7. Margaret Atwood (2005), The Penelopiad

[strange_complex]

I read this book because a) it is about me my mythological namesake, b) my Mum bought it for me two Christmases ago, knowing that it would appeal to me for that reason, and c) I've always vaguely thought I ought to read something by Margaret Atwood.

It's basically Penelope's side of the story, as the title suggests. She is the narrator, speaking from the Underworld, and she tells us how she felt, what she knew when and why she did what she did from her childhood up to the return of Odysseus. There's a special emphasis on the twelve household maids which Telemachus hangs on Odysseus's orders at the end of Book 22 of the Iliad. In Homer, they've been rude and insolent to Eurycleia (Odysseus' childhood nurse) and Penelope, and have slept with several of the suitors. In The Penelopiad, they were Penelope's secret eyes and ears about the house, and most of them had been raped. So Atwood sets out to tell their side of the story, too - and in particular breaks up Penelope's narrative with a series of Greek-style dramatic Choruses, delivered by the maids in formats ranging from the ballad and the sea shanty to the idyll and the court-room trial.

Thing is, that's about it. That's the plot and structure of the book, it's all done perfectly plausibly and readably, and I really don't have anything much else to say about it. There wasn't really anything in it which surprised me, wowed me or challenged me. Well, there was one of the Maids' Choruses, done in the style of an anthropology lecture, where I had to grit my teeth a bit as I was presented with a reading of Odysseus' return as the over-throw of a matriarchal society led by Penelope - an interpretation which Atwood credits in her closing note to Robert Graves' famously *koff* 'creative' The Greek Myths. But apart from that, it was fine. Just fine. Did exactly what it said on the tin.

I suppose I was hoping for something a bit more epic and creative. Maybe the problem is that Penelope - much as I would wish otherwise - is not really the most exciting of characters. Atwood chooses to keep her basically in line with Homer's characterisation, apart from having hidden feelings and motives which Homer and his male characters overlook. So alternate possibilities like her becoming the mother of Pan are out of the window, and you're left with a pretty passive heroine, really - even if you do grant her intelligence that Homer doesn't.

Oh well - anyway, I've read it now. Whether I'll read more Atwood is likely to depend on whether anyone particularly persuasive attempts to talk me into it or not.

Comments

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

excellent : )

I'll lend you "the handmaids tale" if you like it I think I've got "cats eye" and "the robber bride" somewhere as well. But I;ll just lend you "handmaids tale" first

[libellum.livejournal.com]

My two favourite Atwoods have always been Cat's Eye and The Blind Assassin. Oryx and Crake was entertaining too, if very different - and a little self-indulgently polemical. Her earlier work is more subtly personal-political; her recent novels all seem to make political points with a sledgehammer, to the detriment of the novel as a whole.

Her specialty is heart-aching female biographies, commenting on relationships and identity and socio-cultural expectations, this vast, beautifully woven tapestry all about joy and sorrow and what it is to be human. When she tries to be gimmicky (as with the Penelopiad, Oryx and Crake, and her shorter novels like Life Before Man and Surfacing, she ends up letting the punch of the gimmick destroy all the subtlety of her observations and prose, and you're left feeling profoundly unsatisfied. But the longer novels - which have all the beauty, power and melancholy of those dreams you used to have where you'd live an entire lifetime in one night - are absolutely unmissable.

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

I've read "life before man" and wasn't overly keen on that either.

"Cats eye" is good, though I must confess I've not read "The Blind Assassin" or "Oryx and Crake". Mind you, the first book I read of hers was "Surfacing" for English A level, so it's a wonder I bothered to seek out any of her others : )

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'd really like that. Given that no less than six people have now commented on this thread to recommend it, I reckon it'd be rude not to read it!

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

I also have loads of marge piercy . In fact you must come along one of our girls nights when we actually get around to organising a proper one around books!

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

In a sort of book-club stylee, then? Yes, that would be fun.

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

Excellent. We've been meaning to actually have girls book night for ages, we always end up recommending each other books but haven't actually done a proper book night. We tried to do one last month but ended up gossiping and consuming copious amounts of wine : )

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Kewl! Well let me know what book you decide to read for it, and I'll look forward to joining in.

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

Will do!

It might just be a case of recommending books we like, rather than an actual read and discuss, it'll depend on how busy everyone is but I'll certainly let you know.

[kissmeforlonger.livejournal.com]

Oh yes - have you read Woman on the edge of time? That's fab.

[gillywoo.livejournal.com]

Indeed I have! It's excellent - my favourite of hers is probably "body of Glass" though, it was the first one I ever read of hers and is just amazing.

In fact, I just had to buy some more marge piecy books, because I've run out of ones to read!