Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!”—Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale The national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships returns with a fascinating, eye-opening take on the remarkable women at the heart of classical stories Greek mythology from Helen of Troy to Pandora and the Amazons to Medea. The tellers of Greek myths—historically men—have routinely sidelined the female characters. When they do take a larger role, women are often portrayed as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil—like Pandora, the woman of eternal scorn and damnation whose curiosity is tasked with causing all the world’s suffering and wickedness when she opened that forbidden box. But, as Natalie Haynes reveals, in ancient Greek myths there was no box. It was a jar . . . which is far more likely to tip over. In Pandora’s Jar , the broadcaster, writer, stand-up comedian, and passionate classicist turns the tables, putting the women of the Greek myths on an equal footing with the men. With wit, humor, and savvy, Haynes revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays, resurrecting them from a woman’s perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters. She looks at women such as Jocasta, Oedipus’ mother-turned-lover-and-wife (turned Freudian sticking point), at once the cleverest person in the story and yet often unnoticed. She considers Helen of Troy, whose marriage to Paris “caused” the Trojan war—a somewhat uneven response to her decision to leave her husband for another man. She demonstrates how the vilified Medea was like an ancient Beyonce—getting her revenge on the man who hurt and betrayed her, if by extreme measures. And she turns her eye to Medusa, the original monstered woman, whose stare turned men to stone, but who wasn’t always a monster, and had her hair turned to snakes as punishment for being raped. Pandora’s Jar brings nuance and care to the millennia-old myths and legends and asks the question: Why are we so quick to villainize these women in the first place—and so eager to accept the stories we’ve been told? Read more
A Must for Mythology Readers Pandora's Jar Having read multiple mythology retellings this read was perfectly timed! The content was extensively researched, though I hesitate to say to excess because truly when you read a reference book as I believe this could be categorized you do want all the background! Thankfully Haynes spliced this history lesson with wit, anecdotes and pop culture usages of these mythological women! There's an evident passion to set the record straight about how retellings through history have rewritten and villainized many of these women. My love for Greek mythology has grown immensely from this collection! There were a couple spoilers about the fate of some women or certain stories, but I had already read about those women in prior books. For the majority of these women, I am grateful that the book didn't disclose their demise. However, I can't be sure whether she chose to omit it or their fates are simply not included in historical text. The advantage to Pandora's Jar is that I can refer back to the section of a specific individual as I continue my mythology journey! My favorite sections were Pandora and Clytemnestra! But all were fascinating! For some of the women I had read about I was astonished at how their stories have evolved and where creative liberties fill in blanks for fiction! Loved this one!!
Publisher -> Harper Perennial (March 29, 2022) Language -> English Paperback -> 320 pages ISBN-10 -> 0063139464 ISBN-13 -> 978-0063139466 Item Weight -> 8 ounces Dimensions -> 5.31 x 0.72 x 8 inches Best Sellers Rank: #11,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #4 in Feminist Literary Criticism (Books) #6 in Women Writers in Women Studies #9 in Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology Literary Criticism
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