‘The Penelopiad’ - book review

THE PENELOPIAD

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian novelist, poet, and literary critic. She has published eighteen novels, eleven non-fiction works, eight children ’ s books, two graphic novels and eighteen books of poetry. Though born in the late 1930s, Atwood’ s writing has a constant relevance and timelessness, making her works so enrapturing. She has won many awards but most notably she has been awarded two Booker prizes. She is an incredibly versatile author writing in genres spanning from historical to dystopic to ‘ cli-fi’ (climate fiction).While Atwood may be best known for her 1985 novel The Handmaid’ s Tale, her more recent novel, The Penelopiad (2005), is just as remarkable and has a greater appeal to those less fond of the dystopian genre. The Penelopiad is a retelling of The Odyssey by Odysseus ’ wife Penelope.

However, it is not your average ‘Greek-mythremix ’ . Penelope speaks in the first person to the audience from the underworld. She recounts her tale in a reminiscent and whimsical tone, intimately clueing the reader in on what really ‘ went down ’ . Atwood’ s typical style of crisp and precise descriptions with liberal use of italics, punctuation inconsistencies and asides is present throughout The Penelopiad making it an extremely interesting read, both in content and style. Penelope is followed around by a group of maids referred to as the “ chorus line ” who act just like a Greek chorus, making up songs and rhymes to goad Penelope or enforce her point. Though unorthodox, they add a chaotic and entertaining aspect to the story which enhances the plot. In The Penelopiad, Penelope rejects the demure nature she has come to be known by and sheds the role of devoted wife to become the ultimate critic and self-redeemer of her own story. We also see her rivalry with Helen throughout the novel, giving us a fun window into the lives of other dead legendary personas. I don ’t really like calling The Penelopiad a ‘feminist retelling ’ since that label is thrown around so often. Any novel that has a female main character where it once was male is given that title which I think undervalues the term. That being said, it does give a keen view into what life was like for women at the time and though it is more poetic than factual in style the new interpretation is refreshing. If you enjoyed The World’ s Wife by Carol Ann Duffy or any book by Madeline Miller, you would certainly appreciate The Penelopiad.

Those who are not big fans of semi avant-garde writing may want to give this a miss as it can be slightly overwhelming to those unused to Atwood’ s style. I would advise for The Penelopiad to be approached like a poem rather than a novel when reading it, as looking for too much plot muddies the experience. The book itself is just over 200 pages, so it is perfect for a quick afternoon read.

Overall, I loved it. I thought it was a witty and stimulating retelling without falling into any clichés. I give The Penelopiad 7.5/10.

By Maisie Spencer