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drjoannehill 's review for:
The Last Song of Penelope
by Claire North
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edit now that book club has happened ...
Upped my rating to 5⭐
The finale of Clare North's Greek retelling / what was happening back home sees Penelope dealing with what happens when Odysseus returns from his 20 year absence and attempts to reclaim his throne. Here, the message that was subtly done in the first two books is made louder and clearer for those at the back: it's the patriarchy!
The pace is still slow but by now we are used to it and the tense atmosphere is heightened. Penelope's voice develops such that she gets to speak a lot more than in the previous books, now she has Odysseus to speak to directly and explain to him how, exactly, things have been while he was absent: you think she's been moping? Who do you think ran the island?! Now Penelope can tell him exactly how it is.
Major themes exploring story telling, heroism and masculinity; within the confines of the Odyssey storyline there's is limited room for manoeuvre but some exploration of Odysseus' motives and the consequences of killing the suitors and the maids, and some excellent sections about the women's army (Artemis' hunters) that have played a key role in this trilogy, why it is not possible to tell their story loudly and clearly - why the "heroes" have to be centre stage.
Upped my rating to 5⭐
The finale of Clare North's Greek retelling / what was happening back home sees Penelope dealing with what happens when Odysseus returns from his 20 year absence and attempts to reclaim his throne. Here, the message that was subtly done in the first two books is made louder and clearer for those at the back: it's the patriarchy!
The pace is still slow but by now we are used to it and the tense atmosphere is heightened. Penelope's voice develops such that she gets to speak a lot more than in the previous books, now she has Odysseus to speak to directly and explain to him how, exactly, things have been while he was absent: you think she's been moping? Who do you think ran the island?! Now Penelope can tell him exactly how it is.
Major themes exploring story telling, heroism and masculinity; within the confines of the Odyssey storyline there's is limited room for manoeuvre but some exploration of Odysseus' motives and the consequences of killing the suitors and the maids, and some excellent sections about the women's army (Artemis' hunters) that have played a key role in this trilogy, why it is not possible to tell their story loudly and clearly - why the "heroes" have to be centre stage.