Abandoned by Booklikes

A friend suggested that I pick up Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad" since she knows that I love Greek mythology. Finding out that this was a twist on the Greek myth of Odyssey and told from the point of view of Odyssey's wife, Penelope, and her maids I decided to buy it. I have never been so pleased with a book purchase as I was with this one and really wish that it could have been much longer. I for one would love it if Margaret Atwood wrote other Greek myths with the perspective told from some minor character.

For many people perhaps the story of the maids is just a minor plot point on the entire tale of Odyssey. However, Margaret Atwood changes things around in order to show how the hanging of the maids was not just or fair due to their background and also their doing Penelope's wishes.

What I found quite brilliant about this novella is that we have Ms. Atwood setting up this novella as a classic Greek drama. The story is told from Penelope's point of view and is also broken up with chorus in each of the chapters that has the maids at times singing a love song, providing a lecture about the differences between women depending on what class they are born into, a courtroom trial, etc.

All in all I thought the way that this novella was structured was brilliant and I loved Penelope's voice.

I loved that we did not have her acting as the totally clueless wife as she is portrayed in classical Greek myths.

I also loved how when you do look at it that Odyssey due to him being a King even though his behavior was reprehensible was above approach unlike the poor maids in the story who we see due to the choruses were treated wrongly by both Odyssey and Penelope.