Scan barcode
A review by books4biana
The Deep End of the Sea by Heather Lyons
3.0
The TBR prompt list said to read a book about something I'm passionate about. Me? I'm not really passionate about anything, I'm just grateful that I can feel at all in these circumstances. So I switched gears and thought about subjects that I enjoy in almost any context. And I got it...Mythology.
I had recently done some research on Medusa for an art project I'm working on. The traditional Greek story about Posideon raping beautiful young Medusa in the temple of Athena has been told over eons. Athena was so offended that her temple be desecrated thus and she cursed Medusa because she couldn't curse Posideon, her uncle.
Yeah, I have some loud and angry thoughts about that, no doubt! The inquiry that I had done into this story left some modern interpretations lingering in my mind. The most poignant was that of Medusa being the apex of Feminism because she continued to fight the patriarchy. She took her curse and used it to be frightening and protective of her sisters, leaving them in peace. Well, heck, I like that! Taking a curse (because Olympus knows, those gods were flinging those around like candy at a parade) and making it benefit her.
SO...................the book.................
This is the tale of Medusa, who was put on a hidden island for 2 thousand years. She was cursed with the looks that kill, the head full of snakes, and a partial snake-like body herself. Yeah, good stuff. She had "brave, young adventurers" come to slay the beast, or whatever they thought they were doing and remained on the island as permanent statues. There was a blind sailor that often visited and she enjoyed his company tremendously. Also Hermes, messenger of the gods, visited the whole two thousand years.
It is Hermes that decides that enough is enough. He takes her case to the Assembly where the gods and goddesses argue about Medusa's future. The case goes in her favor and she's granted life without this curse. Of course, nothing goes smoothly when we talk about the petty and jealous gods of Olympus.
One of my least favorite archetypes of ALL TIME is the damsel in distress, the femme fatale, the helpless female waiting for her beloved, strapping knight to sweep her away from all that is evil. GAG! And this book goes there! Medusa has weak legs and needs some serious PT, but her guardians are more than willing to just pick her up and carry her around. Or put her on their manly laps. She gets tucked into bed, dressed by a maid, taken into the bosom care of Aphrodite, protected from even bad words that are said about her. DOUBLE GAG! And the romance? Saw that coming a kalamos away (10 feet).
But she needs to learn to stand up and fight her own battles, figuratively. (Greeks have champions to fight for them) While the ending is still rather a cliche trope about love conquering all and the hero backing her when she needed it....it's still an interesting twist on the noxious Gorgon Monster story.
Final note, the book ended with this note:
If you or anyone you know is a victim of sexual assault, you do not need to suffer in silence. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE to speak with a counselor, visit the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) website at http://rainn.org, and/or connect with an online counselor via RAINN’s confidential Online Hotline at http://online.rainn.org/ to learn more about your options.
I had recently done some research on Medusa for an art project I'm working on. The traditional Greek story about Posideon raping beautiful young Medusa in the temple of Athena has been told over eons. Athena was so offended that her temple be desecrated thus and she cursed Medusa because she couldn't curse Posideon, her uncle.
Yeah, I have some loud and angry thoughts about that, no doubt! The inquiry that I had done into this story left some modern interpretations lingering in my mind. The most poignant was that of Medusa being the apex of Feminism because she continued to fight the patriarchy. She took her curse and used it to be frightening and protective of her sisters, leaving them in peace. Well, heck, I like that! Taking a curse (because Olympus knows, those gods were flinging those around like candy at a parade) and making it benefit her.
SO...................the book.................
This is the tale of Medusa, who was put on a hidden island for 2 thousand years. She was cursed with the looks that kill, the head full of snakes, and a partial snake-like body herself. Yeah, good stuff. She had "brave, young adventurers" come to slay the beast, or whatever they thought they were doing and remained on the island as permanent statues. There was a blind sailor that often visited and she enjoyed his company tremendously. Also Hermes, messenger of the gods, visited the whole two thousand years.
It is Hermes that decides that enough is enough. He takes her case to the Assembly where the gods and goddesses argue about Medusa's future. The case goes in her favor and she's granted life without this curse. Of course, nothing goes smoothly when we talk about the petty and jealous gods of Olympus.
One of my least favorite archetypes of ALL TIME is the damsel in distress, the femme fatale, the helpless female waiting for her beloved, strapping knight to sweep her away from all that is evil. GAG! And this book goes there! Medusa has weak legs and needs some serious PT, but her guardians are more than willing to just pick her up and carry her around. Or put her on their manly laps. She gets tucked into bed, dressed by a maid, taken into the bosom care of Aphrodite, protected from even bad words that are said about her. DOUBLE GAG! And the romance? Saw that coming a kalamos away (10 feet).
But she needs to learn to stand up and fight her own battles, figuratively. (Greeks have champions to fight for them) While the ending is still rather a cliche trope about love conquering all and the hero backing her when she needed it....it's still an interesting twist on the noxious Gorgon Monster story.
Final note, the book ended with this note:
If you or anyone you know is a victim of sexual assault, you do not need to suffer in silence. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE to speak with a counselor, visit the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) website at http://rainn.org, and/or connect with an online counselor via RAINN’s confidential Online Hotline at http://online.rainn.org/ to learn more about your options.