A review by everyotherpageorso
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I can’t quite articulate my stance on this book. For one, I thought it was a bit ironic that a “feminist” retelling would be so quick to cast Helen as a one-dimensional seductress, especially when so much of the focus is on giving voices to silenced characters. Secondly, the Maids contributions to the book, which were usually poetic or lyrical, clashed with the tone of the book and made it seem more incongruous than anything, and took away from the cohesion of the book as a whole. I did really enjoy the beginning, and was hooked until the end, but I can’t really explain how I felt when I finished it, other than a bit disappointed.
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