Hayne's retelling of the stories of 10 women prominent in Greek mythology casts a new light on the characters we think we've always known. Looking through a feminist lens, with 21st century perspectives and attitudes, Haynes taps multiple sources for the classic Greek dramas featuring female characters and turns up some interesting alternatives and fascinating conjectures.

None of the subjects will be really new to readers with even a fundamental background in classic literature: Pandora, who brought trouble to the world; Jocasta, who unknowingly wed her son Oedipus; Helen of Troy (need we say more?); Medusa of the serpentine tresses; the mysterious Amazons; Clytemnestra, whose homecoming gift to her husband after the Trojan War was less than welcoming; Eurydice, whom Orpheus attempted to rescue from the Underworld; tragic Phaedra, whose love for her stepson led to tragedy; Medea, who is remembered mostly for a crime unthinkable to modern minds; and Penelope, who waited two decades for her wandering Odysseus to come home.

Each of these women (or groups of women, in the case of the Amazons), is given a separate chapter. Haynes draws from many ancient (and some contemporary) sources, rather than going with the homogenized and sterilized version most readers encounter in their youthful introductions to the classics. (Woe unto any middle-school teacher who attempts to clarify exactly what was going on with Leda and that swan, let alone why the satyrs were always attempting to carry off nymphs and dryads.) She is able to propose alternative histories, outcomes, and motivations for the characters, and does it with a dry wit – “abduction as a sign of affection is obviously a more acceptable phenomenon in Ovid’s time than it is today”. But behind the clever asides, there remains a strong undercurrent of feminism and an admiration for these female characters who have endured through millennia and who even now have something important to say to us.

Let us look briefly at Haynes’ study of Medusa, one of three sister demigoddesses. She began life as a beautiful woman, albeit one who could turn mortals to stone by her stare, was seduced (read “raped") by Poseidon, in a temple of Athene. The outraged deity in this scenario is Athene, who takes her revenge on the victim by turning her beautiful hair into snakes. She retreats to a cave, and eventually the hero Perseus comes along to whack off her head at the behest of King Polydectes (who has ulterior motives of his own). As Haynes reminds us, “Medusa isn’t a monster. She’s a woman who was raped and then punished for it with snakish hair. … She is damaged first by a god, then by a goddess. And finally Perseus comes looking for her to kill her and mutilate her to satisfy the whim of another man.”

Many of the characters in the book have suffered similar outrages, tolerated (even if only in histories, morality tales, and myth) by a culture developed and driven exclusively by men. It’s interesting that dramatists even of that stultifyingly patriarchal system could and often did write differing versions of the same basic tale, giving many of these women more agency which has largely been subsumed in the better-known depictions.

It's a comprehensive, fascinating, and thought-provoking study, and it belongs on any feminist or classicist bookshelf. Fortunately, readers who subscribe to both schools can get by with only one copy. ( )

Analyses of women in Greek myth by someone who only has an undergrad degree in the field. Most analyses were something I’d expect from an undergrad paper, not someone touting themselves as a classicist.

Haynes’ career as a broadcaster truly does this book in. The author frames her argument as a response to popular interpretations of these women, bringing in contemporary adaptations as some giant gotcha needing a feminist critique. Anyone who has seriously read the surviving source material themselves can come to these conclusions easily, and usually does not care what the popular understanding of these characters are as it literally does not matter except to the “culture” at large. Obviously, this is Haynes goal, but I think it’s missing the point of what makes engagement with original material so worthwhile: you get to cut that shit out of your brain and move on! Haynes also uses general literary analysis for her arguments, which, if you haven’t guessed by me not studying English in college, is a tool I’ve always found incredibly weak in attempting to recoup original intent. Ancient Athenians fucking hated women and it’s okay to admit it. Life will go on.

While some discussion of the language was appreciated, this book is ultimately a giant throwaway published to cash in on pop-Greek myth retellings and the people who probably haven’t picked up a nasty old Loeb themselves. Made me want to keep cracking away at the canon though, and I am similarly a big Euripides fan. Two stars because I actually enjoyed bits of it (Medea chapter rocked) despite these massive annoyances. ( )

110000

Extremely accessible account of women in Greek mythology even for one as ignorant on the subject as I. I enjoyed googling the artwork Haynes references as I went along as well. Nice selection for Women's History month. ( )

Audiobook read by the author
I've listened to her Stands Up For series on the BBC, so I thought I'd get this. Enjoyed the hell out of it and listened to it twice!
It's a feminist take on the representation of women in Greek myths - but with humor! I had to check my childhood book of myths and legends to make sure my memory of Pandora holding a jar instead of a box was correct. It was. So, if you don't take anything else from this book, be sure it's that it was a JAR and not a box. Other major characters discussed are Phaedra, Helen, Jocasta, Amazons in general, Clytemnestra (what's with the "C," Natalie?), ummm, Medea, Euridice, Medusa, and Penelope. The audio from Audible also had a pdf with a list of the illustrations she discussed listed.
This caused me to pick up my copy of Hesiod to read.
Anyway, absolutely delightful and can't wait for her next book, although I'm afraid the current BBC series has spoilers. Oh well.