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A review by aclopez6
Medusa [Illustrated Gift Edition] by Jessie Burton
5.0
Burton and Gill reimagined what Medusa and Perseus's story may have been like, and how things could have ended differently for Medusa, through a more feminist lens. In the traditional telling of Medusa, Perseus kills Medusa by looking at her through a mirror and slicing off her head. In this book, Medusa and Perseus fall in love through a series of miscommunications and secrets, and Medusa accidentally kills Perseus by looking at him.
I thought this book was a solid reimagining of Medusa's tale. From the first line the authors seek to draw you into Medusa's story, "If I told you that I'd killed a man with a glance, would you wait to hear the rest? The why, the how, what happened next? Or would you run from me, this mottled mirror, this body of unusual flesh?" (1)
The authors humanize Medusa and make each decision feel honest and vulnerable. Medusa is very likable, but she has been victimized by Athena, sexually assaulted by Poseidon, and treated as a pariah by her community. Her sisters are her advocates and companions, but Medusa's character was isolated for years. On page 32 she thinks, "When was the last time someone had spoken to me like this? Too long, too long. Maybe never".
The author also includes lines that critique the patriarchal nature of society and the blaming of sexual assault victims. For example, on page 89, when Perseus is explaining his mother's predicament of being pursued by Polydectes, he says "Polydectes would never accept her own refusals of herself, but he would when they were told him by a man."
I thought this book was a solid reimagining of Medusa's tale. From the first line the authors seek to draw you into Medusa's story, "If I told you that I'd killed a man with a glance, would you wait to hear the rest? The why, the how, what happened next? Or would you run from me, this mottled mirror, this body of unusual flesh?" (1)
The authors humanize Medusa and make each decision feel honest and vulnerable. Medusa is very likable, but she has been victimized by Athena, sexually assaulted by Poseidon, and treated as a pariah by her community. Her sisters are her advocates and companions, but Medusa's character was isolated for years. On page 32 she thinks, "When was the last time someone had spoken to me like this? Too long, too long. Maybe never".
The author also includes lines that critique the patriarchal nature of society and the blaming of sexual assault victims. For example, on page 89, when Perseus is explaining his mother's predicament of being pursued by Polydectes, he says "Polydectes would never accept her own refusals of herself, but he would when they were told him by a man."