The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was quite shocked by the number of negative reviews people gave this book. Some of the worst things I have come across were, "Atwood didn't go to the recent scholarly articles on the life of Penelope," "She ignored recent research on The Odyssey," "The whining got to me!"

Here's an archaeologist's retort to all the bile:

LATEST SCHOLARLY ARTICLES!!! Are you kidding me? She was writing a BOOK, a work of FICTION, not a bloody dissertation on "What can we find out about Penelope from the recent researches on The Odyssey?" Since the novel is a work of FICTION and does not claim to historically correct or an authentic source of reference on Penelope, will you just shut up about it? You cannot quote Atwood's novel as a source, you cannot use it a reference,the author never asked you to and I think the publishers made it quite clear that the Cannongate Myth Series are the authors' own interpretations and take on various myths.

Having said that, nothing about the content is historically incorrect! The book remains faithful to The Odyssey and just tells the whole story from Penelope's perspective. So sorry Atwood didn't pay attention to "recent scholarly work" but well, it wasn't her job, just like it wasn't T.E. Lawrence or E.V. Rieu's job to go into the authenticity of The Odyssey while translating it. Like I said, it wasn't a dissertation, merely the same story from Penelope's perspective.

As for the whining bit, I'd like to see you read The Secret Life of Bees. And is that all you could see in the book? You missed the part about how Penelope stood up to the Suitors, and the whole point about whether a princess or a slave girl, woman was never better off than the other? That she was sexually exploited, bought, sold, used like a commodity? You missed the whole bit about how in a patriarchal society a man self appoints himself as the custodian of a woman's fate? Just because Atwood was faithful about the bit that Penelope was a half-Naiad and hence prone to being emotionally vulnerable? What a reader that makes you.

I think if you're going to read this book as a source on Greek Mythology, you'll be disappointed. Read it like a story. Read it as if you were Penelope. For once, wear her shoes and don't act like a 'know-it-all' on Greek Mythology! Shut that part of your brain and you'll see why I liked this book!



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