The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 196
From the Back Cover:
For Penelope, Odysseus's wife, running a kingdom while her husband is away fighting in the Trojan War is no simple matter. Already distressed that he had been lured away because of the shocking behavior of her beautiful cousin Helen, Penelope must also raise her wayward son, face scandalous rumors, and keep more than one hundred lustful, greedy, and bloodthirsty suitors at bay.
Margaret Atwood gives voice to Penelope, one of antiquity's most infamous heroines, so that she can tell her story at last and set the record straight once and for all.
My Rating:
This is the story of Penelope and Odysseus but told from the point of view of Penelope. Not only is Penelope telling the story but she tells the story (with special appearance by the twelve dead maids) from the underworld using wit and dry humor.
The big question revolves around the inexplicable hanging of Queen Penelope's 12 young handmaidens and her unsuccessful suitors. This question is not answered in the Odyssey but Queen Penelope has lots of thoughts about the matter and they revolve around the character of Penelope's husband Odysseus. "I knew he was tricky and a liar, I just didn't think he would play his tricks and try out his lies on me," Penelope says of him. As for Penelope, she struggles with keeping her life in contact during her husband's 20 year absence.
This story will make you laugh out loud but only if you are vaguely familiar with the story of The Odyssey. It is also a great book for the classroom. It is an easy quick read appropriate for a 9th grade classroom.
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