truly was like the water her mother told her to be - formless and pliant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Murder, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Rape, and Misogyny