Why did I love this book?
I picked this book up because it was a modern retelling of the myth of Medusa, told from the point of view of Medusa. For some reason, there were three books this summer that told the myth from the Gorgon’s point of view, all by young women who are classical scholars (the other two are The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood and Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J. A. Bear). I wanted to see how Haynes (and the others) would handle the characterizations and would re-interpret the nominal hero, Perseus, as the villain of the story.
Some thirty years ago, there was a wave in the women’s movement to adopt Medusa as a symbol of female power and rage, and I was curious about why it seemed to have arisen again. Haynes’ is my favorite version. She interprets Athena as a somewhat flighty, self-driven being who is resentful of being asked to help her father, Zeus’ son, whom she views as something of an idiot. In both Haynes and Heywood, Perseus is a sketchily educated, unsophisticated, insecure teenager who is delusional about his significance. Naturally, as this is all told by the Gorgons themselves, Perseus, who is trying to kill Medusa for no good reason, must be a villain.
Very interesting modern re-takes on a classic myth. Liked to see how someone else approached what was the topic of one of my own books
3 authors picked Stone Blind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
** Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 **
In Stone Blind, the instant Sunday Times bestseller, Natalie Haynes brings the infamous Medusa to life as you have never seen her before.
'Witty, gripping, ruthless' - Margaret Atwood via Twitter
'Beautiful and moving' - Neil Gaiman via Twitter
'So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters.'
Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her Gorgon sisters, she begins to realize that she is the only one who experiences change, the…