Natalie Haynes has done it again.
She is one of the defining Greek mythology retellers for me. The way she fleshes out the entire context around a story, fully forming the characters, histories and legacies of each strand until they come together in spectacular fashion is beautiful to witness. She also always takes the story into unexpected territory, placing her distinctive twist on it.
Medusa is a myth that has fascinated me throughout my life, from the initial story I heard as a child, to discovering the various versions of her backstory. She is such an important symbol in today’s society and Haynes delves into this in intriguing and nuanced fashion. Here, she is a symbol of the monstrosity perceived in women’s emotions and a reflection of the horrors of patriarchal violence and rape culture. She is all too human in her vulnerability and in the way she becomes a pawn or plaything in the hands of the gods. Haynes also weaves this incredibly compelling narrative that fleshes out the entire backstory surrounding Medusa. We get insights into every connecting character and a real sense of the history that has come before this. It is an intricate and incredibly detailed web that brings this ancient world fully to life.

However, it is important to note that this is not entirely the story you think you know. There is a sharp sense of pathos and different explorations of women holding power. These women are all deeply flawed in one way or another, yet Haynes still evokes a shred of empathy for the reader. In particular, I am thinking of the ending scene and how beautifully emotional it was for me. It was entirely unexpected and yet fit perfectly into this tapestry woven for us by Haynes.

Stone Blind is another deeply fierce reimagining of the stories we think we know from an author that is carving her own path and pulling up the voices of forgotten women from these narratives.

Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

I really loved this feminist retelling of the myth of Medusa - giving her a voice, a personality and letting us see her as a living creature rather than a scary monster that a brave young man must destroy to show his greatness.
This left me so sad at her fate and so mad at Perseus - the writing was so well done and Natalie Haynes is now officially one of my auto-buy authors.

I found this book quite difficult to get into. There are lots of stories being told, by various storytellers, each with their own style and tone, so jumping between the different POVs sometimes felt broken and frustrating, and just as I found myself settling into one person's POV, we were thrown into the next and I was constantly wondering where and how all of it connects. By the end, I came to enjoy the connecting story but felt that I would have enjoyed it more had it flowed differently.

Natalie has incredible knowledge of greek mythology, and I think meeting over a cup of coffee could be absolutely captivating. However, at times there were just so many POVs that dragged on, and it made me want to skim over because really, I just wanted to focus on Medusa which is what I felt the synopsis promised. That being said, some chapters were so interesting and unique and challenged the misconception that Medusa was just a monster.

A classical retelling of the Medusa/Perseus myth with some Olympian shenanigans amongst the gods.

Natalie Haynes is well known for her fictional A Thousand Ships and non fiction Pandora's Jar and knows her sources from a scholarly point of view.

What differentiates this novel from others in the genre is its humorous, wry tone most notably in narrator asides. Perseus is portrayed as cowardly , useless and thoughtless. He seems at loss about how to achieve his quest without divine intervention. He plays on the fact that Zeus is his father but seems to lack any compassion or understanding.

Medusa and her Gorgon sisters are treated more sympathetically in their love for each other and their animals/way of life.

One of the questions raised is what is a monster? This theme is referred to many times and links with themes of identity. What makes us human? Medusa and Perseus are both semi divine , but which one shows better human qualities of empathy, understanding, self awareness etc?

All the other "cast" also attract the narrator's sarcastic gaze from philandering Zeus himself to naive Andromeda who is taken in by Perseus' charm.

A really entertaining and humorous account of the myth which nevertheless explores deeper themes.

Like A THOUSAND SHIPS, STONE BLIND is made up of lots of different interweaving stories. They are told by different characters in different voices, some in first, some in third, some addressing the reader directly, some in past tense, some in present. It makes it seem like you're getting many sides of a story, particularly the many women involved.

It's a style that didn't quite work for me personally. It felt a little too jumbled as it takes a while for the various stories to actually intersect, feeling like tangents for a long while until it's revealed that this is the mother of Perseus, for example. It made me wonder why I was reading about these characters - not to mention all the side plots with the gods squabbling over Athens etc.

The book has contempt for pretty much everyone in the book - human and gods. Only the "monstrous" gorgons get away with a good write up, loving each other and being a family who just want to live their lives in peace. But they're the playthings of the gods, like the humans, so are going to get dealt a bad hand.

The male and female gods get equally bad write ups. Zeus is bored so rapes women for fun (the book uses that word specifically, and I'm glad it wasn't being glossed over as consensual.) Athene is petulant and spoilt and it feels like she invents reasons to hate Poseidon. Hera is spiteful and punishes Zeus' victims rather than her husband - and seems to glory in holding grudges. Poseidon is another serial rapist and greedy (the scene where he assault Medusa show just how callous he is.)

The book is also very contemptuous of Perseus. He's a pretty pathetic, useless young man who needs his hand held throughout. And then he develops a taste for blood once it becomes easy to kill without really having to do anything.

In all, this is a book that explores the various lives ruined by the gods in Greek mythology and how pitiful or hateful almost everyone in the mythology is.

The current trend for retelling classical Greek myths has been going on for several years now. I consider Natalie Haynes to be one of the best storytellers in this genre. I have been listening, reading, studying and enjoying these stories for the last 50 years and I never tire of them when told this superbly. An excellent rendition, almost poetic in parts. Devoured this book in a single sitting. Thank you Netgalley.

‘Why would anyone love a monster?’ asked Perseus.
‘Who are you to decide who is worthy of love?’ said Hermes. ‘And who are you to decide who is a monster?’
•
I was excited about this retelling of the Medusa myth especially since popular culture has reclaimed her as a feminist icon, framing her monstrosity as active resistance (an inversion of the male gaze, her power borders on castration because of its ability to turn one impotent, etc etc I’m sure you can imagine the discourse) and highlighting her victimhood vis-à-vis Athena’s internalised misogyny. This is to say that my expectations were pretty high, and on top of that I really liked her other novel, ‘Children of Jocasta’, so I was worried it wouldn’t match up (like ‘A Thousand Ships’). Thankfully, ‘Stone Blind’ was very well done and even wickedly funny at times.

As with her previous novels, Haynes adopts multiple perspectives to fully expand on familiar myths, adding colour and dimension to the characters. We hear from Medusa, her sisters, Cassiope and subsequently her daughter, Andromeda, and Danaë. As for the goddesses, Metis, Hera, Athene, Amphitrite, the Hesperides, and even Gaia herself speak within this interwoven narrative. A surprising number of myths are included and this book is as much a story about the other women characters as it is about Medusa. In a way, everyone involved in the Perseus myth, no matter how marginal, gets their story told, which ironically pushes his destructive questing to the background.

For the main characters, their perspectives are narrated, but once in awhile the reader is spoken to directly by peripheral voices, e.g. a Nereid, the olive trees (Elaia), and Medusa’s snakes (Herpeta), which feels like an echo of the Greek chorus. Instead of jarring, these interjections and interruptions feel necessary and invite the reader to take a step back and evaluate the events. They are a constant reminder of how the official narrative is not all there is, and should not be trusted. Her narrators are frank and wry, sometimes demanding that you hear their stories too.

We are prevented from feeling too much sympathy for Perseus in this way; even though he considers himself righteous and a victim, the way he took so many lives so selfishly and mercilessly is ultimately unacceptable. Shallow and impulsive, he is quick to hurt another person even if it’s not necessary. In a way, he really is a son of Zeus. Perseus is revealed to be blustering, blundering, and bloodthirsty. He has done nothing heroic and his so-called heroism is entirely dependent on the borrowing of the powers of others.

Similarly, it is impossible to view Athena flatteringly. She is petulant, arrogant, and spoilt, often lashing out at human women because she cannot get her revenge on the gods who have offended her. However, she has a point when she makes clear her disdain for Perseus’ spinelessness and calls him out on his faulty worldview, saying, “You’re the one who thinks anything that doesn’t look like you must be a monster.”

As for Medusa, she is shown to be more than just a helpless victim. Haynes reimagines her as self-sacrificial, a martyr who will always put the welfare of complete strangers above her own. She sticks to her principles and patiently bears her cross. What I liked was how her life does not end with being beheaded as she becomes sentient and undying, eventually outlasting all who sought to (mis/ab)use her power.

Compared to the other books by this author that I’ve read, I would say that Children of Jocasta is still my favourite (the pain and pathos were just *chef’s kiss*) but Stone Blind is a close second. Definitely a worthy read in my books.

I loved this retelling of Medusa. I only knew the bare bones of the original story, but it was amazing to read detail from the point of view if the Gorgons especially about Perseus. Made me rethink how I interpret many classical myths. A week later a version of Medusa happened to be a text I was using in my primary school history lesson, and having just read this I was able to retell a very detailed version and encouraged the class to see other points of view. Beautifully written and engrossing.

Is Medusa’s story and so much more.
This beautifully captivating read.
I recommend this book to any Greek mythology's fan.

DNF at 28% (111/384)


Favourite quote:
“They will never repay your affection. Do you understand that? They will fear you and flee you and call you a monster, just like they do your sisters.”
“It doesn't matter what they think of me.”
“Then why do you want to protect them?”
“Because I can,” she said.


I tried. I really tried. And when it's good, it really is good. But the good parts — Medusa and her Gorgon sisters' portions of the story, are so very little and their POVs kept getting interrupted by other POVs. And these other POVs are from so many characters whose voices are not even that interesting, if I'm being honest. I forced myself to finish the part where the Giants went to war with the Olympus gods and even that felt boring to me. I just couldn't take any more after that.

I have also seen other reviews saying that Medusa really doesn't feature a lot throughout the entirety of this book and maybe there is something to be said about having a woman's name as the title of a book when the bulk of the story wasn't even focused on her but for now I just feel let down and a little cheated, if I'm being honest. So with that in mind, I'm just gonna cut myself loose right now.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free digital copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favourite things about Natalie Haynes' books is her ability to cast well-known stories and characters in a new light, shifting your perspective and manipulating your feelings exactly as she wants to. In Stone Blind Haynes continues to do this, making you feel as the reader that you are right at the centre of the stage on which all of this drama is playing out. Her characteristic snark shines through in her writing and experiencing her sarcasm and wit felt like going out with a trusted friend, knowing that you're in a for a good time.

Haynes always manages to do multiple POV well and though this is primarily a retelling of the myth of Medusa, I did like that we got some other stories mixed in as well as it gave me a more holistic view, more context to help Haynes' versions of these myths stick in my head. Having said that, I did find myself wanting to get back to certain POVs over others (I would have liked to hear more about Medusa rather than Perseus, for example).

Medusa is one of my favourite Greek myths so I was super keen to read this retelling by Natalie Haynes, especially after loving her book 'A Thousand Ships'.

I really liked that this wasn't just told by Medusa's POV, we get a few different perspectives.
There's so much manipulation going on throughout as you would kind of expect when it comes to the Greek Gods. I enjoyed how the story all came together from the different POV's and I did like the little changes that Natalie added to make it more shocking and devastating.

The paces was well done, I read through it in two sittings. It's a great addition to the Greek retellings that are popular at the moment, I would definitely recommend.

The story of Medusa has always been harrowing and one of the darkest stories from Greek myths. Haynes has always been a very talented writer and every novel she writes just improves and this latest novel is no different.

Every character was brilliantly written and so vivid, you can practically hear the personality coming off the page. I'd highly recommend this to any greek or myth lover, a must for the collection!

Stone blind - Natalie Haynes

Well well well, another Fabulous Greek mythology Retelling has come upon us and YES to everything about Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes.

This was actually my first dive into Haynes’s work and I will definitely be going back to read their backlist if it’s anything like Stone blind. Medusa oh we do love you, you may be seen as a slithering, evil mythological being but Haynes takes us back to the very beginning of The one and only Medusa’s story and how the Woman who turned anyone to stone truly became the way she did and why she did the things she did. Oh and I’m talking way back.

Stone blind is such a Brilliant read, like I said Medusa is seen as this awful mythological being, but it’s the actions of others that made her the way she became, while the story is unraveling the more and more you just feel so sympathetic to Medusa and the cards she had been dealt in life.
It’s always the damn Greek Gods who have to go and spoil it! I’m talking about you Mr god of the sea.

I’ve always wanted A Medusa story told, they are just so fascinating and such a prolific person anytime she gets mentioned in any form of Greek lit I just want to know so so much more about her. I’m so happy Natalie Haynes did just that.

Stone blind will be out In September. Thank you so much to Pan mac/Mantle press for the copy :)

I've been meaning to pick up a Natalie Haynes book for ages and what better way to begin than with the myth of Medusa? Admittedly, this book was not what I expected and I'm still not 100% sure of my thoughts on it but I did love the sort of bittersweet ending with Athene and Medusa.

Brilliant re-telling of the myth of Medusa - with much more depth for those of us who were mostly familiar with it from the old Clash of the Titans film. The relationship of Medusa and her Gorgon sisters is lovely, and the style of telling has some great social comments as well as being generally engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Fantastic retelling of the Perseus / Medusa story. Natalie Haynes love and understanding of the classics is already well documented, her ability to put fresh light on these well told stories is shown off to great effect here. Tying together of different strands of the story in a witty and engaging way, whilst also posing the question of just who is the monster (spoiler, it isn’t Medusa), this is an up to the minute retelling of a classic.

Thoroughly recommend seeing Natalie live talking about the classics too…

Another brilliant re-telling from the infallible pen of Natalie Haynes. I finished it in a day - as much as I wanted to savor it, I just couldn’t stop reading!

Medusa is more sinned against than sinning in this version of her story - an innocent raised by two nurturing and protective sisters, she is at the mercy of the whims of gods and men. The scenes of the three Gorgons together are some of the most poignant, and Haynes uses them to make us question our ideas of beauty and monstrousness.

Perseus is not the heroic demi-god of legend, but a whiny teenager who can barely tie his sandals without divine intervention.

The gods and goddesses of Olympus and beyond are fascinating creatures. Capricious, distrustful, and prone to petty jealousies, Athena is a particular delight, and scenes of her double act with Hermes as Perseus’ advisors are laugh-out-loud funny.

Highly recommended, I will be pushing it into the hands of every customer upon release day in September!

I love Natalie Haynes' books and I was very excited and thankful to get an arc of her latest work.
Stone Blind mainly follows the myth of Medusa, and is told in Haynes' characteristic wit and depth, which makes it a compelling read. Her knowledge of Greek myths is, as usual, impressive and very interesting. However, the parts I appreciated most were those which explored what makes a monster. They were very thought-provoking and eye-opening.
Despite the fact this is called "Medusa's story", the story actually follows many different point of views. Apart from Medusa's, the two most present characters were Athene, a Greek goddess, and Perseus, the "hero" on a quest to fetch the head of Medusa.
Personally, I would have preferred if the book was more solely focused on Medusa, because I really loved her character and her relationship with her sisters was by far my favourite aspect of the story. The parts which followed Athene were quite interesting, because they gave an unusual prospective on the Greek gods, and featured many different myths. The parts about Perseus, however, I found a little tiresome, even if some of the snarky remarks Haynes made about him were very funny.
That being said, this was a really good book, and I would definitely recommend it.

I would read anything written by Natalie Haynes. Period. So when I heard that she wrote a book on Medusa, the most talked about and mis-represented character in the Greek mythology, I was in. Her writing is captivating and heart rendering. I was completely immersed. Thank you for the e-arc, publishers.