The Penelopiad cover art

The Penelopiad

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The Penelopiad

By: Margaret Atwood
Narrated by: Laural Merlington, Margaret Atwood
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About this listen
WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY THE AUTHOR

Now that all the others have run out of air, it’s my turn to do a little story-making . . . So I’ll spin my own thread.

Penelope . . . immortalised in legend and Greek myth as the devoted wife of the glorious Odysseus, silently weaving and unpicking and weaving again as she waits for her husband’s return from the Trojan war.

Now, in Atwood's wise and witty retelling of the myth, Penelope wanders the underworld, spinning a different kind of thread: her own side of the story – a tale of lust, greed and murder.©2005 O.W. Toad Ltd. (P)2012 Canongate Books Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magic Marriage Funny Thought-Provoking Witty Ancient History Ancient Greece

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All stars
Most relevant
If you have read the Odyssey and know your mythology there's not a lot more here to engage a reader. The concept of telling the story from a different angle is interesting but could have been expanded more. I didn't really feel any emotion for Penelope, just absorbed her story. having said that, portraying the maids as a Chorus was very clever and the narration very good. Interesting listen.

Interesting concept, not enough depth

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Pure genius once again, Atwood never fails to open my eyes. I wish this book was about when I did Latin and Greek at school!

Witty and brilliant.

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It made a change to hear from Penelope - the world's most famous wife...about time

intriguing and engaging

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Good story, well written, well read, apart from the chorus rendition, which I didn’t like.

Interesting point of view

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As current retelling of Greek mythology keep downplaying the systematic rape and murder of women, it is refreshing to have Penelope's tale retold. and to see her own ambiguity in her relation to the maids and Helen of Troy. Truly masterful. Wonderful narration.

Essential

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