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A review by savage_book_review
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The myth of Medusa is beautifully retold in this book by Natalie Haynes, turning the focus from the 'hero' Perseus to the woman with the deadly gaze. Abandoned by her divine parents and victimised over and over again through no fault of her own, this book poses the question of just who really is the monster in this tale?
The book is written from the point of view of several different characters (much like 'A Thousand Ships'), utilising both third and first person perspectives. And yet the book still flows really well and keeps you immersed. I particularly liked the chapters that 'break the fourth wall' and address the reader directly - you can definitely sense the author's own attitude and comedic prowess coming through in those pages.
Equally though, because of the constant shifting in perspectives it doesn't always feel like you're getting the depth you want; it is very much skimming the surface. The chapters are also quite short, so it is a lot of bouncing around - the story is linear, but it's hard to tell how much time is passing between chapters, sometimes due to the author's own phrasing. For example, we know that Perseus has two months to retrieve the head of a Gorgon and return home to save his mother from an unwanted marriage. But at one point, the author includes the line (paraphrasing) 'she could have been married and had three kids by now!' And yet he manages to return home with a day to spare? I know that time is immaterial to Gods and this is illustrated throughout, but there's just something about the way it's written that muddies the waters a bit for me.
I've been listening to Natalie Haynes a lot recently - both her audio version of 'A Thousand Ships' and her Radio 4 show 'Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics' on Spotify, so I feel like I'm getting a good grasp of the way she expresses herself. As a result, it was very easy to 'hear' her reading the words in my head and this gave the book an extra lift.
While I knew the story of Medusa, I didn't know the wider story of Perseus and how he came to pursue her nearly as well, so this was something of a reintroduction to me. Overall, while this book is about Medusa, the author very cleverly balances the other strands of the tale, both human and divine. If you aren't familiar with the story, there are a couple of moments earlier on which do throw the reader and make you wonder how a mortal queen with vanity issues links into the story, but everything weaves together seamlessly and all is revealed as you progress. However, this does also raise a criticism - there's just not quite enough Medusa for me!
This books also highlights some of the 'problems' with Greek myths generally. How many times must a mortal woman be punished for being the victim of a God forcing himself upon her? I love the stories of Ancient Greece, always have, but I don't think it's ever come across to me so starkly that the men (human and Gods) aren't always quite as heroic or divine as they might seem, and how vindictive the Goddesses can be, even when it should be obvious to all that they're taking their anger out on the wrong person. This is one of the reasons I love these feminist retellings though; some of the women involved absolutely deserve to be seen in a different light!
Clever, different and a good read.
The book is written from the point of view of several different characters (much like 'A Thousand Ships'), utilising both third and first person perspectives. And yet the book still flows really well and keeps you immersed. I particularly liked the chapters that 'break the fourth wall' and address the reader directly - you can definitely sense the author's own attitude and comedic prowess coming through in those pages.
Equally though, because of the constant shifting in perspectives it doesn't always feel like you're getting the depth you want; it is very much skimming the surface. The chapters are also quite short, so it is a lot of bouncing around - the story is linear, but it's hard to tell how much time is passing between chapters, sometimes due to the author's own phrasing. For example, we know that Perseus has two months to retrieve the head of a Gorgon and return home to save his mother from an unwanted marriage. But at one point, the author includes the line (paraphrasing) 'she could have been married and had three kids by now!' And yet he manages to return home with a day to spare? I know that time is immaterial to Gods and this is illustrated throughout, but there's just something about the way it's written that muddies the waters a bit for me.
I've been listening to Natalie Haynes a lot recently - both her audio version of 'A Thousand Ships' and her Radio 4 show 'Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics' on Spotify, so I feel like I'm getting a good grasp of the way she expresses herself. As a result, it was very easy to 'hear' her reading the words in my head and this gave the book an extra lift.
While I knew the story of Medusa, I didn't know the wider story of Perseus and how he came to pursue her nearly as well, so this was something of a reintroduction to me. Overall, while this book is about Medusa, the author very cleverly balances the other strands of the tale, both human and divine. If you aren't familiar with the story, there are a couple of moments earlier on which do throw the reader and make you wonder how a mortal queen with vanity issues links into the story, but everything weaves together seamlessly and all is revealed as you progress. However, this does also raise a criticism - there's just not quite enough Medusa for me!
This books also highlights some of the 'problems' with Greek myths generally. How many times must a mortal woman be punished for being the victim of a God forcing himself upon her? I love the stories of Ancient Greece, always have, but I don't think it's ever come across to me so starkly that the men (human and Gods) aren't always quite as heroic or divine as they might seem, and how vindictive the Goddesses can be, even when it should be obvious to all that they're taking their anger out on the wrong person. This is one of the reasons I love these feminist retellings though; some of the women involved absolutely deserve to be seen in a different light!
Clever, different and a good read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Stalking, and Abandonment