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.

I was quite excited about this book going into it, as I appreciated Medusa's story being retold because she has always been typecast as the villain, and mainly in stories written by men who love to portray her as a spiteful man-hater. However, I do feel that Stone Blind is slightly false advertising, because while Medusa's story is told, it is interwoven with the tales of lots of other Greek figures, to the point where I actually felt that Medusa's story got lost in the mix to be honest, which was disappointing. I did enjoy Haynes' writing style, as I find that I can sometimes be overwhelmed by the Greek myths and in keeping track of all the characters, but this felt informative without being oversimplified, and it reminded me of how much I do really enjoy reading about the Greek Gods and Goddesses.

In this book, the readers is plunged into the world of Greek myths. There is a lot going on - it does a great job of showing the ways in which lots and lots of seperate stories interconnect, overlap and outright disagree with each other. In an age of chronological storytelling and copyright laws will are used to an author telling a story and it standing seperate from other stories. The stories of Greek Mythology were, in the society they were originally for, a living, changeable thing. This book really showcases how complex that is when trying to seperate a story out of this original context.

There are also moments of reflection throught this book on what makes a monster, why we assume certain behaviour makes a hero, why we consider a hero morally good. These moments are frustratingly fleeting.

The book is delivered through many points of view. If you are looking for a large cast, this book will deliver. Each point of view is telling their story. I know mythology quite well, I knew how they were all going to eventually link up. I'm not sure every reader would enjoy the though, particularly because the narrative doesnt feel like it's veering towards one overarching storyline as you read.

Ultimately, this book is not Medusa's story. It doesnt centre her. It doesn't give her voice and experience any more space than she has ever had. Its disappointing as this is really what the book is billed as. Instead, I would say that if you went into this book expecting something more along the lines of a narrative that explains a certain portion of Greek Mythology stories, from the time period in which Medusa was around.

Thank you so much Pan MacMillan and NetGalley fir the arc of Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I’ve read a couple of Greek myth retellings this year, and I have enjoyed them, but Natalie Haynes takes a lighter, witty approach to this Medusa retelling that came across brilliantly.

Medusa has been wronged by the gods, deserted by her parents, raped by Poseidon and cursed by Athene. This book retells her story, from her perspective, ensconced within the world if the gods and the numerous politicking and infighting amongst them.

I absolutely adored Medusa’s perspective on Perseus. Definitely told from the wronged female’s perspective.

If you love myths, legends, gods, goddesses, with voracious appetites and little care for mortals, then definitely dive in.

I’m woefully ignorant about Greek myths I think I must have moved schools when these were taught .Some of my education has now been partially completed by reading this novel
The author has an amusing light hearted take on the stories and I very much enjoyed the first 2/3 of the book .For me I started to loose the plot a bit towards the end when more and more characters were introduced and I couldn’t keep
Up with the speed they were arriving .I think I might have enjoyed the novel moor if the author had stuck
To just the Medusa story rather than adding the complex side plots
I suppose one way to describe the book would be Bridgerton for Greek myths all but with slightly less sex or significantly less as Gods appeared to procreate rather carelessly by spilling their seed which was picked up by mortals and lady Gods .
I read an copy on NetGalley Uk the book was published 15th September by Pan MacMillan

I absolutely loved this. medusa has been one of my favourite greek mythological figures for a long time (I even have a tattoo of her), so to be able to read a retelling of her story was so wonderful. Natalie Haynes is so so gifted in weaving together the perspectives of so many characters to build a full picture, without it ever feeling confusing or over complicated. she brilliantly shows the way that women have been misrepresented, how their stories have been pushed to the side to make way for the traditional, male ‘heroes’, and she does so with wry humour and intelligence.

I loved reading this, a Greek myth re-telling not only written from a female perspective, but one that is refreshingly vitriolic in the description of the classic “hero” Perseus. The relationship between the Gorgon sisters was wonderful and reinforced the point that it is men who have historically decided who is a hero and who is a monster. The chapters from different perspectives interwove perfectly to create the epic feel, and while the subject matter was tragic at times Haynes’ wit shone through with her irreverent portrayal of the Olympians.

‘Stone Blind’ is a retelling of the tale of Medusa - the Greek mythology tale of the girl with snakes for hair and the ability to turn you into stone with a single glance. Haynes attempts to spin her tale in a new light, with multiple perspectives from each character involved in her well-told tale.

~

I was really disappointed by this to be honest. I’m a huge fan of Greek mythology re-tellings, having read several in the past year - I eagerly anticipated this. But it just felt clunky, awkward and tricky to keep up with - for a story centred around Medusa, it felt as though she had hardly any page time. It seemed to be everybody else’s story but hers, and even the other tales that were being told were incredibly difficult to keep up with due to the sheer volume of them.

Additionally, the dialogue really let the novel down. In an attempt to make Classics accessible to a Young Adult audience, the Greek gods essentially speak like modern day teenagers - it really took you out of the story and the setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the team at Macmillan for the ARC.

Full review will be posted soonish and I'll add links to blog as well.

I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent read, so gripping I couldn't put it down. I love this kind of historical fiction!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Stone Blind
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Natalie Haynes
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mythology
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 15th September 2022
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5

TW: Rape, sexual assault, murder

”Men will tell you that Gorgons are monsters, but men are fools. They cannot comprehend any beauty beyond what they can see. And what they see is a tiny part of what there is.”

This feminist retelling of Medusa shows us that Medusa, the infamous Gorgon, was never the evil that typical mythology portrays her as. In fact, she was more girl than monster. Also, what is a monster, anyway? Something that people deem as ‘scary’ because they don’t understand the way something looks?

I can’t get over how gut-wrenchingly heart-breaking this was. This story has the ability to touch a soul and it did exactly that with mine, and squeezed.

I enjoyed the writing immensely, there were points of view that I didn’t expect, there was lots of humour, and literally all of it was incredibly engaging. I’ve had Natalie Haynes books on my wish list for years and now I’m desperate to read more.

This is just one of those books that make you feel so strongly and really see how much devastation and destruction was caused at the whims of the Gods. I wish I could stab Poseidon with his own trident, I wish I could chop off Perseus’ head. Most of all, I wish women didn’t have to relate to this story so strongly.

🧚🏻‍♀️

Medusa is dead, I am dead. But I'm still the best narrator for this part of the story, because I was there for all of it, and because I am not a lying deceitful hateful vicious murderer. [loc. 2567]
This novel is subtitled 'Medusa's Story', but at first it seems like a complex interweaving of the stories of wronged women from Greek mythology: Zeus' first wife Metis; Andromeda, staked out as a sacrifice to Poseidon; Danaë imprisoned in the dark; Hera and Amphitrite, wronged wives. (Hera, 'a goddess with an almost limitless supply of spite, could barely keep up with the number of women, goddesses, nymphs and mewling infants she needed to persecute'. [loc. 77]) Yet it all circles back to Medusa's story, and the implacable hatred of Athene -- 'vengeful and cruel, always blaming women for what men do to them' [loc. 1209] -- whose curse transforms Medusa after Poseidon rapes her in Athene's temple. Does Athene make Medusa into a monster, though? Is Medusa truly the hideous, unlovable horror sought by Perseus? The great hero is an unlikeable and incompetent teenager in this account, constantly whining to Athene and Hermes about the appalling hardships of his quest for a Gorgon's head. Athene does not have much time for him, and in this one thing I am wholly in agreement with her.

It's not all grim. The love between mortal Medusa and her immortal Gorgon sisters, Euryale and Sthenno, is deep and heartfelt: it's the opposite of monstrosity, the epithet levelled at the Gorgons by both Poseidon and Perseus. Hermes, one of the few male characters who behaves decently in the pages of Stone Blind, asks of Perseus 'who are you to decide who is a monster?'. And Medusa tells Poseidon that beauty is more than skin-deep: she sees it in the loving care of her sisters, and she submits to Poseidon to save a (more) mortal girl.

Haynes plays with voices here: it's not only Medusa's story, but a multitude of voices making a mosaic of misogyny, abuse, privilege and trickery. There are chapters told from choruses of entities: a bickering slither of snakes, an olive grove, the Hespereides. There are so many wronged women, their voices distinct but their experiences alike. I'd love to hear this read aloud, as a dramatic performance... One voice is absent: Medusa's mother Ceto, who dwells in the depths of the ocean. But Haynes weaves her into the story, in a way that is both tragic and elegant.

So many connections I hadn't recognised: so many commonalities of experience. Stone Blind isn't always an easy read, but it is a rewarding one: I am reminded that I have several of Haynes' other mythology-based novels, and am encouraged to read them sooner rather than later.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy. UK publication date is 15 SEP 2022, and there's a virtual launch at the British Library.

"There is one question that devours me still. Why didn’t I close my eyes?"

This is one of the best myth retellings I've ever read. It's like a tapestry, intricately weaving multiple voices together, giving a story I thought I knew well a fresh perspective. However, it should be noted that Medusa's is not the main perspective! This book really centers on Athene and the other women that suffered at the hands of Perseus.

Stone Blind is beautifully descriptive with fully-realized characters. I would recommend this book for those that already have some knowledge of the Greek myths, or those that are happy to do some research along the way.

I love retellings and one of my favourite myths to read retellings of is Medusa and so I loved this book. It is well written with a fantastic storyline and well developed characters that felt like they were jumping off the page and playing out the story right in front of my eyes. I loved it.

Wow… I’ve enjoyed Natalie Haynes’ previous novels but this was easily her best work yet IMO. I loved the different narrators and their differing perspectives on a tale I thought I knew well. My personal favourite was the persona given to the gorgoniad. ‘Her’ pithy disparaging comments regarding Perseus made me laugh out loud. The authors wonderful descriptions wove all the narrative strands together brilliantly. I couldn’t put it down and was so sad when it ended. Such a brilliant read. Ty netgalley my book of the year so far.

Medusa was thrice wronged: raped by Neptune, very unfairly punished for it by Athena, and then known throughout history as the snake-headed, stone-turning monster. It’s about time someone put the story straight.

Such is the premise of this book, that Medusa will finally get a fair say. And while there is a strong thread of that in the book, it’s also a bit on the meandering side, I thought. We get Perseus’s back story – told from the Gorgon’s point of view, so he’s no hero but a snivelling bratty teenager. We hear Andromeda’s tale, too, she who was chained to a rock to be sacrificed to the Kraken. And a whole pantheon of Greek gods, each more childish and petulant than the last.

Yes, Medusa has every reason and right to hate this lot, but boy does it make for a bit of a slog reading about all of these highly unpleasant characters.

Which feels so unfair on the book, which is written superbly, cutting back and forth between some omniscient narrator, and alternating sections done from varying points of view with excellently unique voices – one is cutting back and forth between Medusa’s snakes, for instance, or choruses of minor goddesses having their gossipy say-so. I liked these the best, the sections that were more ‘human’ in the telling, whether it was self-righteous indignation that so-and-so did that, or the hot fury of Medusa on her own fate.

I did wonder if we were supposed to already be more engrossed with Greek myth than some of my sketchy (okay, 90% based on Clash of the Titans!) recollections. Or, it’s just that with so much crammed in, there’s little to get too much focus. Medusa’s own tale is the exception, as is right: she’s very humanised and a tragic figure, as deserved. The gods were d*cks, and that is spelled out extremely clearly. But some of the in-between is a little high-level, overview kind of retelling of the bits I knew best, albeit it with a bitter, dismissive tone.

Overall, then: I did like this book, but it remained a little distant and chill for me. I never quite felt as engrossed in the story as I wanted, and there was a lot more satellite story than I was expecting. Yes, it ties all of these myths together well, but… I dunno, maybe I just expected more Gorgon when really there isn’t more story to tell – or, any more way to give her more ownership of her own story. It’s a tragedy, and that can be hard to read.

I wish it had grabbed me just a little more, but I don’t regret giving this a go.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the retelling of Medusa’s story. This book is well written, captivating and entertaining. Despite the themes of violence and sexual assault this is told in a tongue in cheek manner that captures the humour of Greek myths excellently.
It is told from many povs and I feel that at some points we loose track of Medusa and it becomes a more generalised Greek retelling but this does not necessarily make it any less enjoyable.
I’m keen to read more by Natalie Haynes and continue to work my way through other Greek retellings!

I didn't find this quite as outstanding as 'A Thousand Ships' (which is utterly marvellous) but the ATS has a specific narrative to be working with/against. I did enjoy it hugely, and will definitely reread. Recommend.

Given I was a big fan of Natalie Haynes' previous book, A Thousand Ships and given I'm partial to reads like Elektra, Circe, The Silence of the Girls and other recent retellings of Greek myths from a feminist (or at least female) perspective, this book was exactly what I needed. As with those other titles, this was never going to be a "happy" read. The mortals, demi-gods and other gods are all at the mercy of those more powerful gods, who tend to be fickle and often downright unlikeable. Readers should go into this knowing there are strong themes of violence against women and sexual assault.

Whist most art focuses on Perseus having defeated Medusa and holding her head up in conquest, the statue I like most is Bernini's bust of Medusa, which depicts her in "life", albeit in marble so already ironically made of stone herself. The reason I like that piece so much is because it's so rare that SHE is the focus. On that point, my one criticism here is that I would have liked the focus of this story to be solely on Medusa, rather than swinging us to other female characters. Keep the gaze trained as it were, directly on Medusa and allow us to look at her alone.

I would highly recommend this to fans of this genre and if you haven't read it already, I would start with the author's previous work, which I have recommended to many people.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this reworking of the Medusa story which begins with Medusa as a baby, abandoned and found by two Gorgon sisters. It challenges our (and Perseus'!) notion of what makes a monster - is it a word we use for something simply different from us?

Medusa emerges as a loving and sympathetic young woman; meanwhile the petulant and childish gods squabble amongst themselves, play with human lives whilst despising and being puzzled by them. Zeus asserts himself as King of the gods, whilst being also rather cowed by his wife Hera and several other myths are woven into the story - like the birth of Aphrodite. A sardonic narrator fills in gaps for us and the whole thing is very funny, whilst also being quite sad. Definitely recommended.