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A review by shirin_mandi
Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes
5.0
If oxen and lions and horses had hands like men, and could draw and make works of art, horses would draw gods like horses, and oxen like oxen, and each would draw pictures of the gods as if they had bodies like their own.
But what would the goddess-lionesses look like?
This one was much better than I expected!
"When women make art like men do, their goddesses look divine."
A nonfiction mythology about Goddesses and this time written and interpreted by a woman, "Women can now make art, and we require no one’s permission. We can create our own stories of all those gods and monsters, and –if we choose –make them in our image."
At first, I thought might enjoy the author's viewpoint on goddesses but as as I kept reading, I began to wonder how often my own opinions matched hers.
After the introduction and the Muses chapter, the first goddess is Hera. The one who was always pictured as a jealous wife and wily. Of course, I had a problem with that, for sake, we are talking about Zeus, what else she could do?!
"Beautiful, jealous, destructive, comical: the peacock was the perfect match for Hera, the goddess everyone loves to hate. Before we go any further, I should explain that I do not love to hate her."
Me too, and yes, she has been misrepresented.
The next two goddesses are Aphrodite and Artemis. I like the description of Natalie Haynes of Artemis, she never really was the protector of animals or girls!
Demeter is one of my favorites, the way she turns the world upside down as no gods or goddesses could calm her down for the sake of her daughter.
"Not knowing the fate of a loved one is a catastrophic double loss, where imagination forces those left behind to grieve again and again."
Hestia, the oldest Kronos child in many references also does not have many tales.
"She is the heart of your home and mine, the heart of our cities and temples alike. She is our warm homecoming, our baked bread, our light in the dark."
The last one is tricky, I always find myself questioning whether I love or hate her. It's funny that the author also seems to struggle with this character's complexity. Athene, the goddess of wisdom, sometimes behaves like an eight-year-old child. I've also never seen her as a female favoritism...
"She does tend to prefer men, even if she isn’t keen to have sex with one; she doesn’t tend to support women...
Athene doesn’t hate competitiveness, she loves it. What she hates – above all else – is losing."
The final chapter discusses the role of the Furies in ancient mythology and why they were needed.
"If clear water is tainted by filth, you’ll never find a drink.
Advice we might all do well to remember next time someone tells us that, for example, a certain amount of corruption in politics is to be expected."
My huge thanks to Pan Macmillan for giving me a chance to read Divine Might (Goddesses in Greek Myth) by Natalie Haynes via NetGalley. I have given my honest review.
But what would the goddess-lionesses look like?
This one was much better than I expected!
"When women make art like men do, their goddesses look divine."
A nonfiction mythology about Goddesses and this time written and interpreted by a woman, "Women can now make art, and we require no one’s permission. We can create our own stories of all those gods and monsters, and –if we choose –make them in our image."
At first, I thought might enjoy the author's viewpoint on goddesses but as as I kept reading, I began to wonder how often my own opinions matched hers.
After the introduction and the Muses chapter, the first goddess is Hera. The one who was always pictured as a jealous wife and wily. Of course, I had a problem with that, for sake, we are talking about Zeus, what else she could do?!
"Beautiful, jealous, destructive, comical: the peacock was the perfect match for Hera, the goddess everyone loves to hate. Before we go any further, I should explain that I do not love to hate her."
Me too, and yes, she has been misrepresented.
The next two goddesses are Aphrodite and Artemis. I like the description of Natalie Haynes of Artemis, she never really was the protector of animals or girls!
Demeter is one of my favorites, the way she turns the world upside down as no gods or goddesses could calm her down for the sake of her daughter.
"Not knowing the fate of a loved one is a catastrophic double loss, where imagination forces those left behind to grieve again and again."
Hestia, the oldest Kronos child in many references also does not have many tales.
"She is the heart of your home and mine, the heart of our cities and temples alike. She is our warm homecoming, our baked bread, our light in the dark."
The last one is tricky, I always find myself questioning whether I love or hate her. It's funny that the author also seems to struggle with this character's complexity. Athene, the goddess of wisdom, sometimes behaves like an eight-year-old child. I've also never seen her as a female favoritism...
"She does tend to prefer men, even if she isn’t keen to have sex with one; she doesn’t tend to support women...
Athene doesn’t hate competitiveness, she loves it. What she hates – above all else – is losing."
The final chapter discusses the role of the Furies in ancient mythology and why they were needed.
"If clear water is tainted by filth, you’ll never find a drink.
Advice we might all do well to remember next time someone tells us that, for example, a certain amount of corruption in politics is to be expected."
My huge thanks to Pan Macmillan for giving me a chance to read Divine Might (Goddesses in Greek Myth) by Natalie Haynes via NetGalley. I have given my honest review.