Cover of The Penelopiad

Book · 2008 · Fiction

The Penelopiad

by Margaret Atwood · Recommended by 2 people on 2 podcasts

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recommendation
1

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Um I'm going to also recommend uh the Penelope ad which is Margaret Atwood's uh sort of Penelopey's version but also gets into some of the enslaved women that Odysius murders.
Madeline Miller · The Book Review · Jul 2026 Listen at 25:55

The best things said about it

1 of 2 · every mention
Discussed
Margaret Atwood in 2005 wrote a novel called the Penelope ad.
Chuck Bryant Stuff You Should Know · Sep 2026

Why people recommend it

The Penelopiad is a novel by Margaret Atwood that retells Homer's epic from the perspective of Penelope and examines the fate of the enslaved women murdered by Odysseus. On The Book Review podcast, Madeline Miller recommended The Penelopiad as a companion piece to The Odyssey, noting that it offers Penelope's own version of events while also exploring the experiences of those enslaved women. Miller suggested that readers should not feel intimidated by The Odyssey and highlighted Atwood's work as a compelling literary pairing. Later, Chuck Bryant brought up The Penelopiad on Stuff You Should Know during an episode focused on The Odyssey. Bryant mentioned that Margaret Atwood wrote the novel in 2005, using it to further frame the classic ancient Greek narrative through a different literary lens. Both commentators recognized the significance of Atwood's modern retelling, making it a frequent point of interest for readers exploring ancient epics from fresh perspectives. Through these podcast discussions, listeners are encouraged to revisit traditional heroic tales by considering the silenced voices and alternative viewpoints embedded within the mythological framework crafted by Atwood in her celebrated contemporary work.

Every mention

2 counted mentions
Madeline Miller Um I'm going to also recommend uh the Penelope ad which is Margaret Atwood's uh sort of Penelopey's version… 1
Recommended
“Um I'm going to also recommend uh the Penelope ad which is Margaret Atwood's uh sort of Penelopey's version but also gets into some of the enslaved women that Odysius murders.”
Chuck Bryant Margaret Atwood in 2005 wrote a novel called the Penelope ad. 1
Discussed
“Margaret Atwood in 2005 wrote a novel called the Penelope ad.”
Stuff You Should Know The Odyssey Episode 2026-09-10

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