Pandora's Jar
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Pandora's Jar
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Pandora's Jar
In the many retellings of the Greek myths, the focus is generally on gods and heroes, but Natalie Haynes refocuses our gaze on the remarkable women at the centre of these ancient stories.
In the many retellings of the Greek myths, the focus is generally on gods and heroes, but Natalie Haynes refocuses our gaze on the remarkable women at the centre of these ancient stories.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! DescriptionNatalie Haynes is the nation's muse - Adam Rutherford
The Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building blocks and have been retold many times. However, they rarely focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories.
Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, from the Trojan War to Jason and the Argonauts. Even today, a wealth of novels, plays and films draw their inspiration from stories first told almost three thousand years ago.
But modern tellers of Greek myth have usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling women's stories. When they do, those women are often painted as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora—the first woman, who according to legend unleashed chaos upon the world—was not a villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than generations of retellings might indicate.
Now, in Pandora's Jar, Natalie Haynes—broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist—redresses this imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk.
After millennia of stories telling of gods and men, be they Zeus or Agamemnon, Paris or Odysseus, Oedipus or Jason, the voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Natalie Haynes' book offers a clever and engaging feminist interpretation of Greek myths, bringing often overlooked female figures to life with wit and insight. Critics praise her for combining classical scholarship with humour, resulting in a text that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. This modern retelling highlights the ongoing relevance of these ancient stories, providing fresh perspectives on characters like Medusa, Jocasta, and Helen of Troy.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781509873142
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 13 May 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Picador
Illustration: 10 b/w plates
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 21.0mm
Width: 131.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 231g
Pages: 320
About the Author
Natalie Haynes is a writer and broadcaster. She writes for the Guardian and the Independent. She was a judge for the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction, the 2013 Man Booker Prize, and the 2014 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Natalie is the author of three novels: The Amber Fury, The Children of Jocasta and A Thousand Ships as well as two non-fiction books: The Ancient Guide to Modern Life and Pandora's Jar. She has spoken on the modern relevance of the classical world on three continents, from Cambridge to Chicago to Auckland. She is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4: reviewing for Front Row and Saturday Review, appearing as a team captain on three seasons of Wordaholics, as well as writing and presenting her own show Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics.
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