Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes

7 reviews

sydapel's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

I really appreciated the in depth look at many different women in Greek myths, examining not just their portrayals in plays of the time, but their complex histories and trauma. Even with the most "evil" of them, Hayes gently reminds us of the context of their decisions and challenges our notions of their characters. There's also a reminder of the subtle power plays they employed, which I appreciated in contrast the to abject suffering. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Rape, Infidelity, War, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Pregnancy, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

asipofcozy's review against another edition

dark funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

After reading Natalie Haynes' portrayal of women in Greek Literature in A Thousand Ships, I just knew I needed to pick up Pandora's Jar.

I have always been fascinated by Greek culture and mythology. I grew up on stories of Achilles and Hercules and thought, "this is what it means to be a hero". Yet, now, after reading Pandora's Jar I can say that I have changed my tune. It's not that I don't still respect these childhood stories that we still teach children today; it's that I now see the truths that lay behind each of them.

Haynes takes the voices of these marginalized women in greek myths and finally gives them a voice. She analyzes each artist, writer, poet, and singer and how they have hidden away these women in the background. Too afraid to sing of their pain, suffering, and loss at the expense of these heroes. She makes us question if Medusa is actually the villain due to earlier accounts of her story or if Clytemnestra was an out-of-control woman that wanted power. The greek writers and even modern-day writers never want to talk about the women's side of the story, and now we have it.

I think what disturbed me the most was how modern-day writers and retellers of these stories gloss over some serious issues that were normalized in the original greek retellings, which Haynes points out quite often in Pandora's Jar. Such as r*pe, sexual harassment, Stockholm syndrome, and suicide. Take the thousands/millions of retellings of Persephone and Hades for example.

Not one story talks about how Hades forced himself on her or forced the Pomegranate down her throat every day so she couldn't leave. Or how Zeus was a part of all this, yet it's in all of the original texts. Why was this? Was it because it wouldn't be as "romantic" of a story? If so, these modern-day writers are turning a blind eye to r*pe culture and just allowing it. Even now, with some very popular retellings out like Lore Olympus: Volume One or A Touch of Darkness, not one talks about Persephone being r*ped. That it was "romance" that kept her there.

I get that we need these retellings. I mean, I love a good retelling as the next person but are these stories, in the end, taking away the voices from the original women of the myths who are constantly used, abused, and thrown to the side as trash for the next woman that catches the fancy of the hero?

Pandora's Jar made me think analytically about women in literature, women in the modern day, the original stories of these myths, and the retellings of these myths. It led me to question the stories I was told as a child and whether I would think differently of these so-called 'heroes' if I knew how they treated women. Or how modern-day storytellers treat these women by wiping away their original voice. Haynes, in the end, creates a complex situation behind these women like Helen of Troy, Phaedra, and Pandora and if they truly are the beautiful villains we have come to see today.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Domestic abuse, Gore, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War

rebeccajost's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective relaxing

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, War, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Violence

anelya's review against another edition

challenging funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

While I did end up enjoying the book quite a bit, I must say I was let down at the start of it. So many arguments are brought up that are not fully developed in the end. I often found myself wondering, "So, what's your point?" It reminded me of a University seminar paper that hasn't been edited and given an interweaving red thread yet. So again, it was certainly a very interesting exploration, and it was nicer to read once I accepted there wouldn't necessarily be an overall point and just enjoyed the tangents, fun facts and titbits. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

marianneiriss's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Child death, Death, Murder, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Slavery, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Violence, Cannibalism, Infertility, War, Abandonment, Ableism, and Adult/minor relationship

oliverlang's review against another edition

informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence

elisetutt's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I loved learning new versions of famous women in greek myths and new women from myths I’ve never heard of. It was very interesting to see the changes made to these myths over time good and bad. These stories, especially Medusa’s story is still relevant to how women are in society today.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, War, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Incest