The Penelopiad

Years ago, I tried to read Circe by Madeline Miller and just couldn’t get into it. Too many characters…with weird names I couldn't pronounce in my head. I’m not a huge fan of mythology anyways, but as a teacher I tried to be more knowledgeable about the subject. This year with the 3-hour blockbuster Hollywood movie The Odyssey making waves, interest in all things Greek mythology is heating up. Before I commit to watching the film, I wanted to brush up on the story. My classroom copy of the graphic novel version I bought to entice reluctant readers, has been missing in action since I retired, so I downloaded The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood.

In ten days, I completed this short tongue-in-cheek account from the perspective of Penelope, wife of Odysseus. It did the trick and immersed me into the mercilessness of the olden days, especially for women who had less free will while still being held to high standards for virtuous behavior. Where Circe is thick and dense, this book is light and frothy. A flank steak versus a cappuccino. It reintroduced me to the major plot points of The Odyssey in a fast-moving and amusing way. I like Atwood's sly sense of humor, although I never did read The Handmaid's Tale or stream the television series. I can't remember Blind Assassin, but a few years ago I really enjoyed reading Atwood's trilogy of science fiction books, even though that's not usually my go-to genre. 

A couple of highlights from The Penelopiad for me are Penelope's descriptions of her relationships with her husband and her son, Telemachus. Regarding Odysseus, she says, "The two of us were—by our own admission—proficient and shameless liars of long standing. It's a wonder either of us believed a word the other said. But we did. Or so we told each other." This is what she has to say about her son, being left as she was a single mother during her husband's years-long adventures. "But I did not appreciate the barrage of surly monosyllables and resentful glances I was getting from my own son." And then later to drive the point home. "Boys with their first beards can be a thorough pain in the neck." 

The chapters of the book alternate between those filled with Penelope's observations and those consisting of lyrical poems describing the escapades of the ill-fated maids at her service. Here's a bit of an explanation from the author.

"The Chorus of Maids is a tribute to the use of such choruses in Greek drama. The convention of burlesquing the main action was present in the satyr plays performed before serious dramas." 

I just love a book that is entertaining and educational!