Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

24 reviews

sburchart's review against another edition

dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Death

Moderate: Sexual violence, War, Sexual assault, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Rape, and Child abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Body shaming

laurenzokro's review against another edition

informative reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

So much to appreciate and consider about this book. The reinvention of relationships central to the story's telling- Penelope and Odysseus, Penelope and Telemachus, Penelope and her maids - was well done, and effectively demonstrated the value in examining <i> The Odyssey </i> from Penelope's perspective. I thought that Penelope and Telemachus' relationship was particularly fascinating to look at, with Penelope feeling disconnected from her son in many ways due to Odysseus' absence and her inability to protect their home (and his inheritance) from the suitors' pillaging. It makes for an interesting exploration of power, hierarchy, and patriarchy that we don't get from the original. 

I also think that the discussion of age was a really interesting angle, one I hadn't taken into consideration when reading/learning about <i> The Odyssey </i> - to look at a few examples, how Penelope was only 15 when she got married to Odysseus, how young the suitors were (relative to her) once they started courting her, and how the maids essentially grew up with Telemachus. All of these instances felt like a true reinvention of the story, and helped put a lot of other aspects into a different context - in particular, one where Odysseus was not a clear-cut hero. 

It was also interesting to look at how Atwood depicted the double standards of feminism, showing that even Penelope could be hypocritical / an unreliable narrator - after all, the maids end up distancing themselves from her in the underworld due to her treatment of them when they were being assaulted by the suitors (using them as a way to leverage information), especially ironic when considering how heavily Penelope criticised Helen's use of her sex as power and leverage against others.

Favourite quote: "Ask the Three Sisters, spinning their blood-red mazes / Tangling the lives of men and women together. / Only they know how events might then have been altered. / Only they know our hearts. / From us you will get no answer." (p. 69)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual assault

annamorgan27's review against another edition

dark funny sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Classism, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexual violence

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

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

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

exlibrissum's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Death, Sexual harassment, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

agw622's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

This is a very heavy book. It is well written, but some of the sections weren't my favorite. One near the end exploring some symbolize that is speculated also gives the feel of as a way out of the horribleness the book covers. It handles sensitive subjects well. While it does give some voice to Penelope, it doesn't fully empower her. I thought it fitting, but keep that in mind. The maid sections were very well done and my favorite part.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, and Infidelity

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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Murder, Violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Classism, Slavery, and Sexual harassment