‘The Last Song of Penelope’ retells Greek myth from woman’s perspective

The Last Song of Penelope
Claire North
Orbit Books

Recent years have seen a fashion for the retelling of ancient myths from the perspective of the women who are sidelined in them, often as mere decorative adjuncts to the action, or as nasty conspirators against heroic men. Among the authors who have done this with considerable success are Pat Barker and Madelaine Miller.

With The Last Song of Penelope, which is the third novel in a trilogy though it can be read as a stand-alone, Claire North joins them in fine style.

Penelope, wife of Odysseus, has always been hailed as the archetype of the faithful wife, rejecting all temptation and waiting for her absent husband, who not only spent 10 years away at the Trojan war, but then spent another 10 dithering about on his homeward journey while Penelope fended off more than 100 suitors who wanted to marry her and get their hands on Odysseus’ kingdom of Ithaca.

In North’s telling, which is narrated by Athena, goddess of war and wisdom, Penelope was faithful, but for practical rather than romantic reasons. She was also a reliable regent of the kingdom for her somewhat unpromising son, Telemachus, and though Odysseus had left a group of worthies to “help” her, she ran a parallel administration of women, free and enslaved, who were capable and competent, and able to run rings round the men.

As Athena, with knowing dry humour and sharp insights into the ultimate incompatibility of her two portfolios of wisdom and war, tells the story of Odysseus’ return (in disguise to check out Penelope’s fidelity) and the brutal slaughter of the suitors, we see a new and much more believable Penelope. She is canny, clever, aware of her own shortcomings — a self-awareness Odysseus does not have, and only comes to partially achieve towards the end of the book — and best of all, she is fully believable to the reader.

The story divides into two parts. The first concerns the return of the disguised Odysseus and the horrific violence he unleashes upon Ithaca, and not only on the suitors. The second is the result of the slaughter and the attempts at revenge by the fathers and relatives of the dead. I don’t want to give spoilers and explain how their efforts are foiled, but suffice to say without Penelope’s considerable abilities, given as much for her own ends as those of Odysseus, he might well have come very short.

It all makes for a thoroughly compelling narrative, and a very enjoyable read, even if you are not a follower of Greek myths.

Eat your heart out, Homer.