The Penelopiad
9 journalers for this copy...
In Homer's account, Penelope's story is the salulatory tale of the constant wife. It is she who rules Odysseus' kingoms of Ithaca during his twenty-five year absence at the Trojan Wars; she who raises their wayward son and contrives by her ingenuity to fend off over a hundred insistent suitors. When Odysseus finally returns, he kills the suitors, and also curiously, twelve of Penelope's 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. 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.
Well, all of the blurb is true! It's a wonderful book!
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. 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.
Well, all of the blurb is true! It's a wonderful book!
Mailed to theadi today, 12 October, with bookring book The Infernal Optimist.
I am very excited about this book, being just a bit of a fan of Margaret Atwood as well as having an ongoing interest in mythology. I'm always interested in retellings of old stories from different perspectives, too, so this one promises to be right up my alley!
Thankyou so much, livrecache.
Thankyou so much, livrecache.
Gosh that Atwood lady's clever!
A very carefully researched and skillfully narrated version of the Odyssey (which I'd now like to re-read!).
I loved the Maid's Chorus - a modern take on such a classic form of story-telling/theatre.
I really enjoyed this book.
Thankyou for sharing it with me livrecache :)
A very carefully researched and skillfully narrated version of the Odyssey (which I'd now like to re-read!).
I loved the Maid's Chorus - a modern take on such a classic form of story-telling/theatre.
I really enjoyed this book.
Thankyou for sharing it with me livrecache :)
This one's coming with me to the meet-up at the Kaleidescope Cafe tomorrow.
Picked up at today's meetup.
This was an entertaining take on the Odysseus story. I haven't read the Odyssey (shame!) but know the general story. Atwood's humour and subversiveness are evident here but it's not as demanding as some of her other books.
I gave this to Frank to bring to April brunch meetup.
Yay! This one's been on my wishlist for a while - I'm really looking forward to reading it. I may have to 'bump' this one up Mt TBR. It'll then go on to another bookcrosser who expressed interest in it!
Apologies for the inordinate amount of time this slim volume has languished on Mt TBR! And wasn't it worth the wait to read???!!!???
I am very familiar with the Odyssey and immediately snaffled this one when I saw it at meetup. I've always enjoyed Atwood's writing, and this retelling of the Odysseus story from Penelope's point of view has only confirmed my great admiration for her skills.
There also seems to be more humour in this one than I would usually expect from this 'serious' novelist! In a way, it's as if the retelling of this myth has freed Atwood to experiment more with the form - to improvise and have some fun. I loved her use of different genres (sea shanty, anthropology lecture, broadway musical!) to provide the chorus of the hanged maidens with their voice.
It's not often I can unreservedly say that I enjoyed every minute of a book - but this one is an exception - loved it from start to finish!
This one is now reserved for cathyinoz - with apologies for the time I've taken to pass it on to her!
I am very familiar with the Odyssey and immediately snaffled this one when I saw it at meetup. I've always enjoyed Atwood's writing, and this retelling of the Odysseus story from Penelope's point of view has only confirmed my great admiration for her skills.
There also seems to be more humour in this one than I would usually expect from this 'serious' novelist! In a way, it's as if the retelling of this myth has freed Atwood to experiment more with the form - to improvise and have some fun. I loved her use of different genres (sea shanty, anthropology lecture, broadway musical!) to provide the chorus of the hanged maidens with their voice.
It's not often I can unreservedly say that I enjoyed every minute of a book - but this one is an exception - loved it from start to finish!
This one is now reserved for cathyinoz - with apologies for the time I've taken to pass it on to her!
This was passed on to me at our brunch meetup. Thanks all who kept me in mind for this.
There are only a couple of Atwood's books left that I have not read and this is one of them. Sorry Mt. TBR --you'll have to wait,I've already started this on the train home. =)
There are only a couple of Atwood's books left that I have not read and this is one of them. Sorry Mt. TBR --you'll have to wait,I've already started this on the train home. =)
Not my favourite Atwood book but I enjoyed what she did with this famous myth. Her slightly sardonic voice and her playful attitude to writing as usual lift her work and suits me (or maybe all women my age)to a 'T'.Her (borrowed) theory of Penelope and the virgins as part of a goddess cult seems very plausible and ties up a lot of the questions for me about the events after the return of Odysseus.
I'll take this back to our Bookcrossing Brunch crew and see if anyone else wants it before wild releasing.
I'll take this back to our Bookcrossing Brunch crew and see if anyone else wants it before wild releasing.
Taken from the bookcrossing meet up.
Extremely well written and enjoyable to read. The words flow beautifully, and I finished the book in an afternoon.
Journal Entry 15 by kzel at -- Controlled Releases --, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, February 5, 2009
Released 15 yrs ago (2/5/2009 UTC) at -- Controlled Releases --, Western Australia Australia
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sending to crimson-tide as part of the ABC Australia Only Relay
Sending to crimson-tide as part of the ABC Australia Only Relay
Journal Entry 16 by 
crimson-tide
from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Friday, February 13, 2009
crimson-tide from Balingup, Western Australia Australia on Friday, February 13, 2009
Thanks kzel. This one obviously comes highly recommended, so I'm looking forward to reading it.
And thanks too for the bookmark and the hitchhikers!
And thanks too for the bookmark and the hitchhikers!
Fantastically enjoyable read and loved every page! Clever, imaginative and amusing.
I agree with all that has been said above.
And I can only apologise for the fact it got buried at the bottom of mt tbr for so long...
Now reserved for a wishlist tag.
I agree with all that has been said above.
And I can only apologise for the fact it got buried at the bottom of mt tbr for so long...
Now reserved for a wishlist tag.
Released 7 yrs ago (5/10/2016 UTC) at Balingup, Western Australia Australia
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Posted off to Tsjara in The Netherlands as a wishlist tag.
Happy reading!
Happy reading!
How lovely to see that this is a well traveled copy! Thanks so much for the wishlist tag crimson-tide! It sounds really good and I have always been interested in mythology. Looking forward to read it. :)
A short but entertaining read. I read the (teen) version of the Oddysey when I was a kid and still meaning to re-read it one day...
On its way to conto as a RABCK.
Happy reading!
On its way to conto as a RABCK.
Happy reading!
Wow, this book has been hopping around! :)
Thank you so very much for your generosity, Tsjara.
I was with a non-BC friend when I got it and decided to lend the book because I've been trying to convince her to read M.Atwood and I still have a few to get read beforehand...
I'll be back to share her opinion though, as well as mine.
It came back to me unread in 16 June 2021.
As for me, I've been reading almost nothing for quite a while, so I won't promise anything, but I relly hope I'll find the joy of reading once more soon, because I miss it a lot.
Thank you so very much for your generosity, Tsjara.
I was with a non-BC friend when I got it and decided to lend the book because I've been trying to convince her to read M.Atwood and I still have a few to get read beforehand...
I'll be back to share her opinion though, as well as mine.
It came back to me unread in 16 June 2021.
As for me, I've been reading almost nothing for quite a while, so I won't promise anything, but I relly hope I'll find the joy of reading once more soon, because I miss it a lot.
