melc's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very readable Greek myth retelling that I raced through. Full of tempestuous gods, flawed mortals and monsters who have a caring side it is a fun novel to read.
Haynes uses multiple voices as narrators, and largely each is distinct and interesting. I think this device became a little overused and gimmicky in places though and may have benefited by being reduced a little.
I also felt let down somewhat by the main threads this novel drew out. I wanted to hear more from Medusa. I wanted to see more grit in her character, strength to balance out the misogyny she was subjected to, and more depth to the pain and suffering of her and her sisters. Instead, I felt that the prose just tripped through the events of the myth, with occasional wry comments in the direction of Perseus and his "heroic" acts.
Enjoyable, but I was expecting so much more.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
Haynes uses multiple voices as narrators, and largely each is distinct and interesting. I think this device became a little overused and gimmicky in places though and may have benefited by being reduced a little.
I also felt let down somewhat by the main threads this novel drew out. I wanted to hear more from Medusa. I wanted to see more grit in her character, strength to balance out the misogyny she was subjected to, and more depth to the pain and suffering of her and her sisters. Instead, I felt that the prose just tripped through the events of the myth, with occasional wry comments in the direction of Perseus and his "heroic" acts.
Enjoyable, but I was expecting so much more.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.
amykate98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
thenameoftheroze's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
crooked_wonderland's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
zhy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bectothebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"But they don't know who you are. Men call you monsters because they don't understand you."
I absolutely loved this book. Haynes weaves Medusa's personal story with the characters that surround & intersect it, in a way that gives a full context to Medusa's life (& afterlife). I can see how the amount of perspectives followed in the book can be confusing, but I think Haynes does as good a job as she can of separating the narratives while maintaining cohesion. I also really appreciate the inclusion of a character list at the beginning of the book, as this helped me navigate the differing POVs. This is by far the wittiest Greek mythology retelling I have read. The humour in this book is exactly the kind that I love & I was laughing throughout. I particularly enjoyed the way various narrators slate Perseus XD
... However, this is where a slight criticism comes in. I think that, at points, the way certain characters push their dislike of Perseus can be seen as the author trying to tell the reader how to interpret events. While this is an openly feminist retelling & I agree with the point that Medusa is a victim, I think her story, as it's told in this book, is able to stand on its own & still obviously show that she's not a monster. It comes off a bit like Haynes doesn't trust her readers' critical thinking ability enough to let Medusa's story speak for itself. This was my only major issue, though, & the book as a whole is still a fantastic read. By far one of my favourite Greek retellings!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Grief, and Infidelity
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Blood
verityshillabeer's review against another edition
4.0
I don't want to pit female authors within the same genre against one another but with mythological retelling being so trendy and frequently published at the moment, it's difficult not to compare. And unfortunately, in comparison to Jennifer Saint and Madeline Miller, the actual prose of this falls short. The writing style isn't bad, it just isn't half as beautiful as the aforementioned. However, I did enjoy this read, and if I had read Stone Blind before any other retelling I might have rated this more highly. The competition is very strong!
Having also read Pandora's Jar, I muuuuuch preferred Haynes' voice in non fiction. She is direct, funny, and clearly well researched in both books. I think that this much better suited to a mainstream academic book than a novel. Pandora's Jar is a fantastic analysis of myth translations, exploring how we've arrived at common understandings of female classical female figures and how they could be understood differently. A direct and funny voice is a great way of making delivery of this kind of content easier and more accessible to engage with. My personal preference is for novels to read more lyrically.
I definitely disagree with other reviews critiquing Haynes for not featuring enough of Medusa's story - I think the marketing of this book is fine and accurate.
The plot was good and characters felt reasonably fleshed out. The structure of this book - flitting between a different POV for each chapter - worked well.
Having also read Pandora's Jar, I muuuuuch preferred Haynes' voice in non fiction. She is direct, funny, and clearly well researched in both books. I think that this much better suited to a mainstream academic book than a novel. Pandora's Jar is a fantastic analysis of myth translations, exploring how we've arrived at common understandings of female classical female figures and how they could be understood differently. A direct and funny voice is a great way of making delivery of this kind of content easier and more accessible to engage with. My personal preference is for novels to read more lyrically.
I definitely disagree with other reviews critiquing Haynes for not featuring enough of Medusa's story - I think the marketing of this book is fine and accurate.
The plot was good and characters felt reasonably fleshed out. The structure of this book - flitting between a different POV for each chapter - worked well.
geordie_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
kateponders's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
charlmax's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5