The Penelopiad

If you read Circe, this is a good follow up. The end was odd fill (jmo) but The Penelopiad is recommended reading...

From the beginning of her career, Margaret Atwood has displayed a gift for wry (and sometimes grim) irony. In her poems, in her fiction, even in her criticism, she hits a note of irony that is a bit short of humor while eliciting twisted smiles from attentive readers. In this retelling of the events of the Odyssey focussing on the stay-at-home wife Penelope, she finds humor by contrasting the way those who have told the story in its familiar, hero-based form with the way her heroine sees the situation and events of Homer's tale. By referring to the "facts" as we know them from the Homeric tale of Odysseus's circuitous return trip from Troy to Ithaca, but filling in details of the actions and attitudes of the Greeks who heard and treasured his tale, Atwood makes a familiar story strange and new and interesting. Atwood's gift for looking at the world "slant" has frequently taken the form of dystopias, beginning with "The Handmaid's Tale". Yet, in her very early novels "The Edible Woman" and "Lady Oracle" she also revealed a mordant sense of humor. That wit is again central to her story-telling in "The Penelopiad." Her skill at refocussing on familiar events from a feminist viewpoint, as in "Life Before Man" and "The Robber Bride," continues to characterize her writing in this novel. Readers familiar with her work will enjoy this fresh take on an old legend. Those just getting acquainted with her writing will be moved to seek out more of her biting wit. Recommended.

I first read this years ago when it first came out and enjoyed it, but I just finished reading it a second time with my literature group, read in conjunction with Simon Armitage's dramatic retelling of "The Odyssey", and "Cold Mountain," a somewhat updated American version of one man's Odyssey home after fighting in the Civil War. I mention these other books because--although I did like the book the first time around--I found the "The Penelopiad" to be much more meaningful and enjoyable when it is read in context. This novel by Atwood is the story of The Odyssey told from Penelope's (Odysseus's wife) point of view. Atwood also gives voices to Penelope's 12 maids who are killed seemingly without reason by Odysseus and Telemachus in Book 22 of the original story. Penelope doesn't get much face time in the original Odyssey, so it's very enriching to read about her life and experiences. Being an Atwood book, I expected this to be a feminist take on a well-known masculine myth, but Penelope wasn't as strong a character as I expected (or hoped.) The chapters featuring the maids (as the chorus) however, were every bit as thought-provoking and disturbing as I've come to expect and love from Atwood. This is apparently part of a larger "Modern Myths" series by Canongate featuring other authors retelling well-known myths from unexpected points of view. I look forward to reading more in this series.

This is my second time reading this book. I read it when it first came out oh, and purchased it again after having read Circe by Madeline Miller. I wanted to see how I felt how it compares against Circe. Being an Atwood fan, I should have known that she took an entirely different tack and wrote an entirely different book. Both authors are excellent and both books are well worth the read. Atwoods keenmind and wry wit angle sharply with the precision of a skilled surgeon to demonstrate before us the view upon Odysseus and his "great feats", his legend, through the eyes of Penelope. Her words and intellect slice through to the heart of matters, and never shies away, nor flinches in her pursuits. She sets before us a different view, far different than that of Homer. She shows her heart and shows what it was to exist in those times. She paints an excellent view of Penelope, her good, bad and ugly. But she goes much deeper than that by far. Her eagle eyes see and write of everyone. She is distinctly feminist without bring shrill. That is a feat in itself, for the word feminist calls up visions of man-hating harpies for some reason. Hating men is not feminist, it is misandry-an entirely different beast. Feminists just call for true equality. But, I apologise for my digression. Atwood's skill is definitely on display and her message is clear. She does not tip toe, nor howl. She is a truth-bearer, a better Hermes to the masses today. She makes the world of ancient Greece relatable and interesting. She lays it before us to listen, see, judge, and above all, LEARN. There is a reason Atwood is a modern day legend. She is a force unlike to any other. She is a treasure trove of intellect and it is very evident here. This story flows with unerring force in her unique manner of writing. It is raw, it is dizzying, it is an important work, though Atwood is both intimate and distant in her voice. But, her voice always rings true. So, come. See the other side of the coins. You will come away with your own view. You will be entertained. You will be educated. And, you will be...well, that is for you to decide. I do not merely recommend "The Penelopiad", I implore you to read it. It is the work of a master artist who toiled for us to understand or, at least, give a very differing slant. I am very pleased to have experienced it. As Always I Wish Happy Reads to All from the Unapologetic Book Junkie 😉!

I didn't read The Odyssey in college so this was an interesting, quick, easy-to-read way to learn a bit about that epic story in just 199 pages.

I enjoyed reading The Penelopiad a great deal; it is witty, well researched, and Margaret Atwood is a superb story teller. She has obviously done her work in delving into Greek mythology, citing Homer's Odyssey (obviously) as a source and Robert Graves's two volumes of Greek Mythology. But Penelope is a weak character. Though a good teller of a story of her relation to her husband Odysseus, whom she matches in cleverness and whom she loves as a friend, she, for the most part, remains an observer behind the scenes for most of the story, only becoming a heroine toward the end when she plays her trick on the suitors with the shroud of Laertes, which she weaves and unweaves for three years as she waits for Odysseus to come back. I was fascinated, however, with the character of Helen, whose story evolves in a parallel way with Penelope's, whose cousin she is. Helen is aggressive, supremely beautiful, lusting for attention and as many lovers as possible. Her actions, causing the Trojan War and ruining countless lives, propel the story forward, though she remains in the background and her story is heard indirectly. Penelope suffers because of her. Of course, the larger point of the story is to show the savage execution of the eleven women slaves by Telemachus, on orders by Odysseus; or even the treatment of women by patriarchal societies of the era (and subsequently). That is why I find Helen's background story so interesting. She was an unscrupulous wife using her beauty as a weapon to move the levers of war and peace (not to say domestic life) at will. Was she admirable? No. Was she powerful? Yes. Penelope was smart, faithful and largely honest. But she lives underground Both famous women, both tell us two different ways of life, relevant today too. Readable and exciting. Highly recommended.

This is typically brilliant Margaret Atwood: well-written, insightful and with plenty of dark humor thrown in. I loved this novel take on Penelope's story, and the very entertaining way she framed it for a modern reader - who Penelope is addressing from Hades. The inclusion of the Maids as the chorus is very clever... and the ultimate fate of Odysseus in death is a particularly delicious twist. Highly recommended.

Re-imaginings of tales and mythology intrigue me -- anytime an author can take a story written by another writer, or a tale retold many times, and create something new and interesting with it, I'm impressed. Margaret Atwood takes on this challenge admirably in THE PENELOPIAD, where she re-imagines the story of Odysseus' wife, Penelope. Starting with Penelope in Hades and having her remember back through her life, from childhood when her father tries to drown her, through her marriage to Odysseus, and her long, unhappy time alone, Atwood weaves a story that lets us see Penelope as a multi-dimensional, fully imagined character. Of course, this character is informed by a modern perspective, and we see more grief come to her from her deceptive (Odyssean) actions than the Homeric version (which approved those deceptions). Using the 12 hanged maids as a satiric, comic interlude between chapters both brings us the feel of a classic Greek play and makes the poignancy of their situations more prominent. All told, a very enjoyable retelling of a tale that clearly adds new material and a new angle to the existing story. Be prepared though, it's a quick read that will leave you a bit hungry for more.

The story of Penelope’s faithfulness and devotion to her husband Odysseus is a footnote in Homer’s Iliad, just like the story of Circe is. Madeline Miller fleshed out Circe into a full-blown novel while Margaret Atwood did the same for Penelope in her book The Penelopiad. She is shown not just as a faithful wife, but from her childhood, as a human being. The way she protected her dignity from the suitors while Odysseus is away for twenty years is heroic indeed, but also painful. She is awarded by the massacre of her twelve faithful maids whose ghosts haunt her even in the afterlife, in Hades, from where Penelope recounts her story. Since The Penelopiad is a play, it is an easy and fast reading as compared to novels. I finished it in 5 hours flat. I loved the rising crescendo as Penelope’s tragedy draws towards the end, building expectations and leading the readers /audience to anticipate the unexpected. Anyone with a flare for Greek mythology must have this book in their personal library. 5 on 5!

Super fast to arrive, did NOT love the two great big Amazon stickers on the back covering up about half of the back cover 😬 one came off ok, the other is leaving behind a really horrible sticky residue so I'm stuck with that which looks a bit ick tbh

Una reinterpretacion muy buena del mito griego de la Odisea y desde là perspectiva de Penelope y otros personajes femeninos a los que en el original ni siquiera se les da voz. Margaret Atwood conserva un humor ácido a lo largo del libro y con gran satisfacción les da vida a Penelope y a los personajes femeninos que la rodean. Una lectura muy recomendable sobre reinterpretacion y voces femeninas.

Na minha opinião, Margaret Atwood descreve a posição da mulher como a que aceita e aproveita e a que delimita a sua importância. Nenhuma mulher deve aceitar nada que não seja o melhor para ela, sempre, e pagando o preço por isso de livre e espontânea vontade.

Genius. Quintessential Margaret Atwood. A fresh take on the classicical myth of Odysseus.