By allowing Penelope and the
twelve hanged maids to tell their own stories, Atwood shifts the focus
away from the celebrated hero and toward those who were expected to wait
patiently while history glorified someone else's adventures. I couldn't
help thinking that if I had been in Penelope's place, Odysseus and I
would have had some very serious conversations when he finally deigned
to return home after twenty years of wandering, monster-slaying, and
"spending time" with various goddesses.
What I admire most about
Atwood is her ability to subvert familiar narratives without dismissing
them. Her deep knowledge of and respect for the original myth is evident
throughout, even as she playfully pokes holes in its assumptions. The
novel is witty, clever, and often surprisingly funny, but beneath the
humor is a sharp examination of whose voices are preserved, whose are
ignored, and how gender and class shape the stories that survive.
The Penelopiad is brief but thought-provoking. It made me want to revisit The Odyssey
with fresh eyes, and that's probably one of the highest compliments a
retelling can earn. I just wish I was better at pronouncing Margaret Atwood's title.
Now I'd love to know what you're reading!
How did I not know about this book? I remember reading The Odyssey in 10th grade lit class. Let me tell you... the struggle was real to finish it! I remember talking with my teacher (whose face I can see clearly but for the life of me I cannot remember her name) about how much I was struggling with this book... and like the penultimate sophomoric student, wanted to know how this book would improve my life. (The Drama Was Real lol) I can still hear her say... "you will read it because it is important literature and if you don't read it you won't be passing this class!" I did read it, and while I thought the storytelling nature of the Odyssey was something... I did not get all the monsters, and the gods, and all that...and I wanted to know Penelope's story!! Margaret Atwood, where were you when I was in 10th grade?? (I am now off to read this, thank you Hoopla!)
ReplyDeleteI read the Iliad and the Odyssey in high school. Yes, I am so old that when I went to high school it was taught in senior English. I also had to read Beowulf - oof! I have always loved to read, but senior English almost did permanent damage, and grad school almost finished it off. I did not enjoy reading this, and I am fairly certain that I will never try to read it again. However, I will seek out this version of Penelope's story for sure! Thanks, Bonny, for the recommendation. I am reading an ARC of Under the Falls by Richard Russo. The jury of one is still out.
ReplyDeleteLike Becky (and others) I had to read Beowulf, The Odyssey and The Iliad in high school. And like many, I did not enjoy! Not sure even Atwood's book appeals to me. Interestingly, I was reading an article in The Wall Street Journal about how the movie the Odyssey is successful in getting folks to read the book...unlike English class! LOL
ReplyDeleteAll I know about the Odyssey is what I learned from reading Emily Wilson's jaw dropping review a few days ago. I wish I knew as much about anything as she thinks she knows about Homer.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the movie so I can't offer an opinion, but I just read Emily Wilson's review now. It was truly interesting to read the opinion of a translator and classical studies professor. Now Joyce Carol Oates is criticizing Wilson for criticizing Christopher Nolan.
DeleteFull Greek mythology/Classics NERD-reader here . . . Tom and I went to see The Odyssey within the first couple of days it was out in theaters. It is a fabulous movie! Well deserving of all the accolades, to be sure. I read The Penelopiad (years ago when it first came out) and liked it . . . but I have a hold on it at my library to read again because I can barely remember it now. I really like the re-tellings of the Iliad and the Odyssey written through the eyes of the women (who were very much present, of course, but very much ignored). There are some excellent examples out there . . .
ReplyDeleteMolly had to read the Penelopiad for school, so I read it when she was done and really enjoyed it -- but I also tend to really enjoy any work that takes women's views of classic stories (like pretty much all of Natalie Haynes's books). Having now seen the Odyssey movie, I am in full agreement with Emily Wilson's critique -- the screenplay was terrible. Instead of writing it himself, Christopher Nolan should have hired actual experts in the epic poem (like Emily Wilson!) to adapt it to the screen.
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