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kkalicky94's review
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
asipofcozy's review against another edition
4.5
I have always been fascinated by Greek culture and mythology. I grew up on stories of Achilles and Hercules and thought, "this is what it means to be a hero". Yet, now, after reading Pandora's Jar I can say that I have changed my tune. It's not that I don't still respect these childhood stories that we still teach children today; it's that I now see the truths that lay behind each of them.
Haynes takes the voices of these marginalized women in greek myths and finally gives them a voice. She analyzes each artist, writer, poet, and singer and how they have hidden away these women in the background. Too afraid to sing of their pain, suffering, and loss at the expense of these heroes. She makes us question if Medusa is actually the villain due to earlier accounts of her story or if Clytemnestra was an out-of-control woman that wanted power. The greek writers and even modern-day writers never want to talk about the women's side of the story, and now we have it.
I think what disturbed me the most was how modern-day writers and retellers of these stories gloss over some serious issues that were normalized in the original greek retellings, which Haynes points out quite often in Pandora's Jar. Such as r*pe, sexual harassment, Stockholm syndrome, and suicide. Take the thousands/millions of retellings of Persephone and Hades for example.
Not one story talks about how Hades forced himself on her or forced the Pomegranate down her throat every day so she couldn't leave. Or how Zeus was a part of all this, yet it's in all of the original texts. Why was this? Was it because it wouldn't be as "romantic" of a story? If so, these modern-day writers are turning a blind eye to r*pe culture and just allowing it. Even now, with some very popular retellings out like Lore Olympus: Volume One or A Touch of Darkness, not one talks about Persephone being r*ped. That it was "romance" that kept her there.
I get that we need these retellings. I mean, I love a good retelling as the next person but are these stories, in the end, taking away the voices from the original women of the myths who are constantly used, abused, and thrown to the side as trash for the next woman that catches the fancy of the hero?
Pandora's Jar made me think analytically about women in literature, women in the modern day, the original stories of these myths, and the retellings of these myths. It led me to question the stories I was told as a child and whether I would think differently of these so-called 'heroes' if I knew how they treated women. Or how modern-day storytellers treat these women by wiping away their original voice. Haynes, in the end, creates a complex situation behind these women like Helen of Troy, Phaedra, and Pandora and if they truly are the beautiful villains we have come to see today.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Gore, Rape, Blood, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
rebeccajost's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War
marianneiriss's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
olivianw's review against another edition
5.0
I feel as though anyone could enjoy this book, whether you know a little or a lot about greek mythology.
It’s a smart and funny deep-dive that somehow manages to stay accessible without sacrificing quality of writing or content. I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter!
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
stormwise's review against another edition
5.0
In each chapter, named after the character it focuses on, Pandora's Jar examines the variations of the original myths, the codifiers that set the cultural standard and the modern interpretations that audiences are familiar with. It's fascinating to learn about some of the alternative versions of these classic stories - what could have been if those tales had been the ones to remain in the public consciousness! Haynes also considers the context of the stories and their classical audiences - Greek plays, for example, were written by, performed by and most likely watched by men. It's no wonder women were so often sidelined.
I LOVED the insights into language! I love linguistics, so it was extremely cool to look at the original Ancient Greek used and how it has been inaccurately translated in some instances. Word choice can convey so much - one of the biggest offenders that Haynes highlights is the frequent translation of Hippolyta's 'zōstēr' as 'girdle' when the word specifically means 'war belt'.
I thoroughly appreciated the wry humour and clever wordplay throughout the book, which also helps to alleviate the sometimes heavy subject matter. I found that each chapter was structured and paced really well. Overall this is just a fantastic book which I would DEFINITELY recommend to anyone interested in Greek mythology and feminism.
Oh, and I'm a Euripides stan now 🤷🏻♂️
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder