Define Regarding Books The Penelopiad
| Title | : | The Penelopiad |
| Author | : | Margaret Atwood |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 198 pages |
| Published | : | October 5th 2005 by Canongate U.S. |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Fantasy. Mythology. Historical. Historical Fiction. Feminism. Retellings |
Interpretation To Books The Penelopiad
Now that all the others have run out of air, it’s my turn to do a little story-making.In Homer’s account in The Odyssey, Penelope—wife of Odysseus and cousin of the beautiful Helen of Troy—is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife, her story a salutary lesson through the ages. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes off to fight in the Trojan War after the abduction of Helen, Penelope manages, in the face of scandalous rumors, to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca, bring up her wayward son, and keep over a hundred suitors at bay, simultaneously. When Odysseus finally comes home after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters, and sleeping with goddesses, he kills her suitors and—curiously—twelve of her maids.
In a splendid contemporary twist to the ancient story, Margaret Atwood has chosen to give the telling of it to Penelope and to her twelve hanged maids, asking: “What led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to?” In Atwood’s dazzling, playful retelling, the story becomes as wise and compassionate as it is haunting, and as wildly entertaining as it is disturbing. With wit and verve, drawing on the story-telling and poetic talent for which she herself is renowned, she gives Penelope new life and reality—and sets out to provide an answer to an ancient mystery.
List Books Supposing The Penelopiad
| Original Title: | The Penelopiad |
| ISBN: | 1841957178 (ISBN13: 9781841957173) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Odysseus, Penelope (wife of Odysseus) |
| Literary Awards: | Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Adult Literature (2006) |
Rating Regarding Books The Penelopiad
Ratings: 3.7 From 38696 Users | 3870 ReviewsCommentary Regarding Books The Penelopiad
Happy endings are best achieved by keeping the right doors locked Margaret Atwood, The PenelopiadI like looking at myths and great literature in another way. I enjoyed the book, but it just wasnt' great Margaret Atwood. It felt a bit dashed-off, almost an afterthought. Great in idea, but just OK in execution. Things I liked:1. the conception2. the re-evaluation of Penelope in conjunction with Helen, Odysseus, Eryurycleia, Telemachus, etc.3. the re-evaluation of Odysseus4. the idea of the 12This was technically a reread, but I couldn't remember the specific dates I read it the first time, so I recorded this as a first time read.Such an enjoyable, quick and surprising retelling of The Odyssey from Penelope's perspective. Nearly everyone knows Odysseus, smart, witty, promiscuous; tackles 1 too many mythical beasts over the decade he is missing on his return from The Trojan War.Penelope is sassy, intelligent, and more than a little bit pissed off at her cousin Helen for causing this
I really do not like this book. I find it to be very poorly constructed with glaring inconsistencies and sadly underdeveloped characters that were merely pastiches rather than living, breathing, feeling, multi-layered human beings. But I'm lazy and not in the mood to write a review that deconstructs this whole abysmal mess. However, my good friend Gabby also read this (it was a book group read of ours) and she really takes the time to break things down in her review which I'm linking right here.
This was so beautifully written. As someone who's fairly familiar with the myth of Penelope and Odysseus, it was quite fascinating to see how a modern-day writer would spin the story. Atwood did this brilliantly. I love stories that write from the perspective of the main character, especially when the said character is looking back in hindsight.Very creative.
In the pantheon of great Greek works the Odyssey certainly ranks among the most well known. The adventures of Odysseus as he tries to win his way home from the successful Trojan War, a war that had already kept him from home for ten years. Well, after another ten years of various adventures and misadventures he finally makes it home to Ithaca only to find his loyal wife, Penelope, beset by opportunistic suitors drinking his wine and eating his livestock. Yada yada yada, he and his son kill all
I read this one on the recommendation of the lovely Jean at Bookishthoughts and thoroughly enjoyed it!- So this is a modern retelling of the story of Penelope and Odysseus which can be found in Homer's account in The Odyssey. Penelope and Odysseus are well known and their story is one that has been told many times - this time however we delve much deeper and Margaret Atwood shares the tale of Penelope and her aspiring suitors plus that of the twelve handmaids whom Odysseus executed upon his
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