Today we finished the Odyssey (we concluded by reading Book 23 outloud), and then we moved on to some selections from Margaret Atwood’s excellent novella, The Penelopiad. The Penelopiad tells the story of the Odyssey from Penelope’s and the maids’ perspectives. One of the things that I really like about this piece is that it not only provides a critical lens with regard to gender, it also critiques the traditional story of the Odyssey in terms of class – Penelope and the maids aren’t exactly united, in large part because of the tensions between the ruling and the servant classes.

I’d like to get your opinions on what we read, so if you have time, would you answer these polls?

And for extra credit (in my heart), leave a comment under this post about what you thought of the whole Odyssey. Things you could mention include which adventure was your favorite, what you were most upset/surprised about, what you think happens between Odysseus and Penelope after the book ends, etc.