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xcgirl93 's review for:
Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths
by Natalie Haynes
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Natalie Haynes dives deep into the forgotten and untold stories of many famous (and infamous) women from Greek mythology. Often misunderstood, misrepresented, or cast as side characters, Haynes explores the depth of characters such as Medusa, Penelope, Persephone, and Clytemnestra, giving fresh voices and perspective to these complex women.
I listened to the audiobook version of this story, narrated by the author herself. Well researched, moving, and often humorous, this analysis of women in Greek mythology is well worth the read. One of the most thought-provoking ideas I took away from this book was the fact that, due to the nature of myths and the mysteries of their origins, no one "version" of a myth is the correct one. So much literature and art has been lost in the thousands of years since these myths first began that to say only one representation of a myth-and especially only one representation of a woman in a myth- is the correct one is negatively limiting. It was a reminder that stories are ever evolving, that every idea is inspired by another, and that every time we read, we are only reading from one writer's perspective.
Reading Pandora's Jar encourages me to further explore the different poems, plays, and retellings of these complex, mythological women whose stories, despite their fantastical origins, often have so much in common with real women.
I listened to the audiobook version of this story, narrated by the author herself. Well researched, moving, and often humorous, this analysis of women in Greek mythology is well worth the read. One of the most thought-provoking ideas I took away from this book was the fact that, due to the nature of myths and the mysteries of their origins, no one "version" of a myth is the correct one. So much literature and art has been lost in the thousands of years since these myths first began that to say only one representation of a myth-and especially only one representation of a woman in a myth- is the correct one is negatively limiting. It was a reminder that stories are ever evolving, that every idea is inspired by another, and that every time we read, we are only reading from one writer's perspective.
Reading Pandora's Jar encourages me to further explore the different poems, plays, and retellings of these complex, mythological women whose stories, despite their fantastical origins, often have so much in common with real women.