Reviews

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

Only show reviews with written explanations

andotherworlds's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

2.5 // mid

cassarene's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark reflective slow-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? Yes

4.0

laurenzokro's review against another edition

Go to review page

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)

Content Warnings