Medusa: The Girl Behind the Myth (Illustrated Gift Edition)

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It has the overhanging sense of dread throughout when you know it’s not going to go as hoped, the foreboding really shone through. So, when Poseidon takes an interest in Medusa while she fishes in her little skiff, there is very little she can do to repel his unwanted advances. I was apprehensive at first as the tale of Medusa is much beloved and she has become such a multi-dimensional symbol that has morphed through the ages, but Haynes manages to be a worthwhile and insightful addition to the Medusa commentary that feels fresh, fun and faithful to the spirit of her source material (much of the tales here are adaptations of Ovid’s Metamorphoses and, sorry Pegasus fans, but the winged horse is absent from this tale).

I liked the overall message of reclaiming control, how beauty for women often defines them and leads to destruction, but I just had no emotional connection to the story at all.

At one level, this can be interpreted as a feminist opportunity to illustrate the power of women and the deceit of men.

it was obvious the author wanted to emulate this flowery writing, perhaps like madeline miller’s, but it was so rigid and jarring instead.medusa is my favourite greek myth and i’ve been craving a feminist retelling of it for SO LONG, but this was…a bit of a let down. Cursed by the Goddess Athena and transformed into a Gorgon with snakes in place of her once beautiful hair, the once beautiful Medusa now lives on a deserted island with her sisters, Stheno and Euryale,and her dog Argentus. That, yes, Perseus plays a part, but it’s really about Medusa’s view of herself, which she gradually bolsters, to survive and move forward to enjoy her life. Medusa was a fourteen-year-old girl who had drawn the attention of Poseidon and Athena for the wrong reasons. I mostly prefer Greek mythology over the Roman versions of the same stories, in spite of studying Latin at school.