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A review by richardgarrardsm
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.0
A brilliant and acerbic retelling of a Homeric classic. Very fast-paced (I finished it in a day), but very absorbent. Atwood’s talent for storytelling doesn’t diminish throughout the book, telling the story from multiple different angles and settings. The feminist inversion adds a lovely touch to the source material, a most patriarchal of all poems. Overall, a very slick and highly readable tale.
Minor: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Death, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence