Longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023.
In Stone Blind, the instant Sunday Times bestseller, Natalie Haynes brings the infamous Medusa to life as you have never seen her before.
‘Witty, gripping, ruthless’ – Margaret Atwood via Twitter
‘Beautiful and moving’ – Neil Gaiman
‘So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters’
Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her Gorgon sisters, she begins to realize that she is the only one who experiences change, the only one who can be hurt.
When Poseidon commits an unforgiveable act against Medusa in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge where she can: on his victim. Medusa is changed forever – writhing snakes for hair and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. She can look at nothing without destroying it.
Desperate to protect her beloved sisters, Medusa condemns herself to a life of shadows. Until Perseus embarks upon a quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . .
‘A fierce feminist exploration of female rage, written with wit and empathy’ – Glamour
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Imprint: Picador
Publication date: 29/10/2024
Stone Blind
By Natalia Haynes
Review by Sophie
Most of us may know the story of Medusa the monster, but do you know the story of Medusa the woman? Told to us through the female voices of the Greek mythological world – both directly and indirectly linked to Medusa – we are thrown into a complex narrative full of political intrigue, resentment, pride, and innocence as we ponder the question: what really makes a monster?
Natalie Haynes ensures Medusa remains at the centre of this web, as a character that can only watch as her fate is decided for her. It is a sad and brutal story, yet Haynes strikes a fitting balance between social commentary and fable where the cast of characters demand the reader to consider the moral dimensions of this ancient tale.
If you are looking for an intimate telling of Medusa’s story, this may not be the fit for you. But if you are a fan of Greek myth, keen to find out more or looking for a compelling read then I think you should give this one a go!
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