The Penelopiad
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Review
'Atwood takes Penelope's part with tremendous verve ... she explores the very nature of mythic story-telling.' Mary Beard, Guardian 'In this exquisitely poised book, Atwood blends intimate humour with a finely tempered outrage at the terrible injustice of the maids.' Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Sunday Times 'Penelope flies with the help of the sardonic, deadpan voice Atwood lends her, a tone half-Dorothy Parker, half-Desperate Housewives.' Boyd Tonkin, Independent '"Spry" is a word that could almost have been invented to describe Margaret Atwood, who beadily and wittily retells the events surrounding the Odyssey through the voice of Penelope. Pragmatic, clever, domestic, mournful, Penelope is a perfect Atwood heroine.' Sam Leith, Spectator 'An enjoyable, intelligent variation on Penelope's story.' Christopher Tayler, Sunday Telegraph 'Margaret Atwood, with characteristic dryness, acuity and wit, takes on The Odyssey in The Penelopiad, which gives us the wife's point of view.' Erica Wagner, The Times
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Review
"Homer's Odyssey is not the only version of the story. Mythic material was originally oral, and also local - a myth would be told one way in one place and quite differently in another... "I've chosen to give the telling of the story to Penelope and to the twelve hanged Maids. The Maids form a chanting and singing Chorus which focuses on two questions that must pose themselves after any close reading of The Odyssey: what led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to? The story as told in The Odyssey doesn't hold water: there are too many inconsistencies. I've always been haunted by the hanged maids; and, in The Penelopiad, so is Penelope herself." From Margaret Atwood's Introduction to The Penelopiad
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
73 of 75 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Atwood is a shrewd and witty writer and this book shows her at the top of her form. She transmutes her unwieldy source material - Homer's Odyssey - into a playful, honestly felt exploration of the foundations of love and family. Here the heroic becomes human and the humdrum underpinnings of legend are exposed.
Penelope chafes against posterity and how it exemplifies her as the faithful, stay-at-home wife. She's not interested in being an archetype; she's remembering the awkward in-laws, her uncouth teenage son, Odysseus' stubby legs. Homer sings hymns to Odysseus and his wily ways; Atwood shows us what it's like to be married to a dishonest man. Helen of Troy is here too (she's Penelope's cousin) and she's just like you knew she really would be - vapid, catty, only real when reflected in a man's eyes.
Running beneath the humour is the story of everything that Penelope has lost: her home, her husband, her youth, her friends, her life, her truth. Our narrator is a weary shade, viewing the world from the dim, grey realm of Hades. But having left behind life, she's also left behind the illusions that go with it. Dead she might be but her vision is clear, her humour is bone-dry, and her story is full-blooded.
If you've read the Odyssey, this novel will mean all the more to you. If you haven't, it will inspire you to search out 3,000 year-old Greek epic poetry. Either way, treasure this book.
Penelope chafes against posterity and how it exemplifies her as the faithful, stay-at-home wife. She's not interested in being an archetype; she's remembering the awkward in-laws, her uncouth teenage son, Odysseus' stubby legs. Homer sings hymns to Odysseus and his wily ways; Atwood shows us what it's like to be married to a dishonest man. Helen of Troy is here too (she's Penelope's cousin) and she's just like you knew she really would be - vapid, catty, only real when reflected in a man's eyes.
Running beneath the humour is the story of everything that Penelope has lost: her home, her husband, her youth, her friends, her life, her truth. Our narrator is a weary shade, viewing the world from the dim, grey realm of Hades. But having left behind life, she's also left behind the illusions that go with it. Dead she might be but her vision is clear, her humour is bone-dry, and her story is full-blooded.
If you've read the Odyssey, this novel will mean all the more to you. If you haven't, it will inspire you to search out 3,000 year-old Greek epic poetry. Either way, treasure this book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A new twist to the tale of Odysseus for me, in the point of view of his clever and sly wife. About what she got up to whilst he was away and how she ran the kingdom and brought up their son. A light easy read, great for a holiday on the beach. The book is written in a subtle gossipy style and as long as you don't expect to be drawn into Odysseus epic journey you should enjoy this bok.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A knowledge of the classics is not essential for understanding or enjoying Atwood's adaptation of the Penelope myth. It's clear that the author thoroughly enjoyed herself, and Penelope radiates a humanity that is often missing from some of Atwood's earlier creations. This book is full of wit and humour as well as poetry. Some of the images will stay with you long after you've finished the book.
Try this for a thoughtful but entertaining read.
Try this for a thoughtful but entertaining read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good Idea - Lazy Writing
Retelling the story from the perspective of Penelope and the Maids is an excellent idea, but this rendition is irksome and lazy. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Paul Martin
Poor Penelope...what a rascal Odysseus is...
I really enjoyed this. Margaret Atwood always writes combining humour, human values and sound common sense with a basically feminist perspective, and the result is always... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lucinda
Dazzling retelling of a familar tale
The Penelopiad sees Margaret Atwood retelling parts of The Iliad and The Odyssey from the point of view of Odysseus' wife Penelope and the twelve maids that he slaughtered. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Jimbo
Odysseus re-read
I've read and studied the Odyssey several times, although a number of years ago now, and have enjoyed (and sometimes rolled my eyes at) to many conflicting views of Penelope's... Read more
Published 16 months ago by R. G. Brizi
Legendary!
Margaret Atwood doesn't fail to impress, I was lent this book and read it within 24 hours, I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 16 months ago by JadeyMcCadey
An interesting divergence
This is a nice accompaniment to The Odyssey. It doesn't take itself to serious and isn't overly feminist as might be suggested by the preview. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Paul Anderson
Price change
A great book, which I already owned in paperback and have past on to friends, but found for £0.00 here on Dec 28th and 'bought' so I have my Kindle version too. Read more
Published 17 months ago by G W
Witty and fun
A lovely book, throwing a new light on an old story. Attwood takes a witty and playful approach and made me laugh out loud a few times. Read more
Published 19 months ago by DM
The Myth carries on...
The Penelopiad is a novella by Margaret Atwood as part of the MYTHS collection, which involes the rather interesting process of famous authors tweaking and re-writing a chosen... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Ms. E. K. Groom
Good story
I had never read Margaret Atwood before but I found this a good place to start. She writes very clearly and her character development is engaging. Read more
Published on 12 May 2010 by Iain Gilbert
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