I know Hera as an imperious and vengeful queen, full of jealousy and spite. This retelling of her story by Jenny Saint gives us a different perspectivI know Hera as an imperious and vengeful queen, full of jealousy and spite. This retelling of her story by Jenny Saint gives us a different perspective and one that I really enjoyed.
We begin at the end of the war between the Titans and Olympians that sees the latter victorious and Zeus, Hera and their siblings installed on Mount Olympus.
‘That it was Hera and Zeus who first formed an alliance against Cronus goes unspoken, but acknowledged. The victory belongs to them most of all. Hera doesn’t want this superseded by anyone else.’
We start to see a few inklings of the jealousy and perhaps fear that Hera is known for, as the deities start to spread their wings and bear children, she is concerned for her position.
‘There are other ways to rule. Sometimes the true power is in the shadows. Someone who stays out of the light, and watches others shrivel and burn in its glare.’
Zeus assumes control, giving roles to his siblings but leaving out Hera, and she is angry. He wants her as his Queen, to strengthen himself.
‘it must be for Hera to break the pattern. To prevent another tyrannical king from crushing everyone…. A world under the rule of benevolent goddesses, instead of power-hungry gods….. perhaps Hera can.’
Hera is Zeus’ Queen but she is not happy about it..
‘A reminder, now and always, that no matter who she was before, in the eyes of the world, she is only his wife.’
It is interesting to see a different side of Hera and where her reputation perhaps comes from. The frustrations of being Zeus’ wife, his abusive actions are laid bare
‘All she knows is that he leaves a trail of broken women in his wake, and she is the most broken of them all. It makes her dangerous, and he knows it. ‘
She tries to stem the tide of Zeus and his offspring but is thwarted at every turn. She wants to be equal at least, to rule the heavens. I feel for her, it’s a tale of womankind after all. She is rebellious, resilient and powerful and at last takes control of her own destiny. Hers is an ageless story, I’m sure it will be retold many times, I loved this version of Hera, a survivor....more
That name invokes all sorts, fierce, powerful, sorceress. And this is her story.
‘Everyone says there’s something wrong with me -‘
We first Medea.
That name invokes all sorts, fierce, powerful, sorceress. And this is her story.
‘Everyone says there’s something wrong with me -‘
We first meet her as a child, having turned her brother into a pig. She is yet to fully understand her powers, until her aunt; Circe, is summoned. She teaches Medea everything she knows.
‘People often do not like what they do not understand….but I do not think you should let other people’s ignorance get in the way of your own potential….do you?’
Medea is seen as a monster, kept at arms length, used and abused by her tyrant father Aeetes to defend the enchanted Golden Fleece that protects the kingdom.
Until Jason arrives, leader of the Argonauts
‘Jasons voice slips over my skin like a summer kissed breeze, making the hairs on my arms stand on end’
Medea is such a strong character, full of boiling emotions, determined to break free of her father and live as she chooses. I really liked her. Joining forces with the feted Jason, so he can take the fleece and she can escape.
The story moves at a pace and I was utterly hooked from the start, I was rooting for Medea, urging her on throughout. She is ferocious and fearless but also has a naïveté to her that I loved. Jason on the other hand, handsome, golden Jason is controlling and manipulative. I was not a fan.
‘Men are so predictable.’
‘He brings out the worst in you Medea…and he knows it, he encourages it.’
As darkness enfolds Medea, we see how she changes and becomes the so called witch she is known and feared as, threads and whispers sewn together to make her a villain.
This book has been all consuming for me, I read it in a day. Meet Medea, she is spellbinding. ...more
Haynes has done it again with this latest book, detailing and guiding us through mightiest of the Greek goddesses. She is passionate about her subjectHaynes has done it again with this latest book, detailing and guiding us through mightiest of the Greek goddesses. She is passionate about her subject, forensic in her research and delivers a book that is gripping, educating and full of vibrant wit.
‘A footnote in mythography…No wonder she’s intolerant. I’m starting to feel insecure just writing about her, and I don’t even have a husband.’
We have the Muses, who various people seem to want to compete with. We are better singers than you, well obviously you’re not going to be better than the Muses and so there are many losers including the daughters of Pierus who got turned into chattering magpies.
Hera gets a bad rap but in truth is not as bad as everyone thinks, she is passionate about helping heroes, defending Greeks at all costs in conflict and protector of married women. She, along with her daughter Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth held huge sway over women in ancient times, her power was not a joke.
We also read about Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Hestia and The Furies.
‘Now I’m beginning to think the question of how an omnipresent goddess can just disappear is fascinating in itself.’
Haynes references modernity and how today we are still obsessed with Greek myth and their goddesses, from Katniss Everdeen as a modern Artemis in film, to art - see Botticelli’s Venus,posed with weight on one foot, hips curving to one side, boobs on display, lots of long luscious locks and all the endless variations down the years, to just the way we behave. I think my favourites are Hestia, just quietly going about her business but doesn’t take any £**t and also The Furies; very misunderstood if you ask me!
‘Just when you thought you couldn’t like her more, this versatile goddess turns out to be the patron Saint of carbs.’
They have reach these women, right into our lives today. This book is just epic, if you haven’t read any Natalie Haynes, get to a bookshop! ...more
This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures…everyone’s favourite hero, right? Well, it’s not. This is the story of This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures…everyone’s favourite hero, right? Well, it’s not. This is the story of everyone else: Alcmene: Herc’s mother (She has knives everywhere) Hylas: Herc’s first friend (They were more than friends) Megara: Herc’s wife (She’ll tell you about their marriage) Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc’s labours (He never asked for the job) His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims. It’s time to hear their stories.
This one fairly rattles along at a pace, funny, fierce and refreshing. It’s a retelling unlike any I’ve read before which was unexpected but I enjoyed it. What I loved is that it’s not really Hercules story, well it is, but because it’s told through the eyes of others, we get their point of view and it feels broader somehow.
‘What? …. I speak of a man who served on a ship to get out of the rest of the trouble he was in and that, my friend, is a tradition older than time itself.’
The humour was fab, it is dry and made me laugh. Although I did feel sorry for pretty much everyone who comes into contact with Herc as they mainly end up dead and often by mistake!
‘He might have chosen to carry a club – if there ever was a better picture of what men are overcompensating for, I don’t know what it is’
With way more versions than you can count telling us the story of Hercules, this one brings laughs, tears and a fresh perspective- joyous!...more
When I was young, I remember watching a film about the Argonauts and in it, Perseus was played by Harry Hamlin. He was a golden boy, a hero and could When I was young, I remember watching a film about the Argonauts and in it, Perseus was played by Harry Hamlin. He was a golden boy, a hero and could do no wrong. We believe what we are told and what we see and this is what I thought, Perseus meant gold and meant hero.
Unsurprisingly there are different sides to the same story and this book is a dazzling and brilliant interpretation and retelling of events, the women of these stories front and centre and Perseus as the title suggests merely a shadow.
We meet Danae, his mother; she raises her son, telling him the story of his birth and his ‘father’ Zeus who came as a golden shower of rain. …..first mistake? Let your son think he is a god.
‘She had seen what men could do. She had to push away the memory of their blank faces, nailing board after board as she pleaded for her life. No son of hers would be so heartless.’
We meet Medusa, his foe; Unsurprisingly she is not an actual monster, the Gorgons are just women who have left other tribes under threat to themselves in most cases. They live quietly and help others where they can. I found this part of the story really engaging and different. We are so influenced and conditioned by what we read that we don’t stop to think of the alternative stories and I’m saying this as a woman!
‘Each day the world gives birth to another wronged woman,’ Medusa said quietly.’
And we meet Andromeda, his wife, a true survivor. We see Perseus for the massive man baby he is; selfish, cruel and childish.
‘Though her mouth was silent her heart screamed, with sorrow for the woman whose head was stolen, and with terror for herself.’
The power of women changes through this book, from subservient Danae, to Medusa, wiser, but in the end too trusting; to Andromeda, who learns to wield her power for her use. These women were survivors, enduring all manner of horrors and it is their tale, not Perseus’ which we should remember.
‘Silence was strength when it was all she had, but words would be her true power.’ ...more
‘We use this word hero in a way that is completely divorced from its meaning. Save a child from drowning and you will be called a fine man….but be the‘We use this word hero in a way that is completely divorced from its meaning. Save a child from drowning and you will be called a fine man….but be the child of a god….who does nothing for anyone other than yourself and you are a hero. This logic only applies to men, obviously. A woman descended from a god still has to be either a good woman or a witch. What would it take to be called a heroine?’
In Athens, crowds flock to witness the most shocking trial of the ancient world. The royal family is mired in scandal. Phaedra, young bride of King Theseus, has accused her stepson, Hippolytus of rape. He's a prince, a talented horseman, a promising noble with his whole life ahead of him. She's a young and neglected wife, the youngest in a long line of Cretan women with less than savoury reputations. The men of Athens must determine the truth. Who is guilty, and who is innocent? But the women know truth is a slippery thing. After all, this is the age of heroes and the age of monsters. There are two sides to every story, and theirs has gone unheard.
‘And what should he have to fear from this court of men? There is only her word against his.’
This is a wonderfully vivid retelling of Phaedra’s story, revealing the true monsters in mythology aren’t those with snakes for hair or a bulls head, but those that walk amongst us. Teaching us quite plainly that what we think we know is affected by the storyteller. That women’s stories are men’s stories, told by men, this debut changes that notion and challenges it. My heart went out to Phaedra, alone in a country unknown to her, treated appallingly and raped. Unable to control her own narrative, this story unlocks the myth that women are to blame, that they are weak and conniving. It holds a mirror up to your face and says - really? You believe this, do you? Do you? It’s brilliantly done, woven with care, complex and unflinching in its reflections on our modern society.
‘There were no gods at all. Only flawed humans looking for something to pin their faults to.’
This little book gives the reader a bit of a whistle stop tour through classical literature, ancient stories and epic tales, looking at it from the anThis little book gives the reader a bit of a whistle stop tour through classical literature, ancient stories and epic tales, looking at it from the angle of marginalised queer heroes.
I love mythology, it is one of my favourite genres and I suppose I’ve never really looked at the stories from an LGBTQ+ point of view. This book has changed all that for me. Most tales are read through the lens of academics and yep, mainly the Victorians who frowned upon the idea of queer love and have suppressed these ideas.
Although we meet the usual suspects from classical times; Narcissus, Zeus, Apollo. We also meet Robin Hood, Odin, Akhenaten and right up to modern times Doctor Who, Willow and Tara from Buffy and Frodo and Samwise Gamgee from LOTR. We are given an idea of what these people do in these stories and it’s referenced to the now. It’s easy to read, entertaining and just really interesting!
I would recommend this to all mythology fans whether you like the old stuff or the new....more
‘The be-all and end-all of this war was pride, as perhaps it is of most wars.’
These are tales of the Gods, women and men Arcadian Days - John Spurling
‘The be-all and end-all of this war was pride, as perhaps it is of most wars.’
These are tales of the Gods, women and men of Greek myth retold and centred on pairs of men and women; Prometheus and Pandora, Jason and Medea, Oedipus and Antigone, Achilles and Thetis and Odysseus and Penelope.
‘There is no creature that breathes and crawls on the earth more miserable than man.’
Greek mythology is one of my favourite genres and this is a great addition. The stories are well known and here are well told. They do feel more male focussed than I thought they might be, but that tends to be Greek mythology all over. I liked how the author added his own opinions in his telling of the stories, it felt different to the Greek retellings I have read before and not entirely fiction.
‘What you are, you discover too late, is only food for vultures.’
The story that really lit my fire for this book is that of Achilles and Thetis, it’s powerful and written as a mixture of fact and fiction and interposed with sections from Homer, this was the strongest story for me. It is about friendship, a mothers love and courage. It has made me now want to read the original Homer, timid as I am of this epic!
‘When Achilles comes for you, you too will be good for vultures.’
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Thanks so much Vic @instabooktours ,John Spurling and Duckworth Books for another epic book tour and for my copy of this book! ...more
Greek myths deal with the hard basic facts of the human condition, they are fantastical but they still are important to us, you only have to look at tGreek myths deal with the hard basic facts of the human condition, they are fantastical but they still are important to us, you only have to look at the explosion retellings that are now so hugely popular. This collection of myths are framed as stories told by the women who are part of them, tales woven as elaborate tapestries and inspired by the moments when women take control of the story usually through weaving. I thought this a brilliant concept, it starts with Athena who invented the loom and we also read about Arachne who challenged the Goddess Minerva to a tapestry weaving contest, Helen of Troy and Circe through to Penelope delaying her decision to choose a husband by unraveling her work each night.
I thought it was an interesting way to look at the myths, focussed on the stories these women chose to weave into their tapestries and the themes that they chose to highlight. Philomela, to dull the stab of loss in her heart when her sister is married and leaves, turns to weaving stories of love and desire between humans to try to dull the own ache in her heart. Stories of self love and narcissus, love between two women Ianthe and Iphis, Pygmalion and lust and enduring love between Pysche and Eros. It is in a way that through these stories woven by women that we learn more about the lives they led.
This is meticulously researched, well written and so easy to read. It is a compendium, not a novel of the myths that we know and love. A really wonderful addition my Greek Mythology collection and one that I will return to time and again.
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Thanks to Midas PR and the Cheltenham Literature Festival for my copy of the book and chance to be on the blog tour ...more
I’ve really enjoyed this retelling of the story of Medusa, through the eyes of the woman herself. It is told from the underworld Medusa - Rosie Hewlett
I’ve really enjoyed this retelling of the story of Medusa, through the eyes of the woman herself. It is told from the underworld after her death at the hands of Perseus, she has finally had enough of being tarnished a villain, gorgon, monstrous thing and wants to expose the lies surrounding her name.
Medusa means Protector not as it has come to mean and this is a powerful story, a monologue from the woman herself, her whole story from her birth, abandonment, rape by Poseidon and subsequent cursed life right up to her death. Medusa’s voice is clear and she is angry. There is so much of what is is to be a woman in this story and it shows how women are subjugated and are a casualty of the histories written by men. Although there have been many retellings of the story of Medusa and you may feel you know the story well, this is a fresh take on it and reveals that beneath the myth there was a very ordinary woman, with frailties, a mother, a survivor, a victim and all too human.
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