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theportalmaster's review
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Slavery, Rape, Sexism, and Death
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, and Slavery
ellyg_97's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-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? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Murder, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Classism, Slavery, and Sexual harassment
meg_elyse's review against another edition
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? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Blood, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Death, and Misogyny
Minor: War, Rape, Abandonment, Grief, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse
readallmay's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder and Rape
christineolivia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Blood and Rape
Minor: Sexism
ciarapip's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Murder
conspystery's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, and Rape
savvylit's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Sexism, Death, Murder, and Misogyny
aet_rebecca's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape