The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus | 
pickThis retell of Homer‘s The Odyssey is a mix of poetry and prose. It‘s not quite a Halloween read, but the story is told by Penelope and the 12 maids after they are dead. They are angry at what happened to them, and they will have their say:
”we are the maids
the ones you killed
the ones you failed
we danced in air
our barre feet twitched
it was not fair …”
Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.
pickI really love Margaret Atwood books. It was a very short story about Penelopeia, wife of Odesseus. She tells her side of the of well known story. It could have been a very long book about Greek women's life and status and all of the history but it was good as it was.
Ps. This book was very very expensive, however it is very short. I don't know what is going on in other countries but here books getting incredible pricy.
pickFinally managed to read this after reading Claire North's Ithaca. I liked The Penelopiad slightly better, because Penelope herself tells the story, rather than Hera, and the telling is much more economical. Adding the 12 hanged maids as the Chorus is also a good addition.
pickI was super excited to find this book at a farmer‘s market - it‘s a Canadian first edition print! I love a good myth retelling, especially from a woman‘s point of view. In particular, Atwood focuses on not only Penelope, but her 12 maids that Odysseus killed. These women who were nameless, innocent, and get glossed over. I‘m satisfied with their ending in this book, and there were some powerful quotes too.
My trip to Canada is almost done and I wanted to take a picture of all the books I bought this past week! Also I‘m sharing a hotel room with my mom so I had to take this picture while she was in the bathroom so she was not fully aware of the number of books I got. Yes I‘m 27 and I shouldn‘t care, but here I am.
pickThis is everything I hoped it would be. I‘m always floored by Atwood‘s beautiful words and creativity, so her taking on a Greek myth was gorgeously done. She definitely did her research and seamlessly incorporated ancient storytelling techniques while updating a few.
This is the story of Penelope, from her perspective, from birth to afterlife. It focuses on the ending of the Odyssey, Odysseus, and the injustice of the hanged maids.
“If you can't go around an obstacle, go around it. Water does.“ Margaret Atwood, “The Penelopiad“.
What a productive start to the year! 23 down and two on the go
Hi #LMPBC #GROUPX11 ! I‘ve narrowed down some choices for round 11. The tagged book is included in my list also, in case we want to read that and also one of @TheKidUpstairs amazing choices 😊. Be honest with your thoughts!
pickThis was a brutally honest, feminist retelling of the Odyssey. It didn't hide from the darkness of the story, it called the bluffs of the hero worship and idolising of the main male characters and showed us a glimpse of what they got up to in the shadows. Excellently crafted and researched, I just wish there had been more of it.
#TBRChallenge #AudioBook #ABookThats
pickWhat do you think about this? Having trouble keeping the plot straight.
so-soAn intelligent & witty feminist retelling of the Odyssey. Clever & quick read. Portrays Penelope in a different light, making her sassy & smart, but trapped in the misogynistic confines of ancient Greek society. Counter's Penelope's view with that of the twelve maids, making it clear that the story depends on the narrator. Atwood's manipulation of this tale is fantastic & I adore her writing. She is able to spin a fantastic tale.
Started this audiobook on my walk today - it was raining! I am loving it! The narrator is great. Of course, I never read The Iliad or The Odyssey, so some of those references may be lost on me. But the hanging maids and their songs are hilarious and Penelope is very clever, as she says, and funny. I hope I don‘t offend anyone by getting my giggles on. I‘m only on chapter 6 or 7, so things might change. It was raining & I didn‘t have an umbrella.
bailed0/5⭐ This rambling of a book has no right to model its name off of epic poetry like the Iliad.
It masquerades misogyny as feminism (Penelope CONSTANTLY slut-shames Helen and describes herself as a not-like-the-other-girls proper woman and wife).
Somehow Penelope is aware enough of the modern world to understand electricity but not museums, which have existed far longer?!?!
What a disappointment.
#7days7books Day 4 was a difficult choice between this and The Handmaid‘s Tale. Books that changed me or left a lasting impact on me @canbku @BookwormAHN @behudd @CocaNicola and @viirastus would you like to play? Thank you for the tag @MoonWitch94 @JaclynW @Jas16 and @SquidgetsRoom
so-soI was looking forward to a good re-telling of Odysseus‘s story. I wanted to hear from Penelope, his long suffering wife but what I got was a whiny witless heroine, a bratty son and one hell of a scumbag husband. Margaret Atwood has 2 styles of writing; superb or subpar. This just didn‘t work for me. Thanks so much for sending it my way @Kalalalatja I wish I would have had a different reaction.
I read these three contemporary interpretations of Greek mythology this year and loved them as well! I am so glad I was “forced” by my antiquities course to step outside my comfort zone last year and read mythology because I would have never have guessed I‘d find it entertaining and intriguing. 😁 Then I wouldn‘t have had the pleasure of reading these beauties either.
pickI did it! Finished my reading goal for 2019! Snapped a pic of the lovely bookshelves at a nearby coffee shop earlier this week.
Another excellent work by Atwood . She doesn‘t disappoint!
pickEver wondered what Penelope did all those years Odysseus was out adventuring, waring, tricking and exploring? This book gives Penelope‘s point of view, from being married off, always being in the shadow of her cousin, being disregarded, left behind and left to fend for herself in a world where a woman‘s word doesn‘t count for much. And in typical Atwood style, this is feminist, strong and a new take on a classic tale, and it was great!
#7days7covers #CoverCrush Day1
Thanks for the tag @Librarybelle
Spent some time with hubby in UConn‘s B & N, whiling away the time until my son‘s class tonight ended. Love this mural that adorns a wall. Also picked up tagged book on their 50% off table. #artandbooks #TheOdyssey #Penelope
Fingers crossed i enjoy this 🤞 #whatiread #agirlwhoreads #booksoflitsy #booksareforever #mybooks #books #readingisfreedom #readabook #booklover #bibliophile #wordnerd #fullshelves #reader #reading #follow #followme #library
so-soFinished while cooking split pea soup. This, along with Madeline Miller's Circe, was a valuable addition to my reading of The Odyssey, but it didn't really grab me. The link between the slain maids and the maidens of Artemis is intriguing, but it seems underdeveloped and academic. And while I'm not sure I fault Penelope for being snarky, I would hope that a few thousand years would provide equanimity of a sort.
Fighting a virus is a good excuse for an impromptu readathon. Although I suppose Atwood's Maddaddam trilogy would be more apt.
pickThe Odyssey retold from the viewpoint of Penelope - what more could you ask for?! This is a first-person account which succeeds in retelling a well-worn myth in such a way that it is still both absorbing and intriguing. For someone who studied Classics and loves myth retellings, this was a fantastic read.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#thepenelopiad #margaretatwood #myth #theodyssey #retelling #firstperson #fivestars
#QuotsyMay19 Day 30: #Water. While I own a copy of this novel (along with may other Atwood titles), still have not read this yet.
pickAnother 5⭐️! What a clever & inventive feminist story that breathes life into Penelope, past and present. The humor too! The passage quoted above is a “video clip” from a modern day court hearing wherein Odysseus is having to defend himself against charges of murder. That last paragraph 😂😂😆
“A stick used to beat other women with.”
Oh Penelope! 😫
2. The picture of Shiva from your trip to India is incredibly perfect! And the magnet! I love the Celtic bookmarks and that you sent items from multiple mythologies. I‘m going to frame the card!!!! And the Egyptian papyrus!!!! #mythsandlegendsswap
pickThis short read was absolutely charming and took me less than a day to read. Other reviewers lamented the fact that this book was only 192 pages but I enjoyed the dark humor and storyline told from the wife of Odysseus as he sails away to the Trojan War and then goes galivanting around, sleeping with goddesses while she waits for him. Good for her for the choices she made and finally getting to tell her story! #ReadingWomenChallenge Myth Retelling
pickAtwood's Penelope is a very funny character. If your mother is a Naiad, your father tried to drown you as a baby, Helen of Troy is your cousin (so you're always going to come off second best in the boyfriend/husband stakes), and your husband disappears for 20 years, really a sense of humour is your only possible way of staying sane.
Full of things you want to read out to anyone who will sit still long enough 👇
“Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can‘t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”
so-soNon il migliore della Atwood secondo me. Avevo già letto L‘altra Grace e il Racconto dell‘Ancella e questo libricino non regge purtroppo il confronto. La scrittrice ci ha abituate a donne molto sfaccettate, complesse, fragili e forti; in questo romanzo invece ci presenta una donna passivamente forte, schiacciata dagli uomini. Non mi è piaciuto affatto, nonostante io ami moto la figura di Odisseo e tutte le vicende legate a Iliade e Odissea
I'm excited for the Myths & Legends Swap, and remembered I had this book! I really need to read The Odyssey.
#ReadTheNorth #CanadianAuthors #FemaleAuthors
so-soUn unusual voice, Penelope, tells us about Ulysses and Telemaco, about her real life and something about Helena...
#book #litsy #litsybook #bookly #goodreads #booklover #margaretatwood #thepenelopiad #Ulysses #toread #readingchallenge #readingchallenge2019 #Odissea #Omero
