The Penelopiad (The myths series) - The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus

Margaret Atwood

Vintage Canada

2005

216 páginas

7h 12m

ISBN-13: 9780676974188

In Homer’s account in The Odyssey, Penelope - wife of Odysseus and cousin of the beautiful Helen of Troy - is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife, her story a salutary lesson through the ages. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes off to fight in the Trojan war after the abduction of Helen, Penelope manages, in the face of scandalous rumours, to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca, bring up her wayward son, and keep over a hundred suitors at bay, simultaneously. When Odysseus finally comes home after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters and sleeping with goddesses, he kills her suitors and -curiously -twelve of her maids.

In a splendid contemporary twist to the ancient story, Margaret Atwood has chosen to give the telling of it to Penelope and to her twelve hanged Maids, asking: "What led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to?" In Atwood’s dazzling, playful retelling, the story becomes as wise and compassionate as it is haunting, and as wildly entertaining as it is disturbing. With wit and verve, drawing on the storytelling and poetic talent for which she herself is renowned, she gives Penelope new life and reality - and sets out to provide an answer to an ancient mystery.

Resenhas (2)

4 (Muito bom)

"It was my fault! I hadn’t told her of my scheme".

Neste livro, Atwood revisita o épico de Homero sob a perspectiva de Penélope, oferecendo uma visão feminina e intimista dos 20 anos em que esteve separada de Odisseu. Atwood dá voz também ao coro das 12 criadas executadas, enriquecendo a narrativa com suas denúncias e questionamentos. A escrita combina lirismo e ironia, desafiando as versões tradicionais do mito e explorando temas como poder, lealdade e injustiça. Contudo, algo que me incomodou profundamente foi a forma como a personagem da Helena de Esparta é retratada. Ainda assim, é uma releitura instigante e marcante.