Stone Blind

Books | Fiction / Classics

4.1

(265)

Natalie Haynes

Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 "Haynes is master of her trade . . . She succeeds in breathing warm life into some of our oldest stories."--Telegraph (UK) The national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships and Pandora's Jar returns with a fresh and stunningly perceptive take on the story of Medusa, the original monstered woman. They will fear you and flee you and call you a monster. The only mortal in a family of gods, Medusa is the youngest of the Gorgon sisters. Unlike her siblings, Medusa grows older, experiences change, feels weakness. Her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know. When the sea god Poseidon assaults Medusa in Athene's temple, the goddess is enraged. Furious by the violation of her sacred space, Athene takes revenge--on the young woman. Punished for Poseidon's actions, Medusa is forever transformed. Writhing snakes replace her hair and her gaze will turn any living creature to stone. Cursed with the power to destroy all she loves with one look, Medusa condemns herself to a life of solitude. Until Perseus embarks upon a fateful quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . . In Stone Blind, classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes turns our understanding of this legendary myth on its head, bringing empathy and nuance to one of the earliest stories in which a woman--injured by a powerful man--is blamed, punished, and monstered for the assault. Delving into the origins of this mythic tale, Haynes revitalizes and reconstructs Medusa's story with her passion and fierce wit, offering a timely retelling of this classic myth that speaks to us today.

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More Details:

Author

Natalie Haynes

Pages

384

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

Published Date

2023-02-07

ISBN

0063258390 9780063258396

Community ReviewsSee all

"I love Greek mythology! So many great stories and meanings to them. This book has shorter chapters and they’re from the view points of the characters within. Are you brave enough to open the book or fear you’ll turn to stone? "

Victoria

"Love this fresh and humorous retelling of the tale of Medusa. "

Jackie Davidson

"The humor was enjoyable in the beginning. Then it just got old quickly. I lost interest several times. "

Joe H

"Didn’t live up to my expectations. If you’re expecting a complete retelling of Medusa at the forefront of the story, you would be sorely mistaken."

Z G

Zariah Grant

"Incredible! I must've watched Clash of the Titans a dozen times as a kid. Some Blind is a fabulous, very feminist take on Perseus and Medusa. The monster isn't really who you think it is. A great read for anyone into Greek Mythology or a feminist look into history. "

Brandi Always Reading

"This is not Medusa's story...This is Medusa's and 28 other people's story. I expected there to be other characters in the book but not this many. Medusa has only 7 chapters dedicated to her. 7! Shes barely on the page and this is supposed to be her story. Very misleading. "

Hailey

"so many layers and perspectives that overlap to tell the story of medusa :) loved this book so much "

aub

"Such a quick and lovely read! I really liked the author’s focus on what defines a hero as well as her characterization of Medusa. This especially shines in the chapter juxtaposing Medusa and Poseidon. Happy Reading Everybody 💕"

Rachel Joy

"This is a timeless story. We all know it. I wasn’t a fan of how this was told through multiple characters. I wasn’t really feeling for awhile and almost DNF. But the last two hours really got me interested. There was some parts that were funny and some felt like they were filler. Overall it was okay. "

Sandy

"I loved this book. Many complained this book wasn’t about Medusa & that the book was too many others stories.. but if you read the cover it’s the story of Medusa AND Perseus. Yes, the book chapters are titled by different characters BUT each is medusas story told from others perspectives and the ones labeled Medusa are from her perspective. This is a story that keeps you on your toes of what is going to happen next. You find yourself conflicted with the different perspective, feeling for Perseus but also realizing who the true victim is in the story. Wonderfully written and I loved it, a story you feel you’re in and can see."