Scan barcode
A review by christinecc
Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes
challenging
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
In her usual charming style, Natalie Haynes's non-fiction book "Pandora's Jar" examines a set of women from Greek myths and literature to see what makes them tick and what makes them memorable. More importantly, she looks at how our current interpretation of the characters or pop culture impressions of them came to be.
Haynes's writing and voice may be light and approachable, but don't let that trick you into thinking she hasn't done her homework. This book has all kinds of interesting details and close readings of Ancient Greek & Roman sources, not to mention studies of paintings, sculpture, and all the relevant literature & movies from the past two millennia. It's such a fun treat to read about familiar characters while also learning more about where details of their stories come from and which authors popularized or erased other aspects.
Recommended if you like Ancient Greek heroines, villains, and everything in between. This is high quality edutainment.
Thank you to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Haynes's writing and voice may be light and approachable, but don't let that trick you into thinking she hasn't done her homework. This book has all kinds of interesting details and close readings of Ancient Greek & Roman sources, not to mention studies of paintings, sculpture, and all the relevant literature & movies from the past two millennia. It's such a fun treat to read about familiar characters while also learning more about where details of their stories come from and which authors popularized or erased other aspects.
Recommended if you like Ancient Greek heroines, villains, and everything in between. This is high quality edutainment.
Thank you to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.