A fresh take on the story of Medusa, the original monstered woman.They will fear you and flee you and call you a monster.
The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa is the youngest of the Gorgon sisters. Unlike her siblings, Medusa grows older, experiences change, feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know.
When the sea god Poseidon assaults Medusa in Athene’s temple, the goddess is enraged. Furious by the violation of her sacred space, Athene takes revenge–on the young woman. Punished for Poseidon’s actions, Medusa is forever transformed. Writhing snakes replace her hair and her gaze will turn any living creature to stone. Cursed with the power to destroy all she loves with one look, Medusa condemns herself to a life of solitude.
Until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon…
In Stone Blind, classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes turns our understanding of this legendary myth on its head, bringing empathy and nuance to one of the earliest stories in which a woman–injured by a powerful man–is blamed, punished, and monstered for the assault. Delving into the origins of this mythic tale, Haynes revitalizes and reconstructs Medusa’s story with her passion and fierce wit, offering a timely retelling of this classic myth that speaks to us today.
STONE BLIND
Natalie Haynes
Natalie Haynes and STONE BLIND have been longlisted for The Women’s Prize for Fiction
This is the first book by Natalie Haynes I have read. I’ve seen a lot of her books around the internet and now I know why.
STONE BLIND was magnificently detailed and brought Gods and Goddesses to life. This book is about Medusa mostly but also stars Zeus, Poseidon, Andromeda and many more. Medusa’s story is one of blinding beauty and repercussions that extend beyond even a Gods lifetime.
In order to tell the story of Medusa you must introduce a lot of characters and although I take notes I was overwhelmed. That took away a bit of enjoyment in the book for me. And secondly, it felt like a history lesson and nonfiction although it is fiction.
But all of that is me being whiny so let’s move on.
Haynes did a great job of making the myths multidimensional characters with very human-like characteristics. Their stories are our stories, their troubles the same as ours, yet magnified and over time, glorified.
At the end of the book, I was left wondering if it was a feminist tale or one in a haul of others, another time when a Goddess is left with her head in her hands and not much else. I wanted a different ending to a story that was written long ago and I’m still trying to learn the lesson here.
I appreciate having read it and now I know what to expect from Haynes as an author of this series. I gave STONE BLIND three stars and I want to know what you think of it. Leave a comment, lets chat!
I listened to this audiobook on SCRIBD and I’ve linked them in case you’re interested.
STONE BLIND…⭐️⭐️⭐️
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