Full disclosure, I'm a Classics teacher so it's inevitable that I approach this through a different lens than most readers.

The story of Medusa has always been a fascinating one for me. I remember sitting in my tiny Scottish Highlands Primary school assembly hall, us all huddled around the tiny television to watch Clash of the Titans. Whilst everyone was swooning over Harry Hamlin and/or Pegasus I found myself transfixed by Medusa. Yes she was hideous but gosh, if there wasn't something utterly compelling and just down right cool about her too. Ever since that moment I've always rooted for the snake haired lady.

I've been a fan of Haynes for yonks. Even back to her earlier works such as The Amber Fury. I think A Thousand Ships was a far superior work to Barker's Silence of the Girls and her insight as a classicist and her background in standup comedy are used to great effect in her novels.

The story here follows pretty much the standard narrative of the Perseus story and the familiar cast of characters are here. Gold star straight away for specifying that the Ethiopian princess Andromeda has ebony skin. The blonde and blue haired Andromeda of the film always bugged the hell out of me. Where this story differs from the 'standard' tale is in the characterisation. Don't expect the perfect hero Perseus here, or a benevolent and wise Athena. The gods are petty and vindictive and many of the human characters are downright stupid. I've always hated the take on the Medusa myth that has Athena transforming her to protect her in some way. This is very much not the case here.

There's a wry humour in much of the book, it reminded me a bit of the type of humour in Joanne Harris' Loki novels. I particularly liked little touches like the olive trees of Athens having their own pov chapters, that was a fun idea. I also very much enjoyed Medusa's relationship with her sisters and the contrast between their love and care to their monstrous outward appearance. Beauty is found within and all that.

The novel inevitably feeds into wider discourse around misogyny, sexual abuse and victim blaming which will be familiar to any readers familiar with how these themes are confronted in modern myth retellings. I've read various scholarly and non-scholarly discussions on the Medusa myth and I didn't feel that there was anything particularly new and radical with what Haynes has done here but for those who aren't colossal Classics nerds like me, it might serve for some interesting food for thought.

Overall, another cracker from Haynes and although it's not my favourite of her works it is sure to appeal to anyone who enjoys a good myth retelling with a side of rage at the patriarchy.

This clearly interesting book was not for me. The actual myth story did not resonate and hence I became rather impatient and wondered why go on reading... The actual writing style is fine, with a humorous slant, although I found visualisation of landscape and characters a bit of a problem, and the constant change of character point of view via titular chapters rather cumbersome. I wonder if a younger reader would have found it more engaging. I had to give up three quarters into the narration as really not seeing the point. Nevertheless, I am thankful to the publisher and NetGalley to have given me the opportunity to acquaint myself with this book. The genre is clearly not for me.

🐍 Stone Blind by @nataliehaynesauthor

Happy publication to Stone Blind and a big thank you to @panmacmillan and @emmafinniganpr for sending me a copy of this beautiful proof to review!

This is one of my favourite reads of the year so far, I absolutely loved it.

Medusa has to be one of the most misrepresented women in mythology. Historically, she has been portrayed as a monster but thankfully this simplistic view is now increasingly being challenged, especially when it comes to retellings!

Stone Blind contains all the important elements of Medusa’s story, from her childhood till after her beheading by Perseus. However, what I loved most was the inclusion of other, related myths.

The story is told from the point of view of a variety of characters each with their own distinctive voices, including her Gorgon sisters, Gods and Goddesses. These are beautifully woven together and really provide a sense of how complex and interconnected Greek mythology is.

By exploring how other characters viewed Medusa and all the events which lead up to her tragic fate, you really get a sense of just how wrongly she was treated.

With Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes has written another brilliant retelling of Greek of mythology and I can’t wait to find out what she’ll bring out next!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is basically understood these days that Medusa was wronged- assaulted by Poseidon, tortured by Athena, she didn't deserve her fate as a monstrous gorgon whose destiny was to be beheaded by Perseus. It's this view that Haynes takes as she weaves the story of Medusa in with all the other players- some hugely important, others merely bit-parts- into this tapestry of Greek Mythology. As well as Medusa, we meet her sisters and understand their bond. We also meet other female deities and human women who are impacted by the actions of men and male gods- Olympus is not great if you're a woman. There are a LOT of characters and points of view in this novel (it was sometimes tricky to keep track). However, it's a brilliant retelling of one of the most maligned characters in Western mythology. Funny (honestly I will never see Athene the same way again), tragic and furious, I loved it.

When I heard this novel was going to be released I was greatly anticipating it as Haynes' previous works were a delight to read. And Stone Blind is no exception. The entire novel is a masterclass in Haynes' ability to adapt classic tales into a new perspective, giving Medusa a vindication she needs. She is a victim here but there is a strength to her - I was rather surprised that Haynes didn't present her take on the snakes being a form of defence rather than another curse.

I loved Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes’ story of Medusa, rehabilitating her image and transforming her from evil monster to wronged woman, I really enjoyed the description of her two immortal sisters finding baby Medusa on the beach and taking care of her upbringing. The other main character Perseus was a horrible little teenage toerag and it was interesting to see his story reflect that rather than giving him the standard hero treatment..

Another recommended read from the mistress of classical myth retellings.

Stone Blind

Natalie Haynes’ stunning new novel about the mythical life of Medusa, the demigorgon, is truly spectacular. Although initially cautious about approaching another mythological retelling, the minute I started Stone Blind my worries were dashed. Haynes’ compelling storytelling style makes this a real page turner, and the tenderness with which she approaches a well known “villain” in Greek mythology means the reader’s perception of Medusa is empathetic, kind and immediately subverted. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and learnt so much as I went along, it was a real pleasure to receive the proof.

I adore retellings of Greek myths and particularly those that give a voice and agency to the women who have for so long been relegated to the side-lines given the “traditional” focus on the kings and heroes that populate those tales. I love these different takes on these narratives, and Stone Blind presents the particularly intriguing story of Medusa to the reader. However new to the Greek myths a person might be, I think that most have heard of Medusa, usually in the context of a monster with snakes for hair and whose gaze will turn a person to stone. What some may not realise is that she wasn’t always that way, and Haynes uses this novel to give the background and context to this story.

We first meet Medusa as a baby, left with her Gorgon sisters (Sthenno and Euryale) to raise. She has little in common with them beyond their parentage – she is mortal where they are not, and appears almost human aside from the wings on her back. I love this part of the story. We see her sisters take on her care and upbringing, not understanding her needs initially, but learning and adapting as Medusa grows from baby to child to young woman. It’s beautiful to behold, and I think it would be a cold heart indeed that doesn’t become invested in the story of Medusa and her sisters. It makes her fate at the hands of Athene all that much harder to bear. She doesn’t deserve it, and it seems a particularly cruel punishment to bestow on someone who comes across as a brave, kind, and caring individual.

As well as Medusa and her sisters, Haynes also introduces the reader to the relevant individuals who play a part in this tale. This includes various gods and immortals as well as the more regular humans who have a role to play. There’s a lot going on, but Haynes sets the scene brilliantly, and the novel does start with a cast of characters should you get a little lost along the way. These narratives – which seem initially disparate yet come together beautifully as the novel progresses – provide the context and background to the story that I thought I knew but quickly realised that I had barely scratched the surface of.

One of these individuals is Perseus, a son of Zeus and one of his many mortal partners, who sets out on a mission to obtain a Gorgon’s head. He has his reasons for doing so, but it’s fair to say that he wouldn’t stand a chance were it not for the assistance of Athene and Hermes, provided at Zeus’s insistence. His own efforts are laughable, particularly when he doesn’t even have the wit to ask what a Gorgon is or looks like when assigned his quest. He does initially come across as a normal young man, but it doesn’t take long for his true colours to show. With his mission bestowed upon him, there’s a sense of inevitability as Medusa’s story begins to overlap with that of the supposed hero. And I have to admit that I while I knew what the outcome would be (that part of the story is well known), a part of me still hoped for a different ending.

If I did have any slight niggle with Stone Blind, it’s that Haynes seems to assume that the reader will take the side of Perseus, that they will sympathise with his quest and the motivation behind it despite the outcome, and that they will mistake his cruelty for cunning and cleverness. It’s fair to say that he is no match for the wily Odysseus on that last score, and I think that anyone who has read much about the myths will recognise that the supposed heroes are, generally speaking, utter dicks. To me, it seems obvious who the victim – several times over – is in this novel, and so being told not to sympathise with Perseus seems unnecessary to me. That’s just my view, of course, and other readers may take a different interpretation from the text.

One element to the novel that I did enjoy was the exploration of what it is to be a monster. For Perseus (and many others) it seems to be someone or something that looks different to themselves or that cannot be easily conquered, and so their fear is masked by designating its source as a monster. But here, for me, the monster in this narrative is not a Gorgon, and I think that there’s a strong message to judge less by an individual’s appearance and more by their actions. It’s a poignant message, and one that seems as applicable to today as it does to these ancient tales.

Despite my one slight niggle with the novel (and it is a slight niggle that’s very much down to me personally) I found this to be a fascinating read. It’s fantastic to see Medusa’s story shared in full, moving away from the portion of the tale that is so well known and providing the background that casts her in a very different light. Written with her trademark wit, Haynes delivers a feisty, feminist tale that I highly recommend.

“This particular monster is assaulted, abused and vilified. And yet, as the story is always told, she is the one you should fear. She is the monster. We’ll see about that.”

Natalie Haynes is one of my favourite writers to revisit Greek mythology. She makes them accessible and easy to read, and often humorous too. She also takes such a vast set of characters and uses them to explore a single story.
I love the story of Medusa, so I was really excited to see Natalie Haynes put her twist on it. I didn’t realise how many stories could be linked to Medusa’s though. Every time she introduced a tale or characters that seemed unconnected, it was just a waiting game - why were three sisters and a snake relevant? why did we need to know about the king of Ethiopia?
I really enjoyed that this book made Medusa human. It really emphasised that she wasn’t just a monster. She had a relationship with her sisters who loved her and she loved back. And she stood up for something she believed in when confronted by Poseidon, even though she was still scared.
I thoroughly enjoyed!

Medusa is my favourite mythological character and I have been horribly disappointed by other attempts at rewriting her story. This is, so far, the strongest attempt that I have read.

Yet, this is not so much 'Medusa's Story' as it is a snapshot of various characters and events in greek mythology from around the time of Medusa's existence. While everything ultimately ties together, some chapters were rather distracting in how tangential the described events seemed to be, making the book feel unfocused and chaotic. While this accurately reflects the sprawling (and often bizarre) nature of greek mythology, the regular jumping back and forth between narrators and periods of time started to make me lose interest in the story as there was no time to get to know, or care, about any of the characters.

Ultimately, the book is a super easy read so if you are seeking a quick, enjoyable book with a mythological theme, then this will do the trick. For me, however, the book wasn't what I was hoping for. But then I fear that all attempts to tell Medusa's story will fail to fully satisfy me...

(Thank-you to the publishers and Netgalley for having provided me with a proof!)

I have waited months to read this and what an absolute joy this book is. Natalie Haynes is the absolute queen of Greek myth. Her writing is intelligent, well-researched, funny and empathetic. Always telling the story from the female perspective, this book throws away the traditional view of Medusa as the monster and Perseus as the hero. I could not put it down and I will be re-reading again and again. Superb! Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan publishers for this proof in return for an honest review.

I approached this book with some trepidation and worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype surrounding its release. However I need not of worried. This is the story of Medusa but also all the characters surrounding her story and how she became cursed – one of the chapters is even told the true point of the snakes! Medusa in this retelling is not a monster as usually portrayed but an unwitting victim of infighting between the gods. I laughed at how unlikeable and weak Perseus became in this retelling and how I loved the petulant infighting of the gods. A thoroughly enjoyable read once I got to grips with all the characters and one which I hope will introduce the world of Greek myths to a whole new audience. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for giving me an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Medusa is up there with my favourite Greek influence. Her story is absolutely fascinating and her character is one that is deeply misunderstood and misrepresented in mythological retellings. Therefore, this book was right up my alley and I wanted to see for myself a retelling of her and the facts laid bare.

The beginning was brilliant, and I adored the inclusion of Metis, another favourite of mine, and the insipid nature of the gods, their possessive and testosterone in-fuelled indulgence. I left the book hating every single male that was referenced. Not sure that that was the intent but it’s how I felt all the same. I was kind of glad at what happened to Athena at the end… she truly deserved it!

Unfortunately, this one sort of missed the five star mark for me as I felt like Medusa’s story was yet again overshadowed. We get so many points of views here that I felt like her voice got lost. I wanted more of her and her internal dialogue and inner battles, wanted more of Medusa when she became bejewelled with snakes for her hair.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mantle for the approval of my request to review.

Medusa is one of my favourite Greek myths, especially with how people only remember her as a monster, which this book focuses on dispelling. I really enjoyed the overall progression of this story and the conversations around who decides what a monster is. Some chapters were really unique and captivating, such as the one from the perspective of Medusa's snakes, and the writing is also gorgeous as Natalie Haynes' always is.

However, I feel like the synopsis of this book promises a major focus on Medusa and her story, and though all the POV's eventually come together to show their role in Medusa's story, I did struggle to care about quite a few of them (and there is a fair number) as it went on and found myself just wanting to get back to Medusa. I also found the ending a bit anticlimactic.

Overall a great Medusa retelling and the writing is gorgeous but I feel the synopsis mis-sells it a bit and was expecting more of a focus on Medusa herself.

Told with a fiercely feminist voice - do you think you know Medusa?

Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her Gorgon sisters, she realises that she is the only one who experiences change, or can be hurt. 

When the sea god Poseidon commits an unforgivable act in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge and Medusa is changed forever. Writhing snakes replace her hair, and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. The power cannot be controlled: Medusa can look at nothing without destroying it. She is condemned to a life of shadows and darkness.

Until Perseus embarks upon a quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . .

‘You’re the one who thinks anything that doesn’t look like you must be a monster.’

You just know sometimes when you read a book it’s going to be huge. I am a big Natalie Haynes fan anyway but this story is fabulous.

‘She screamed until her voice was gone.
It changed nothing.’

Medusa is a real person, not a myth or a monster. She feels, she hurts and her story is flipped on it’s head and told with wit and empathy. The portrayal of her Gorgon sisters and their developing care and love for Medusa was one of the most touching parts of the book for me and as for Perseus - well, not impressed with him! He is definitely not the golden boy we all thought he was.

‘He is a vicious little thug and the sooner you grasp that, and stop thinking of him as a brave boy hero, the closer you’ll be to understanding what actually happened.

It really made me consider the myths as we know them - predominantly told by men, changing with retellings and woven into our psyche and culture. Here Haynes has made this classic myth relevant to us today, told with a fiercely feminist voice, and with passion. This is a story that still resonates down the ages but told for a new generation.

‘And the monster? Who is she? She is what happens when someone cannot be saved.’

This is a gripping story, masterfully woven by the Queen of Greek Mythology, retelling Medusa’s story for today. This is going to be big…HUGE! My forever copy is on it’s way

All the stars

In 'Stone Blind', Natalie Haynes retells the story of Medusa, who through Poseidon's assault and Athene's revenge turned from a kind mortal sister of the Gorgons to a monster capable of turning people to stone. Told from many different perspectives, including Gods, Naiads, Nymphs, and mortals, Haynes describes how Perseus went from trying to protect his mother Danae from a marriage she didn't want, to becoming a cold-blooded killer. As Hayne's writes at the beginning "...the hero isn't the one who's kind or brave or loyal...this particular monster is assaulted, abused and vilified. And yet, as the story is always told, she is the one you should fear...We'll see about that."

Feminist retellings of Greek myths have over the last few years become very popular. Within them there is certainly a huge amount of misogyny and rape to deconstruct. Hayne's is more qualified than most in this area and has written a number of books about Greek myths and has presented a radio 4 programme. While the number of characters can at times feel overwhelming, Hayne's brings all of the events together brilliantly. She presents a medusa who is kind and loving until she is forced to become a monster. Whilst Perseus is certainly no hero, she shows how he is also turned into a monster through a more powerful man's determination to take his mother, and the setting of what, without the Gods interference, would have been an impossible quest. This is a very enjoyable read that I'd certainly recommend.

I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to the fantasy and mythology genre, but, I am widening my perspectives and so dar loving it. The author has done this brilliantly. The story is beautifully written, the characters come alive on the page, the settings pop and all characters have a believable voice. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

From monster to hero. The Medusa myth revisited.

Raped by Poseidon, for which she is punished by Athene, Medusa’s fate is in the hands of Perseus.

Classics scholar Haynes puts the record straight on the Medusa myth. A fascinating story which asks the reader to re-think the idea of the hero, and questions society’s habit of monstering women.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan UK for the ARC.

‘Who decides what is a monster?’ ‘I don’t know,’ said Medusa. ‘Men, I suppose.’ ‘So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our teeth, our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters.’ ‘But they don’t know who you are.’

‘Can a monster be beautiful if it is still terrifying? Perhaps it depends on how you experience fear and judge beauty.’

The retelling of the story of Medusa but so much more with the background stories of the other gods & goddesses & how Perseus came to set out on his journey.

I loved the sympathy you felt for the Gorgons (usually portrayed as monsters), the snivelling Perseus, reduced to a petulant teenager, the bored & omnipotent gods & goddesses!

One of fondest memories of reading the Greek myths at primary school was the picture I drew of Perseus saving Andromeda who was savagely tied to trees trunks on a boulder at sea! I’m not sure what ten year old me would have made of this version!

If you like the retelling of Greek myths then you’ll love this book.

I have to admit that I have very mixed feelings on this one. I am a Classicist working in Academic Classics publishing, and it is hard for me to take that cap off and just sit through a Greek-myth novel as an un-biased reader. My point being, for a full disclaimer, I can be over critical of the classics-elements…


I was *very* excited for Medusa to finally have her story told, and to an extent she does. Her characterisation is brilliant, and Haynes has created something really special and quite gorgeous with her representation of the gorgons as a true family (ie. The roles of Stheno and Euryale).

I enjoyed the side-narrative about Perseus, and I think Haynes did a brilliant job of contextualising his story and background. His development as a character with Athena and Hermes was hilarious (Haynes’ wit is fantastic, and I love it). His character was a bit confusing at times (he suddenly flips from being quite naive to quite horrid), but Perseus in the original myths is quite a tricky and complicated character to pin down, so I think Haynes has done justice.

Cassiope, Andromeda and Cepheus are stunning characters. Haynes could have written a book all about them and I would have devoured it. Their sections of the narrative were some of my favourite. Also, Dictys in particular was given a brilliant background here, and I really, genuinely appreciated Haynes’ version of him here. Well done.

However. I’m really not a fan of the chopping and changing of perspectives. Haynes has done this increasingly throughout her books, and I think it is a real shame. I didn’t find the novel hard to follow, but I felt this was a bit unnecessary. The novel is interspersed with chapters where an omniscient narrator speaks directly to the readers, which I found a bit patronising (I don’t really want to be told how I feel by a book! And I often wasn’t feeling the way the speaker suggested - it was a bit jarring and kind of lurched you out of the story a bit), but I also noticed no difference between that narrator and the poet/muse in A Thousand Ships. I felt more like Haynes’ own voice was coming through, rather than that of a character. Also, there was a lot of pent-up rage in these portions. I appreciate there is *meant* to be anger in Medusa’s story, and rightly so, but it felt a bit…Aggressive. Detached? I think if Medusa had stayed as ‘Medusa’ in the narrative, and not the ‘Gorgoneion’, this might have kept the narrative together a little more, and I might have felt more for her. I found I had a lot of empathy for Medusa, but not this … alternative version of her.

I also have very mixed feelings on Haynes’ representation of Athena. I have to admit I love Athena as a character (and I’m going off the original representation here - from the ancient works), and I feel Haynes…reduced her. She seems very petulant, childish and immature, offering characteristics which are *not* in line with any representation Athena that I have ever come across. The Greek gods were certainly childish, but in varying degrees, and I feel that Athena has been significantly mis-represented. On the other hand, this does present the story of her growing as a newborn-to-adult goddess, so perhaps Haynes was purposefully trying to show her immaturity as a ‘new’ goddess? I’m not sure.

I also think there was a significant missed opportunity here. One interpretation of the myth of Medusa is that Athena gave her the snake-hair etc. as a *gift*, to protect her against any men/humans in the future, to give her power. This could have been a really, really interesting take, and I’m surprised (and disappointed), that Haynes didn’t take this approach. It might have been nicer to see some solidarity between Athena and Medusa, perhaps.

Despite all of the above, Haynes has written a fab novel that will definitely engage a lot of readers, and introduce more and more people the world of classics. A lot of the writing is absolutely beautiful, hilariously done, and the narrative and interactions of Zeus and Hera, and then Medusa and her sisters, are all captivating and delightful. I would agree that this isn’t fully Medusa’s story, as other reviewers mention, but her story is told, and I do think the back-stories given to Perseus and Andromeda were necessary and fantastic. Overall, a lovely book, a lovely read, and then though a lot of it didn’t sit quite right with me (from a classicist perspective), I’d definitely recommend this to friends and classicists, and I was honoured to receive a copy from Mantle Books (and NetGalley), and I’ll treasure it. So, thank you.