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_dina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Captivating and incredibly well written, so far I’ve loved everything from Natalie Haynes !
I’m very familiar with Greek mythology so the plot was not a surprise for me but I truly did not expect that ending, I can’t stop thinking about it.
I’m very familiar with Greek mythology so the plot was not a surprise for me but I truly did not expect that ending, I can’t stop thinking about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Misogyny
abbys's review against another edition
3.0
I do not know a lot of Greek Mythology outside the realms of the Percy Jackson series and the blurb of this novel intrigued me. It didn't disappoint.
Stone Blind tells the story of Medusa's life, told from her point of view and the points of view of those around her. Natalie Haynes writes in such a beautiful and fluent style that truly incorporates the great tales of mythology retold within the pages of this book. My favourite chapter is that of Medusa towards the end, written in first person and full of anguish and emotion as she recounts her sisters' reactions to her death. The language in this chapter is wonderfully encapsulating and enchanting, the language Haynes uses throughout Stone Blind is truly masterful.
So much rage is contained within the pages of this book, of not only Medusa but also of her sisters and the Goddesses and mortals that have been used by the Gods as playthings for their entertainment. They thought that they could do whatever they wanted and get away with it due to the the power that they wielded, a sentiment that is painfully and sadly so prominent in modern times. This portrayal of Zeus and Poseidon truly disturbed me, they were not the grand figures that they are often portrayed as but twisted cowards that would rather kill and force their victims to submit to them rather than deal with the consequences of their actions. It was a bold and feminist take on the legends within Greek mythology and it felt in equal parts disturbing, sad but also hopeful and uplifting.
The ending is haunting but also peaceful and satisfying. It feels as though Medusa lives on in the hearts of those around her, and although Legend depicts her as a villain and monster, those who knew and loved her will forever know the truth. Although Perseus has achieved what he set out to do, all that he achieves is showing how weak he is despite Legend depicting him as a strong hero. As she rests at the bottom of the sea, she is no longer preyed upon by Poseidon or hunted by Perseus, she is free. She is at peace.
Stone Blind tells the story of Medusa's life, told from her point of view and the points of view of those around her. Natalie Haynes writes in such a beautiful and fluent style that truly incorporates the great tales of mythology retold within the pages of this book. My favourite chapter is that of Medusa towards the end, written in first person and full of anguish and emotion as she recounts her sisters' reactions to her death. The language in this chapter is wonderfully encapsulating and enchanting, the language Haynes uses throughout Stone Blind is truly masterful.
So much rage is contained within the pages of this book, of not only Medusa but also of her sisters and the Goddesses and mortals that have been used by the Gods as playthings for their entertainment. They thought that they could do whatever they wanted and get away with it due to the the power that they wielded, a sentiment that is painfully and sadly so prominent in modern times. This portrayal of Zeus and Poseidon truly disturbed me, they were not the grand figures that they are often portrayed as but twisted cowards that would rather kill and force their victims to submit to them rather than deal with the consequences of their actions. It was a bold and feminist take on the legends within Greek mythology and it felt in equal parts disturbing, sad but also hopeful and uplifting.
The ending is haunting but also peaceful and satisfying. It feels as though Medusa lives on in the hearts of those around her, and although Legend depicts her as a villain and monster, those who knew and loved her will forever know the truth. Although Perseus has achieved what he set out to do, all that he achieves is showing how weak he is despite Legend depicting him as a strong hero. As she rests at the bottom of the sea, she is no longer preyed upon by Poseidon or hunted by Perseus, she is free. She is at peace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
iwishihadmoretimetoread's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual violence, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexism, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Pedophilia
kys831's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
thefluffyowl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Stalking, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Rape
uncreativeoops's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death, Violence, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Rape
francescaastraea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In which Perseus is an even bigger twat than I imagined was possible
(And Zeus is exactly as twatish as I'd imagined possible)
(And Zeus is exactly as twatish as I'd imagined possible)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Violence, and Misogyny
zophie0211's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, and Sexual violence
mpbookreviews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder
znvisser's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I expected this to be a story about Medusa but instead it was mostly written around the man hunting her - which felt quite contrary to the point. It felt like the author had a vision but discovered along the way there wasn't actually enough source material or creativity to pull from. So instead, many subplots are piled onto the core story, in which we merely meet characters so one-dimensional you don't even get the chance to ponder how to feel about them. And if you still do, you don't have to wait too long for an intermezzo in which some extras come out of nowhere to spell it out for you even more explicitly. I love reading about Greek mythology but to me, the strength in a modern retelling lies in the capability of its story telling: does the writing convey new dimensions to a story long told? To me, this was unfortunately not the case with Stone Blind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Murder, and Death
Minor: Blood, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, and Sexual violence
I expected this to be a story about Medusa but instead it was mostly written around the man hunting her - which felt quite contrary to the point. It felt like the author had a vision for this book but discovered along the way there actually wasn't enough source material or creativity to pull from, leading to many loosely related storylines being piled onto it. And every single character in those subplots is one-dimensional, so we can't be too confused about how to feel about every single one of them (and if you still are, you don't have to wait too long for an intermezzo in which mostly irrelevant extras spell it out for you even more explicitly). I do love reading about Greek mythology but to me a key factor in the success of modern retelling is the storytelling: does the writing convey new dimensions to a story long told? Unfortunately, I didn't feel that way about this one.