Reviews with content warning for Blood - STONE BLIND - Der Blick der Medusa: Roman

A retelling of the story of one of mythology’s most famous victims that is filled with female rage. Natalie Haynes masterfully weaves together a wide range of myths to tell Medusa’s story in full, and gives a voice to characters who rarely get a say in the source material. I loved the exploration of Medusa’s character first as a victim of the gods and then as a weapon wielded by men. I also thought that portraying Perseus as an accidental hero who stumbles through his quest with the help of the gods was a really interesting and humorous take on the story, with the dialogue at times becoming quite comedic in a clever blend of genres that makes the sad parts of the story hit even harder. I do wish, however, that more of the book had been spent on Medusa’s POV as the story happens, rather than looking back at it afterwards, especially since the book is literally subtitled “Medusa’s story” and I just felt like there wasn’t enough space for her to tell her own story alongside so many other voices. I loved the narration style for A Thousand Ships because the Trojan War is very much an ensemble story so it fits, but because Stone Blind centres on a single character’s story I don’t think it works quite as well in this book.

Overall, though, a fantastic in-depth exploration of women in Classical mythology, and further confirmation that I would read and enjoy a shopping list if Natalie Haynes had written it.

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znvisser's review against another edition

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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.

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sofiaysa's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

overall a really gut wrenching book for me. mainly loved reading how medusa evolved through her life with her sisters. medusa and her sisters deserved better and more time together. made me hate men more. #fuckperseus #fuckposeidon

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jessicajackson1798's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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itisnatal's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative sad tense medium-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

3.5

i wish this focused more on medusa's story. i feel like the whole thing was about perseus :(

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bandysbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Medusa? Feminist retelling? By a well-established author of Greek mythology retellings? Yes, please! Sign me up! When I saw this listed under available audiobooks, I immediately sent in a request.

I delved into this story with enthusiasm and was mostly satisfied with what was delivered. This is a multi-POV story that gives us chapters from the Gorgon sisters, Athene, and Perseus in addition to Medusa. All of the chapters collectively bring us the story of Medusa's life and the events outside of her control that cause her eventual fate.

I thought the characterization of the various gods and demi-gods was very well done. I appreciate that they aren't glorified or made to seem benevolent. Haynes really leans into their awful behaviors toward mortals and it honestly makes a lot more sense.

I also loved how she chose to characterize the Gorgons. They may appear monstrous, but even monsters love their family. She really did a good job of humanizing them and making us care about their plight. It made the emotional response to Medusa's story that much stronger.

My only real qualm with this story is that I expected it to be more about Medusa in her own words since this was marketed as a feminist retelling.. Instead, we have more chapters of other people talking than we do of her talking. It sort of allows her voice to be a bit squashed by everyone else. Perhaps that is an intentional choice that mirrors exactly what is happening to Medusa within the story, but I do wish I'd heard a bit more from her.

As for the audiobook, I believe Haynes narrates this herself. I thought the narration was smooth and easy to follow. She voices each character well and with the right emotions in the right places. I have no real critique to offer in terms of the narration.

All in all, whether you listen to this or read it, if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings, I think you'll likely enjoy this one. Medusa is a compelling character, made more so by Haynes' treatment of her.

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