Penelopiad

Penelopiad is a novella-length work by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, published in 2005 as part of the Canongate Myth Series. It reimagines the Odyssey from the perspective of Penelope and the twelve maids who serve her, foregrounding female voices and challenging traditional narratives surrounding the Trojan War and Odysseus’s return.

The book is narrated primarily by Penelope, who speaks in the afterlife as well as from Ithaca, offering her own gaze on marriage, waiting, and the social expectations placed on women. A chorus of the twelve maidservants provides a constant counterpoint, recounting their experiences and the silences surrounding their fates. The text also incorporates concise footnotes and paratextual commentary that invite alternate interpretations of the myth.

Themes center on gender, memory, power, and the politics of storytelling. Atwood uses Penelope’s voice to critique patriarchal mythmaking, highlight the moral complexity of Penelope’s choices, and give agency to characters who are often marginalized in classical retellings. The work blends mythic tradition with modern sensibilities, combining prose with lyric moments and dramatic structure.

Reception and influence: The Penelopiad has been widely discussed in academic contexts as part of feminist readings of classical myth and as an example of contemporary myth retellings. It has been studied for its narrative technique, its interrogation of authority and voice, and its place within Atwood’s broader engagement with ancient stories. The novella has also contributed to ongoing conversations about how women’s perspectives are represented in literary canons.