Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/The Penelopiad

The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was promoted by User:SandyGeorgia 01:27, 29 June 2008 [1].

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The Penelopiad

Nominator(s): maclean

A novella by Margaret Atwood. It is a WP:1FA-promised article that I have been working on for a couple of months. This article now meets all the FA criteria so I'm nominating it here. maclean 06:57, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

Comments

• At first I thought it was a typo (revealing something about myself here!), but then realised that a novella is different to a novel. Perhaps wikilinking its first use will make things clearer for people like, erm, me?
• I'm not a fan of using "#1" (as opposed to "number one"), so unless that's common practice on novell(a) articles...
• Canongate Myth Series needs to be in italics throughout. (Including in refs.)
• "who rigged the contest between suitors that decided which one would marry her" - this sentence sounds a bit bulky to me... I think you could chop after "suitors" (as it's probably assumed they're marriage suitors), but if not could you reword another way?
• "Structured similar to a classical Greek drama the storytelling alternates between Penelope's narrative and the choral commentary of the twelve maids" - eek, needs commas for clarity.

But overall, quite a good read. giggy _(:O) 13:40, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. I've made the appropriate fixes [2] maclean 15:52, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

Yep, looking good. Support. giggy _(:O) 01:56, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

Comments Sources look good, links checked out fine with the link checker tool. Ealdgyth - Talk 14:02, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks for checking. maclean 15:52, 20 June 2008 (UTC)

Comments

• I think changing "..." to "[...]" more clearly indicates that words have been removed.
• Some American spelling exists in the article when it should only contain British spelling since it's a book published by a Canadian author. Examples of American spelling include: "honorable", "recognize", "criticize", etc.

Gary King (talk) 06:13, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

I made the fixes [3] There is one "recognize" still in there, but it is part of a quote (I did double-checked the source to make sure the quote is correct). Thanks for reading. --maclean 18:22, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

Neutral Support. An enjoyable article on a book I enjoyed but have mostly forgotten. Will support when the comments below are addressed.

• Prose issues, all in the plot.

• "neither Odysseus’ mother Anticleia, nor his nurse Eurycleia, liked Penelope but Eurycleia helped Penelope settle into her new role and became friendly, but often patronizing." - seems like something is missing here, perhaps "liked Penelope but eventually Eurycleia" might read a little better.
• "Odysseus instructed Telemachus to execute the maids who were in league with them." - But they weren't in league with the suitors according to the previous sentence. Change to "who he believed were in league".
• "but Penelope remained silent on the maids actions as spies so not to raise suspicions on the event" - raise suspicions of what? This isn't clear.

• "Using the maid's lecture on anthropology, Atwood satirizes some of the feminist criticisms of Robert Graves." - This kind of comes from nowhere. I doubt the majority of readers are familiar with the feminist criticisms of Robert Graves, and so I suggest there be a brief discussion of what they are. Also, is this Robert Graves or someone else with the same name? I see this is discussed below, but I recommend either explaining (and linking) it when it first appears or moving the whole lot to the lower section.
• There is a reference that does not come after punctuation in the "narrative voice justice" section.

Still there, after the word Odyssey.

• Numbers less than ten should normally be written out, not given in numerals.

Regards--Jackyd101 (talk) 09:54, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

I enjoyed the book, also. As someone who has read the book, your perspective in very valuable. Thanks for reviewing. I believe I got everything here [4] maclean 21:44, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, I've struck out above as done, although I think you missed one. I did notice something else, "Atwood agreed to participate, believing she was helping a rising young publisher." - I don't think this issue recurs further down, but this sentence gives me images of an enraged Atwood claiming she was cheated by someone pretending to be from a small publishing house. I don't think this is quite what is meant, but I'd consider rephrasing.--Jackyd101 (talk) 23:35, 22 June 2008 (UTC)

• Comments Support: I'm a fan of Atwood's, so I'm very glad that an article dedicated to one of her books may very soon become featured! I quite enjoyed the book and I think the article is well executed; I actually added the infobox a year ago when it was nothing more than a stub, so imagine my surprise to see it now! A few comments before I support:

• In The Penelopiad Atwood has Penelope reminisce on the events during the Odyssey: I'm not a fan of describing plot in terms of authorship; although this is a reworking, I think you could simply write "In The Penelopiad, Penelope reminisces..."
• "jump-rope rhyme, a lament, an idyll, a ballad" are all wikilinked later on in the article, but should also be linked in the lead
• I fixed a few missing commas here and there, but there may be more.
• As a fifteen year old she was married to Odysseus: a little awkward; "at fifteen, she was married"?
• I feel there should be an explanation for the title, Penelopiad, even if it's just a sentence. Is there anything in the sources that addresses this? I always took it as a cross between Penelope and Iliad, but I could be wrong; it wouldn't be the first time. :)
• The tense switches from past to present in the "Reception" section; make sure it stays past, changing "calls" to "called", etc. Also, repeating "Atwood at her finest" is somewhat redundant; perhaps it can be changed to something similar to "Robert Wiersema echoed that sentiment, adding that the book shows..."

Great work, maclean, I enjoyed the read! María (habla conmigo) 15:43, 23 June 2008 (UTC)

Despite what the edit counter says (which triple's giggy's and double Epbr123's edit count for some reason), you are the second biggest contributor to the page (by edit count). Thank you for coming back and reviewing. I integrated your suggestions.[5] I have not encountered any sources that address the meaning behind the title. I took it to be a simple portmanteau, also. maclean 19:43, 23 June 2008 (UTC)

Quantity more than quality on my part, I'm sure. :) Nice job, maclean, I'm more than willing to offer my support. María (habla conmigo) 12:23, 24 June 2008 (UTC)

The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.