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Last year, I listened to Natalie Haynes’ A Thousand Ships and really enjoyed it. She was a really good narrator and had fantastic insight into the women of the Trojan War. So, I had no hesitation when picking up Stone Blind, her retelling of the Medusa myth. It was good but I didn’t enjoy it as much. I had a bit of a break but decided to dive back in with this collection. I got the audiobook and started listening to it at work last week. Would this be more like my first experience or would it be another disappointment?

I’m the first person to admit that I’m not the best non-fiction reader. I love the idea of reading more of it and I know that it would be good for me. I just don’t have the right frame of mind to do it. It feels like such work, so I never really do it. I made an exception for this book because I really like Natalie Haynes. I’m also a big fan of Greek mythology and will take any opportunity to read more about it. In Pandora’s Jar, she explores the portrayal of 10 female figures in Greek mythology. Using literary sources, she traces back the way that they have been represented over time. Most of the time, these women have been shown in a negative light or, at least, as second-class to the heroic men who take up so much space in these tales. Haynes gives these women their moment in the spotlight and finally tells their full story.

Natalie Haynes has a knack for making all of this so much fun and engaging. She breaks everything down in a way that’s easy to listen to. Not only is she clearly passionate and very well informed on the subject. She is also funny and manages to bring humour into these stories in unexpected ways. Listening to her narrate this book was absolutely the best way to consume it. She brings everything to life. Some of the chapters work better than others but that’s always the case in a collection like this. I feel like the chapters on Medea and the Amazons were good but she sometimes got a little distracted. I enjoyed the chapter on Medusa but, having already read Haynes’ Stone Blind it wasn’t really anything new. Still, everything was so interesting that I didn’t really mind any of this. Plus, it’s always nice to read something about Greek mythology that puts women at the forefront.

This is a fantastic book about the women of these stories. It is also a great insight into how the patriarchy has controlled the literary canon. We see how easily male writers have demonised these women over the years so the men in their stories can be seen as heroes. For the most part, these tales have been interpreted in a misogynistic way and it’s had a lasting impact. Medusa, for example, is known for being a monster that the heroic Perseus slew. But why do we not also speak of the injustice that turned Medusa into that monster?

This is a must-read for anyone who loves classics and the oft-forgotten female characters. Natalie Haynes presents a lot of historical and literary background in such an effortless way. She’s a great writer and I can’t wait to keep reading her stuff.