gilda_elise

A fresh 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.

I seem to be on a roller coaster ride with these reimagined Greek myths. Some are excellent. Others not so much. This one is in the second column.

Probably the biggest problem is that the character of Perseus is twisted totally out of shape, so that he bears no resemblance to that of the Perseus of the myths. The same is done to Medusa, but in a way that the original story still fits. Well, somewhat.

That said, I really came to care for this Medusa, making her ultimate fate that much sadder. She is a victim of fate in the harsh hands of the gods. Which makes the author’s use of humor rather glaring.

I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author, so this one may be something of an outlier. I hope that’s the case.