Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Penelopiad

I really, really enjoyed the maids’ chorus. Super lyrical and creative and entertaining.

Penelope suuuucks in this tho and I found her narration (the main portion of the book) to be quite a slog.

I was hoping this book would be a reinterpretation of the Odyssey from Penelope’s perspective but I’d actually classify it as a simple retelling from her perspective and an actual reinterpretation from the 12 maids’ perspective.

Long live the 12 dirty dirt-girls blood-deep in moon.

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rory1387's review

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

woah...

Content Warnings

kleaf's review against another edition

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reflective sad 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

3.0

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contre_qui's review

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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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waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

I love a good myth retelling, especially when a voice is given to a woman who has been denied a voice. Margaret Atwood has always been good at giving voices to just such women. This was an emotional read. My heart goes out to Penelope. It's so easy to forget she suffered at home, alone, when you read about Odysseus traveling the world and having adventures. It's unfair to her, and this book reminds you of that and makes you feel what she felt. My only wish is that she had gotten a happy ending after all she went through.

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trispenfold's review against another edition

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adventurous informative reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

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