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Retold: The Grecian Women #1
Athena's Child
For readers of Madeleine Miller and Claire Heywood comes the story of the most infamous monster of Greek mythology: Medusa.
First, they loved her. Then, they abused her. Finally, they made her a villain.
Gifted and burdened with stunning beauty, young Medusa seeks sanctuary with the Goddess Athena. But when she catches the eye of the lecherous but mighty Poseidon, she is beyond protection. Powerful men rarely answer for their actions, after all.
Meanwhile, Perseus embarks on a seemingly impossible quest, equipped with only bravado and determination...
Medusa and Perseus soon become pawns of spiteful and selfish gods. Faced with the repercussions of Athena's wrath, blamed for her assault, Medusa has no choice but to flee and hide. But can she do so without becoming the monster they say she is?
Medusa’s truth has long been lost. History tells of conquering heroes, of men with hearts of gold. Now it is time to hear the story of how history treats women who don't comply.
First, they loved her. Then, they abused her. Finally, they made her a villain.
Gifted and burdened with stunning beauty, young Medusa seeks sanctuary with the Goddess Athena. But when she catches the eye of the lecherous but mighty Poseidon, she is beyond protection. Powerful men rarely answer for their actions, after all.
Meanwhile, Perseus embarks on a seemingly impossible quest, equipped with only bravado and determination...
Medusa and Perseus soon become pawns of spiteful and selfish gods. Faced with the repercussions of Athena's wrath, blamed for her assault, Medusa has no choice but to flee and hide. But can she do so without becoming the monster they say she is?
Medusa’s truth has long been lost. History tells of conquering heroes, of men with hearts of gold. Now it is time to hear the story of how history treats women who don't comply.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
1613 people are currently reading
29427 people want to read
About the author
Hannah M. Lynn
49 books882 followersHannah Lynn is a multi award winning novelist. Publishing her first book, Amendments – a dark, dystopian speculative fiction novel, in 2015. Her second book, The Afterlife of Walter Augustus – a contemporary fiction novel with a supernatural twist – went on to win the 2018 Kindle Storyteller Award and the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Best Adult Ebook.
Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent 15 years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then Thailand, Malaysia, Austria and Jordan. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction.
With over 30 publications spanning a number of genres and translated into a dozen languages, Hannah has proven herself to be both an accomplished and prolific author.
Now settled back in the UK with her husband, daughter and clowder of cats, she spends her days writing romantic comedies and historical fiction. Her first historical fiction novel, Athena's Child, was also a 2020 Gold Medalist at the Independent Publishers Awards.
Born in 1984, Hannah grew up in the Cotswolds, UK. After graduating from university, she spent 15 years as a teacher of physics, first in the UK and then Thailand, Malaysia, Austria and Jordan. It was during this time, inspired by the imaginations of the young people she taught, she began writing short stories for children, and later adult fiction.
With over 30 publications spanning a number of genres and translated into a dozen languages, Hannah has proven herself to be both an accomplished and prolific author.
Now settled back in the UK with her husband, daughter and clowder of cats, she spends her days writing romantic comedies and historical fiction. Her first historical fiction novel, Athena's Child, was also a 2020 Gold Medalist at the Independent Publishers Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,838 reviews
July 28, 2021
2.5 ⭐️
Athena's Child was a very quick and simple read! It was okay, but it wasn't my fave greek myth retelling.
The writing is good, but the story telling is very simple. The author didn't really try to do anything different to make this specific book stand out from other greek mythology retellings. I found it below average, but since it is short, it was definitely easier to get through.
When I picked this up, I first thought that it would solely focus on Medusa and her perspective. So it was a bit disappointing that she didn't get as much time to shine in comparison to Perseus. Also, this gave off some feminist vibes, but it was like in the back burner. The time jumps are also very large, so character development wasn't really there and I didn't really connect with any of the characters.
Overall, this was okay. I don't regret reading it, but it is below mid in comparison to the other greek mythology retellings out there.
Athena's Child was a very quick and simple read! It was okay, but it wasn't my fave greek myth retelling.
The writing is good, but the story telling is very simple. The author didn't really try to do anything different to make this specific book stand out from other greek mythology retellings. I found it below average, but since it is short, it was definitely easier to get through.
When I picked this up, I first thought that it would solely focus on Medusa and her perspective. So it was a bit disappointing that she didn't get as much time to shine in comparison to Perseus. Also, this gave off some feminist vibes, but it was like in the back burner. The time jumps are also very large, so character development wasn't really there and I didn't really connect with any of the characters.
Overall, this was okay. I don't regret reading it, but it is below mid in comparison to the other greek mythology retellings out there.
August 14, 2023
'Medusa grew from monsters, but she was not born of them'.
Medusa was just thirteen when her uncommon beauty begins to draw men in earnest, determined to wed her. Her father refused to give his daughter to these men with untoward intentions and takes her to Athena's temple so she can live in safety and purity as one of the Goddess's priestesses. Soon, however, she draws the eye of another God, Poseidon, who doesn't take 'no' for an answer and forces himself upon her, abruptly vanishing and leaving Medusa to take the blame for desecrating Anthena's temple. Medusa is cursed. She looks like a monster and has been given the power to kill like a monster; damned for eternity. This is the Medusa we all know from history but not from her-story. Medusa's truth was lost, and all that remained was the story of monsters and heroes, though the world would never truly know which was which'.
I really enjoyed this short, simply told tale which is actually still so apt: judging at face value, blindly believing powerful people, and the power of patriarchy, 'Women use words and reason where men use fists and force. So why are we always second'? Hannah Lynn's straightforward storytelling ensures the tale is easy to follow but still leaves you pondering. I feel that many readers who'd like to learn more about Greek Mythology would find this a great taster.
Medusa was just thirteen when her uncommon beauty begins to draw men in earnest, determined to wed her. Her father refused to give his daughter to these men with untoward intentions and takes her to Athena's temple so she can live in safety and purity as one of the Goddess's priestesses. Soon, however, she draws the eye of another God, Poseidon, who doesn't take 'no' for an answer and forces himself upon her, abruptly vanishing and leaving Medusa to take the blame for desecrating Anthena's temple. Medusa is cursed. She looks like a monster and has been given the power to kill like a monster; damned for eternity. This is the Medusa we all know from history but not from her-story. Medusa's truth was lost, and all that remained was the story of monsters and heroes, though the world would never truly know which was which'.
I really enjoyed this short, simply told tale which is actually still so apt: judging at face value, blindly believing powerful people, and the power of patriarchy, 'Women use words and reason where men use fists and force. So why are we always second'? Hannah Lynn's straightforward storytelling ensures the tale is easy to follow but still leaves you pondering. I feel that many readers who'd like to learn more about Greek Mythology would find this a great taster.
May 1, 2022
Excellent, fresh and tragic retelling of the story of Medusa.
March 19, 2022
Non è un libro brutto, ma non si merita di certo le 3 stelle (siamo sul 2.5, dai).
Il problema è che si tratta di un romanzo superficiale, che non ha la voglia di fare lo sforzo necessario per superare la banalità in cui rischia sempre di incorrere un retelling.
Un scelta stilistica sicuramente strana, che passa dalle metafore auliche ai termini colloquiali. È breve e scorrevole, ma non dà nulla in più sul mito.
Il problema è che si tratta di un romanzo superficiale, che non ha la voglia di fare lo sforzo necessario per superare la banalità in cui rischia sempre di incorrere un retelling.
Un scelta stilistica sicuramente strana, che passa dalle metafore auliche ai termini colloquiali. È breve e scorrevole, ma non dà nulla in più sul mito.
June 22, 2023
3☆☆☆½
"Furono dei mostri a creare Medusa, ma lei non era nata da essi.."
Il libro è scorrevole anche se non è paragonabile a quelli di M. Miller (come molti sostengono)!
Naturalmente è una rivisitazione in chiave moderna del mito e sono presenti guizzi di idee femministe, ma la cosa che ho apprezzato di più è che la scrittrice da finalmente voce a Medusa!
Ci sono anche capitoli dedicati al punto di vista dell'eroe Perseo caratterizzato, a differenza degli altri eroi/uomini, da un'animo buono e gentile.
Capisco che l'autrice ha voluto mettere sullo stesso piano sia Medusa che Perseo per sottolineare come gli uomini siano dei burattini nelle mani degli Dei però forse è un pò troppo portare il lettore ad empatizzare per entrambi e per questo il finale del libro non mi è piaciuto!
Perfetta la descrizione di Athena e Ermes perché me li immaginavo esattamente così!
Il Dio alato caratterizzato da quel sorriso quasi diabolico tanto da non sapere mai come comportarsi davanti alla sua presenza... perfetta caratterizzazione del Dio dei trucchi (non a caso Divinità protettrice dei ladri!).
La Dea della saggezza raffigurata nella sua duplice natura: severa, quasi malvagia, con chi non rientra tra le sue grazie e amichevole con i suoi protetti ma sempre pronta a cambiare se un comportamento umano va contro i suoi precetti.
"Furono dei mostri a creare Medusa, ma lei non era nata da essi.."
Il libro è scorrevole anche se non è paragonabile a quelli di M. Miller (come molti sostengono)!
Naturalmente è una rivisitazione in chiave moderna del mito e sono presenti guizzi di idee femministe, ma la cosa che ho apprezzato di più è che la scrittrice da finalmente voce a Medusa!
Ci sono anche capitoli dedicati al punto di vista dell'eroe Perseo caratterizzato, a differenza degli altri eroi/uomini, da un'animo buono e gentile.
Capisco che l'autrice ha voluto mettere sullo stesso piano sia Medusa che Perseo per sottolineare come gli uomini siano dei burattini nelle mani degli Dei però forse è un pò troppo portare il lettore ad empatizzare per entrambi e per questo il finale del libro non mi è piaciuto!
Perfetta la descrizione di Athena e Ermes perché me li immaginavo esattamente così!
Il Dio alato caratterizzato da quel sorriso quasi diabolico tanto da non sapere mai come comportarsi davanti alla sua presenza... perfetta caratterizzazione del Dio dei trucchi (non a caso Divinità protettrice dei ladri!).
La Dea della saggezza raffigurata nella sua duplice natura: severa, quasi malvagia, con chi non rientra tra le sue grazie e amichevole con i suoi protetti ma sempre pronta a cambiare se un comportamento umano va contro i suoi precetti.
May 11, 2023
UAUUUUU
ADOREI
ADOREI
December 16, 2020
‘𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙙𝙤. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙨, 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙, 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩. 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮? 𝙏𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.’
🐍Gifted and burdened with a beauty far beyond that of mere mortals, Medusa seeks sanctuary within the temple of Goddess Athena and became her priestess. But when the lustful gaze of mighty Poseidon falls upon her, even the Temple of Athena cannot protect her. The goddess who was supposed to protect her accused her of defiling her temple and cursed her with eternal misery which destroyed her family and turned her into a murderer, a monster - the Gorgon.
To save his mother from a forced-marriage with a tyrant king, Perseus - a Demi-god, born out of wedlock, haunted by his own kin, and adopted by another family embarks on a seemingly impossible quest of bringing the Gorgon's head. But when he came to know that the said Gorgon is Medusa, a priestess of Goddess Athena wrong by the same goddess, will he proceed with his mission? Will, he chose the death of one wronged woman to save the other from wrong?
‘𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚? 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙤, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮. 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙡, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜-𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨. 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨. 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚. 𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙨? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙?’
🐍The book - 1st in The Grecian Women trilogy - is a Greek mythological retelling of Medusa and her nemesis Perseus. Narrated from the POVs of Medusa, Dane, and Perseus, the book is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 explores Medusa's backstory and how she turned from a priestess into a Gorgon and Part 2 shows us Perseus's origin story and his own quest of becoming a hero.
🐍Hannah's writing is lyrical and elegant. Within just a few pages she has cleverly done for Medusa what Miller has done for Circe which makes you think about the way the stories are told, but her writing certainly lacked Miller's richness and depth. Further, the fast-paced narratives and sudden jump in the timeline, and change in POVs, make it difficult to cope up with the story.
🐍The characters are beautifully envisioned and articulately flesh out. By the end of the book, you are definitely gonna feel for Medusa's plights and sufferings and your perspective towards the Olympian Gods will change -as if nothing change over the centuries, it was always women who are blamed for men's cruelties, not the other way around. Other supporting characters are barely touched.
🐍The ending felt abrupt and unfulfilling, as many points were left open for readers' own imagination. Nevertheless, it liked it - it gives you a different outlook on Medusa's fate and forced you to accept that it was not she who loses her humanity, but people do.
Overall, Athena's Child was an enjoyable lite read for me. If you are into Greek myth, then you should definitely check out this refreshing retelling of Medusa. Highly recommendable.
𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
🐍Gifted and burdened with a beauty far beyond that of mere mortals, Medusa seeks sanctuary within the temple of Goddess Athena and became her priestess. But when the lustful gaze of mighty Poseidon falls upon her, even the Temple of Athena cannot protect her. The goddess who was supposed to protect her accused her of defiling her temple and cursed her with eternal misery which destroyed her family and turned her into a murderer, a monster - the Gorgon.
To save his mother from a forced-marriage with a tyrant king, Perseus - a Demi-god, born out of wedlock, haunted by his own kin, and adopted by another family embarks on a seemingly impossible quest of bringing the Gorgon's head. But when he came to know that the said Gorgon is Medusa, a priestess of Goddess Athena wrong by the same goddess, will he proceed with his mission? Will, he chose the death of one wronged woman to save the other from wrong?
‘𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚? 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙤, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮. 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙡, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜-𝙙𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨. 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨. 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚. 𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙨? 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙?’
🐍The book - 1st in The Grecian Women trilogy - is a Greek mythological retelling of Medusa and her nemesis Perseus. Narrated from the POVs of Medusa, Dane, and Perseus, the book is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 explores Medusa's backstory and how she turned from a priestess into a Gorgon and Part 2 shows us Perseus's origin story and his own quest of becoming a hero.
🐍Hannah's writing is lyrical and elegant. Within just a few pages she has cleverly done for Medusa what Miller has done for Circe which makes you think about the way the stories are told, but her writing certainly lacked Miller's richness and depth. Further, the fast-paced narratives and sudden jump in the timeline, and change in POVs, make it difficult to cope up with the story.
🐍The characters are beautifully envisioned and articulately flesh out. By the end of the book, you are definitely gonna feel for Medusa's plights and sufferings and your perspective towards the Olympian Gods will change -as if nothing change over the centuries, it was always women who are blamed for men's cruelties, not the other way around. Other supporting characters are barely touched.
🐍The ending felt abrupt and unfulfilling, as many points were left open for readers' own imagination. Nevertheless, it liked it - it gives you a different outlook on Medusa's fate and forced you to accept that it was not she who loses her humanity, but people do.
Overall, Athena's Child was an enjoyable lite read for me. If you are into Greek myth, then you should definitely check out this refreshing retelling of Medusa. Highly recommendable.
𝙈𝙮 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)
April 30, 2022
Aveva del potenziale che purtroppo non è stato sviluppato. Troppo generico e troppo breve.
December 20, 2020
I felt so angry and upset whilst reading this book. What happened to Medusa is unforgivable and I hate, HATE Athena for it!
Such a great retelling of a well known myth. The book reeks of injustice and that’s what made it one of the best books I’ve read this year. Looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
Such a great retelling of a well known myth. The book reeks of injustice and that’s what made it one of the best books I’ve read this year. Looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2022
♥︎Nuovo romanzo mitologico con protagonista Medusa.
L'autrice ci presenta il vero mito, la vita, le emozioni di questa figura.
Lo stile di scrittura è fluido e semplice, per niente impegnativo, ma che ti riesce a trasportare. La narrazione è veloce, ma senza togliere nulla alla storia, con scene brevi ma ben descritte.
La protagonista l'ho molto apprezzata, una donna forte che purtroppo ha dovuto combattere contro chi in verità doveva proteggerla, ma che con tutte le sue forze ha cercato di non diventare un mostro.
Non ho invece capito la scelta di parlare per quasi metà libro di Perseo.
Le sorelle e la madre insopportabili.
Il finale mi ha lasciato l'amaro in bocca, pensavo più a un lieto fine.♥︎
L'autrice ci presenta il vero mito, la vita, le emozioni di questa figura.
Lo stile di scrittura è fluido e semplice, per niente impegnativo, ma che ti riesce a trasportare. La narrazione è veloce, ma senza togliere nulla alla storia, con scene brevi ma ben descritte.
La protagonista l'ho molto apprezzata, una donna forte che purtroppo ha dovuto combattere contro chi in verità doveva proteggerla, ma che con tutte le sue forze ha cercato di non diventare un mostro.
Non ho invece capito la scelta di parlare per quasi metà libro di Perseo.
Le sorelle e la madre insopportabili.
Il finale mi ha lasciato l'amaro in bocca, pensavo più a un lieto fine.♥︎
January 5, 2022
Definirlo alla stregua della Miller è più una strategia di marketing che la verità, perché in realtà siamo piuttosto lontani dall’obiettivo. Soldi facili insomma.
Come rivisitazione del mito di Medusa e Perseo offre ben poco, se non uno stile fin troppo moderno e perle femministe dove l’occasione lo richiede. Non che il tutto sia sbagliato, sia mai, ma stiamo pur sempre parlando di un mito greco. Questa nuova impronta ha stonato a mio avviso, risultando qualcosa di troppo invece di amalgamarsi in modo ottimale con il periodo storico. E lo stile dell’autrice non viene affatto in aiuto.
Ma non voglio affossarlo del tutto perché in realtà questo romanzo è molto veloce e piacevole da leggere. Forse troppo veloce dato che si può facilmente terminare in un paio di ore.
Ho apprezzato molto l’inizio e il confronto tra Perseo e Medusa, mentre il mezzo e la fine sono stati molto approssimativi per i miei gusti. Oltretutto ho trovato Perseo piuttosto carente come eroe, oltre che fastidioso all’ennesima potenza.
Insomma, nulla di nuovo sul fronte occidentale, a parte tanto fumo e niente arrosto.
Adatto a chi cerca una lettura leggera.
Come rivisitazione del mito di Medusa e Perseo offre ben poco, se non uno stile fin troppo moderno e perle femministe dove l’occasione lo richiede. Non che il tutto sia sbagliato, sia mai, ma stiamo pur sempre parlando di un mito greco. Questa nuova impronta ha stonato a mio avviso, risultando qualcosa di troppo invece di amalgamarsi in modo ottimale con il periodo storico. E lo stile dell’autrice non viene affatto in aiuto.
Ma non voglio affossarlo del tutto perché in realtà questo romanzo è molto veloce e piacevole da leggere. Forse troppo veloce dato che si può facilmente terminare in un paio di ore.
Ho apprezzato molto l’inizio e il confronto tra Perseo e Medusa, mentre il mezzo e la fine sono stati molto approssimativi per i miei gusti. Oltretutto ho trovato Perseo piuttosto carente come eroe, oltre che fastidioso all’ennesima potenza.
Insomma, nulla di nuovo sul fronte occidentale, a parte tanto fumo e niente arrosto.
Adatto a chi cerca una lettura leggera.
September 30, 2022
Banale e scarno.
April 12, 2022
Abbastanza deludente.
L'intero romanzo si legge, in maniera scorrevole, veloce, MA il tutto ha un retrogusto decisamente impersonale, sterile, neutro. Nessun tipo di empatia con i protagonisti, con i personaggi, tutto è molto vuoto.
E poi, parliamo di come i personaggi maschili siano descritti TUTTI come mostri, violenti, barbari, stupratori. Ma perché? Non ne trovo il senso.
"Tutta un'altra storia", ma così non è, affatto. Credo che 2 stelle su 5 siano anche troppe.
L'intero romanzo si legge, in maniera scorrevole, veloce, MA il tutto ha un retrogusto decisamente impersonale, sterile, neutro. Nessun tipo di empatia con i protagonisti, con i personaggi, tutto è molto vuoto.
E poi, parliamo di come i personaggi maschili siano descritti TUTTI come mostri, violenti, barbari, stupratori. Ma perché? Non ne trovo il senso.
"Tutta un'altra storia", ma così non è, affatto. Credo che 2 stelle su 5 siano anche troppe.
October 27, 2023
Medusa foi uma vítima, não um monstro.
Alguns acreditam que os monstros nascem como monstros.(…) Ela não era assim. Medusa cresceu a partir de monstros, mas não nasceu deles.
Comparando com O Olhar da Medusa achei a história mais simples, a escrita não tão elaborada e também aqui uma grande parte da história está sob o ponto de vista de Perseu - Ohh criatura irritante!
É uma leitura agradável para quem quer iniciar-se na mitologia grega.
Alguns acreditam que os monstros nascem como monstros.(…) Ela não era assim. Medusa cresceu a partir de monstros, mas não nasceu deles.
Comparando com O Olhar da Medusa achei a história mais simples, a escrita não tão elaborada e também aqui uma grande parte da história está sob o ponto de vista de Perseu - Ohh criatura irritante!
É uma leitura agradável para quem quer iniciar-se na mitologia grega.
September 8, 2024
"Telling Medusa’s story would make monsters of all the men that had gone before him and failed. And what of himself? Would the world respect his mercy as easily as they accepted his might and bravery?"
This book has two parts,the first about Medusa and the second about Perseus.
This version of the myth is different as the author tried to do something new with mixed results.
The changes that she made felt like she took the core of who these characters were and left just their shells(especially in the case of Medusa).
While some changes worked,other not so well.
Maybe because the book was so short but we did not have time to really connect or to grow attached to these characters.
The character development happens off page in the way to many time skips so once again we don't really see their journey ourself,we just hear about it afterwards by the author.
The first part: Medusa's part was boring,there was nothing to make it interesting even with the changes the author made.
This version of Medusa was weak,all she did during the whole book was cry and lament her faith and the moments when the author tried to make her a "girl boss" did not land the way the author intended.
The author told us multiple times that Medusa was powerful but without the actions to back this it does not come across as powerful but as someone who is sorry for themselves(not that she did not have a reason to feel sorry for herself).
I don't think it was necessary to make her relationship with her sisters bad,she already had a lot to deal with.
I think it was added just to make us pity Medusa even more when it's not necessary since her story is already sad and unjust.
The second part: Perseus's part was slightly more exciting and I liked him more than Medusa.
While he was arrogant and kind of stupid he at least made the book entertaining.
And he redeemed himself at the end in my eyes.
Danaë is a character that I always look forward to reading about cause of the way she endured so much.
In this book sadly she had no personality and she was a very flat character.
Even her supposed love for her son din not come across in the pages no matter how many times it was mentioned.
I do have to say that the ending was so good and it's the only reason I'm rating this book so high.
The meeting between Medusa and Perseus was very emotional and I liked how the author handled that.
If the whole book was like the ending this would have definitely been a 5 stars read for me.
The way the gods were portrayed in this was not to my liking,they were exactly like any other humans with the way they acted.
I know I have a lot of complaints about this book but I think that if you are new to greek mythology and to the myth of Medusa and Perseus this is a good book to start reading.
If you already know a lot about greek mythology this book is not for you.
In conclusion this retelling does not shine in the growing pile of books about greek mythology .
This book has two parts,the first about Medusa and the second about Perseus.
This version of the myth is different as the author tried to do something new with mixed results.
The changes that she made felt like she took the core of who these characters were and left just their shells(especially in the case of Medusa).
While some changes worked,other not so well.
Maybe because the book was so short but we did not have time to really connect or to grow attached to these characters.
The character development happens off page in the way to many time skips so once again we don't really see their journey ourself,we just hear about it afterwards by the author.
The first part: Medusa's part was boring,there was nothing to make it interesting even with the changes the author made.
This version of Medusa was weak,all she did during the whole book was cry and lament her faith and the moments when the author tried to make her a "girl boss" did not land the way the author intended.
The author told us multiple times that Medusa was powerful but without the actions to back this it does not come across as powerful but as someone who is sorry for themselves(not that she did not have a reason to feel sorry for herself).
I don't think it was necessary to make her relationship with her sisters bad,she already had a lot to deal with.
I think it was added just to make us pity Medusa even more when it's not necessary since her story is already sad and unjust.
The second part: Perseus's part was slightly more exciting and I liked him more than Medusa.
While he was arrogant and kind of stupid he at least made the book entertaining.
And he redeemed himself at the end in my eyes.
Danaë is a character that I always look forward to reading about cause of the way she endured so much.
In this book sadly she had no personality and she was a very flat character.
Even her supposed love for her son din not come across in the pages no matter how many times it was mentioned.
I do have to say that the ending was so good and it's the only reason I'm rating this book so high.
The meeting between Medusa and Perseus was very emotional and I liked how the author handled that.
If the whole book was like the ending this would have definitely been a 5 stars read for me.
The way the gods were portrayed in this was not to my liking,they were exactly like any other humans with the way they acted.
I know I have a lot of complaints about this book but I think that if you are new to greek mythology and to the myth of Medusa and Perseus this is a good book to start reading.
If you already know a lot about greek mythology this book is not for you.
In conclusion this retelling does not shine in the growing pile of books about greek mythology .
December 31, 2023
“Gods do not pay the price for their wrongdoings, Perseus. Mortals do.”
Reading this and watching episode 3 of the Percy Jackson tv show on the same day was such an experience.
3.5/5
August 4, 2024
Who knew Greek mythology could be so addictive!? Medusa but make it tragic and raw. Honestly, I immediately got my hands on the entire series because I couldn’t put this one down! Highly recommend!
February 17, 2024
*3,5
i love every medusa retelling ♥️ this was nice and a fast read, i especially liked the ending. but it's not my fav i think
i love every medusa retelling ♥️ this was nice and a fast read, i especially liked the ending. but it's not my fav i think
July 21, 2023
Quais são os limites, qual é a fronteira entre o bem e o mal?
Onde começa e onde acabam as linhas entre a realidade e a ficção?
Onde está a verdade no meio de tantas histórias contadas?
Quem são os verdadeiros heróis das histórias e quem define quem são os monstros?
Este é um reconto da história de Medusa cheio de ambição. É simultaneamente uma ficção e uma história que poderia ser "real", pois é a história de uma mulher sem poder, frente à palavra de um homem..
Numa narrativa polvilhada e movida por Deuses que se disfarçam de homens, cheios de caprichos, orgulhosos e presunçosos. Conduzidos por regras próprias em desafio ao poder central representado pela protagonista.
Uma história que viaja entre a realidade e a irrealidade, entre o literal e o simbólico, sobre abuso, castigo fé e força.
Foi maravilhoso conhecer esta versão da história da Medusa e sem dúvida um livro que recomendarei a muita gente.
Onde começa e onde acabam as linhas entre a realidade e a ficção?
Onde está a verdade no meio de tantas histórias contadas?
Quem são os verdadeiros heróis das histórias e quem define quem são os monstros?
Este é um reconto da história de Medusa cheio de ambição. É simultaneamente uma ficção e uma história que poderia ser "real", pois é a história de uma mulher sem poder, frente à palavra de um homem..
Numa narrativa polvilhada e movida por Deuses que se disfarçam de homens, cheios de caprichos, orgulhosos e presunçosos. Conduzidos por regras próprias em desafio ao poder central representado pela protagonista.
Uma história que viaja entre a realidade e a irrealidade, entre o literal e o simbólico, sobre abuso, castigo fé e força.
Foi maravilhoso conhecer esta versão da história da Medusa e sem dúvida um livro que recomendarei a muita gente.
June 20, 2023
I found this to be a fantastic book, it gave what I wanted and more. I have always been a bit of a Medusa fan so this retelling was enjoyed to the fullest. It gave us a back story to how and why she becomes a villain. After reading so many stories this revealed the darker side of history, the unfairness when it comes to women. An interesting tale that peaked my interest from the beginning.
August 1, 2021
2.5 stars
Athena's child follows pretty much the story of Medusa and Perseus, but the writing style was too simple and the characters didn't have any depth. Nothing remarkable.
Athena's child follows pretty much the story of Medusa and Perseus, but the writing style was too simple and the characters didn't have any depth. Nothing remarkable.
June 3, 2023
This book caused a dull pain in my chest immediately after finishing it. The whole story is such a beautifully written tragedy.
December 24, 2024
Lettura veramente interessante e scorrevole☺️☺️☺️
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February 7, 2022Medusa: tutta un’altra storia, un retelling che mi ha colpita.
L’autrice rivisita il mito proponendolo sotto un punto di vista più amaro e doloroso. La condizione delle donne, il modo in cui l’ha descritto, mi ha tenuta col fiato sospeso e fatto sentire un nodo alla gola costante mentre leggevo. La prima parte, infatti, è la mia preferita. Mi piace il modo in cui viene descritto il carattere di Medusa, più volte ho fatto il tifo per lei come più volte avrei tanto voluto entrare nella storia e abbracciarla forte. La seconda parte mi ha rallentata, ma solo perché la protagonista viene messa da parte per l’introduzione di un altro personaggio. L’ho trovato molto interessante ed è giusto che venga messo in mezzo, però, avrei voluto che il libro allora avesse avuto più pagine per approfondire entrambi i personaggi. Il finale e il dialogo tra i due mi hanno distrutta, e le ultime righe spiegano anche il perché questa rivisitazione non rispecchi al cento per cento l’interpretazione esatta del mito. Non mi sono commossa, sapevo come sarebbe andata a finire. Ma s’è una cosa che mi porterò dietro di questo libro è la storia triste e amara di Medusa, lei come donna. Si legge in poco tempo, sono 240 pagine circa, non è impegnativo. Però ve lo consiglio.
L’autrice rivisita il mito proponendolo sotto un punto di vista più amaro e doloroso. La condizione delle donne, il modo in cui l’ha descritto, mi ha tenuta col fiato sospeso e fatto sentire un nodo alla gola costante mentre leggevo. La prima parte, infatti, è la mia preferita. Mi piace il modo in cui viene descritto il carattere di Medusa, più volte ho fatto il tifo per lei come più volte avrei tanto voluto entrare nella storia e abbracciarla forte. La seconda parte mi ha rallentata, ma solo perché la protagonista viene messa da parte per l’introduzione di un altro personaggio. L’ho trovato molto interessante ed è giusto che venga messo in mezzo, però, avrei voluto che il libro allora avesse avuto più pagine per approfondire entrambi i personaggi. Il finale e il dialogo tra i due mi hanno distrutta, e le ultime righe spiegano anche il perché questa rivisitazione non rispecchi al cento per cento l’interpretazione esatta del mito. Non mi sono commossa, sapevo come sarebbe andata a finire. Ma s’è una cosa che mi porterò dietro di questo libro è la storia triste e amara di Medusa, lei come donna. Si legge in poco tempo, sono 240 pagine circa, non è impegnativo. Però ve lo consiglio.
February 2, 2021
This book was stunning.
The writing style, the plot, the characters!
The way this author describes things and explains engrained social norms like patriarchy is unbelievable.
I like the thought of Medusa being the victim and telling the story from her POV.
Definitely suggest reading this book and I cannot wish for her next book to come out in March of this year
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The writing style, the plot, the characters!
The way this author describes things and explains engrained social norms like patriarchy is unbelievable.
I like the thought of Medusa being the victim and telling the story from her POV.
Definitely suggest reading this book and I cannot wish for her next book to come out in March of this year
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 4, 2024
This book didn't add anything hugely new to the Medusa story but I still really enjoyed it and would definitely read more from Hannah Lynn.
Medusa was well characterised, and the tragedy of her story was captured well as you got to know her and sympathise with her. I found the deterioration of her relationship with her sisters really interesting to read, and it really added to the sadness of her story. I also really liked the atmosphere, and the prose created a very vivid feeling of Ancient Greece.
As with most Medusa retellings, we got a bit too much Perseus and this wasn't purely a Medusa POV- we did completely switch to Perseus about halfway through to get his perspective. I can understand the choice, doesn't mean I always am interested in hearing from him.
I did find the ending very abrupt, but this is a short story so I can understand why it wasn't drawn out. Overall can't really give it a 5 stars as it wasn't quite stand out or original enough, BUT a solid 4 star for a book I didn't want to put down, engaging characterisation and a great atmosphere.
Medusa was well characterised, and the tragedy of her story was captured well as you got to know her and sympathise with her. I found the deterioration of her relationship with her sisters really interesting to read, and it really added to the sadness of her story. I also really liked the atmosphere, and the prose created a very vivid feeling of Ancient Greece.
As with most Medusa retellings, we got a bit too much Perseus and this wasn't purely a Medusa POV- we did completely switch to Perseus about halfway through to get his perspective. I can understand the choice, doesn't mean I always am interested in hearing from him.
I did find the ending very abrupt, but this is a short story so I can understand why it wasn't drawn out. Overall can't really give it a 5 stars as it wasn't quite stand out or original enough, BUT a solid 4 star for a book I didn't want to put down, engaging characterisation and a great atmosphere.
February 4, 2022
Se c’è una cosa che accomuna tutti gli dèi greci è la loro capacità di generare eroi o mostri a piacimento, in base al favore o all’oltraggio che essi ricevono.
Si sa, quelle greche sono divinità particolarmente “umane”, sempre bisognose di soddisfare i propri eccessi, i propri vizi e le singole necessità. (Una guerra decennale perché Paride doveva scegliere una dea più bella tra tre? Dannazione, si!)
E sempre dal bisogno nasce questo libro. Il bisogno di descrivere come nascono i mostri, come sia facile crearli e isolarli, impossibili da difendere o da conoscere ma solo da uccidere.
La medusa classica è una Gorgone, figla di due divinità del mare (Forco e Ceto) che trasforma in pietra chiunque la guardi negli occhi; l’unica non immortale, a differenza delle sorelle Steno ed Euriale.
In sintesi: un mostro. Una leggendaria creatura che pietrifica chiunque la guardi. Uccisa, nella maggior parte delle versioni giunte fino a noi, dall’eroe Perseo, uno dei figli di Zeus. (Il più famoso insieme a Eracle)
Cosa fa questo libro? Perché il sottotitolo recita “tutta un’altra storia”? Perché è così. Il libro sovverte la visione che abbiamo di Medusa e di Perseo e ne da una piega dolorosa, reale e cruda.
Non basta cambiare attori (lo scambio di statue, con Medusa che regge la testa di Perseo) o scegliere violenza per violenza, no.
Si veicola così il messaggio di cambiamento, in maniera intelligente e senza strafare, senza modificare la radice del mito ma rendendolo più verosimile, più accettabile.
L’autrice è brava. C’è uno stile semplice, asciutto e le terre Greche riusciamo solo a intravederle e intuirle. Qui la protagonista è solo lei, Medusa.
Con una narrazione che non si perde in particolari conosciamo la “vera storia” di Medusa. Una ragazzina così bella che il padre teme per lei e che, per questo, verrà portata ad Atene, al tempio della Dea Atena, offerta come sacerdotessa.
L’umanizzazione di Medusa, che nella storia classica nasce già Gorgone e qui è una ragazzina che metterà tutta se stessa nel compito affidatole dalla Dea, è una scelta perfetta, vincente.
I problemi però colpiscono Medusa poco tempo dopo, quando Poseidone la vede e decide che deve averla, deve avere il suo corpo e il suo amore. Qui la bravura di Lynn. È coerente l’impostazione.
La storia è così simile (in senso buono) ad altri misfatti degli dèi che non si fa fatica a comprendere i risvolti, a capire perché Atena non difenda la sua accolita e decida addirittura di vendicarsi.
Ci sono momenti dolorosi. Parliamo di una ragazzina, violata e abbandonata che dovrà lottare con più di un rimorso, dovrà soffrire e isolarsi fino all’arrivo del suo carnefice.
La rivisitazione non finisce con Medusa. L’entrata in scena di Perseo arricchisce il romanzo e scardina le catene dell’eroe, dell’ impavido pronto ad uccidere la Gorgone perché gli serve un’impresa da Dio.
Questo fa la Lynn e molto di più. Non vi dico tutto ma vi dico: leggetelo. I retelling sono ormai all’ordine del giorno( la Miller ha scavato un solco che vedremo arato per molto tempo) ma se questi sono i risultati gli amanti della mitologia, come me, potranno divertirsi.
Si sa, quelle greche sono divinità particolarmente “umane”, sempre bisognose di soddisfare i propri eccessi, i propri vizi e le singole necessità. (Una guerra decennale perché Paride doveva scegliere una dea più bella tra tre? Dannazione, si!)
E sempre dal bisogno nasce questo libro. Il bisogno di descrivere come nascono i mostri, come sia facile crearli e isolarli, impossibili da difendere o da conoscere ma solo da uccidere.
La medusa classica è una Gorgone, figla di due divinità del mare (Forco e Ceto) che trasforma in pietra chiunque la guardi negli occhi; l’unica non immortale, a differenza delle sorelle Steno ed Euriale.
In sintesi: un mostro. Una leggendaria creatura che pietrifica chiunque la guardi. Uccisa, nella maggior parte delle versioni giunte fino a noi, dall’eroe Perseo, uno dei figli di Zeus. (Il più famoso insieme a Eracle)
Cosa fa questo libro? Perché il sottotitolo recita “tutta un’altra storia”? Perché è così. Il libro sovverte la visione che abbiamo di Medusa e di Perseo e ne da una piega dolorosa, reale e cruda.
Non basta cambiare attori (lo scambio di statue, con Medusa che regge la testa di Perseo) o scegliere violenza per violenza, no.
Si veicola così il messaggio di cambiamento, in maniera intelligente e senza strafare, senza modificare la radice del mito ma rendendolo più verosimile, più accettabile.
L’autrice è brava. C’è uno stile semplice, asciutto e le terre Greche riusciamo solo a intravederle e intuirle. Qui la protagonista è solo lei, Medusa.
Con una narrazione che non si perde in particolari conosciamo la “vera storia” di Medusa. Una ragazzina così bella che il padre teme per lei e che, per questo, verrà portata ad Atene, al tempio della Dea Atena, offerta come sacerdotessa.
L’umanizzazione di Medusa, che nella storia classica nasce già Gorgone e qui è una ragazzina che metterà tutta se stessa nel compito affidatole dalla Dea, è una scelta perfetta, vincente.
I problemi però colpiscono Medusa poco tempo dopo, quando Poseidone la vede e decide che deve averla, deve avere il suo corpo e il suo amore. Qui la bravura di Lynn. È coerente l’impostazione.
La storia è così simile (in senso buono) ad altri misfatti degli dèi che non si fa fatica a comprendere i risvolti, a capire perché Atena non difenda la sua accolita e decida addirittura di vendicarsi.
Ci sono momenti dolorosi. Parliamo di una ragazzina, violata e abbandonata che dovrà lottare con più di un rimorso, dovrà soffrire e isolarsi fino all’arrivo del suo carnefice.
La rivisitazione non finisce con Medusa. L’entrata in scena di Perseo arricchisce il romanzo e scardina le catene dell’eroe, dell’ impavido pronto ad uccidere la Gorgone perché gli serve un’impresa da Dio.
Questo fa la Lynn e molto di più. Non vi dico tutto ma vi dico: leggetelo. I retelling sono ormai all’ordine del giorno( la Miller ha scavato un solco che vedremo arato per molto tempo) ma se questi sono i risultati gli amanti della mitologia, come me, potranno divertirsi.
August 15, 2021
I like mythology retellings from the view point of the sidekicks.
I started this book and at 50 pages I thought, nope this book doesn't have it.
But since it was only 238 pages, I stuck with it instead of putting it in the DNF box.
I'm so glad I did.
I started this book and at 50 pages I thought, nope this book doesn't have it.
But since it was only 238 pages, I stuck with it instead of putting it in the DNF box.
I'm so glad I did.
April 2, 2023
This was brilliant.
The very first book I read that threads the tale of Medusa that I actually find so captivating, emotional and well-written. I loved that it was short, perfectly paced, lyrically written and beautiful. I enjoyed getting to know more about Medusa's character, the heroes and what felt like a true origin story.
So many words and lessons between the lines that I appreciated and loved the opportunity to reflect upon - exactly what I love about greek mythology.
The very first book I read that threads the tale of Medusa that I actually find so captivating, emotional and well-written. I loved that it was short, perfectly paced, lyrically written and beautiful. I enjoyed getting to know more about Medusa's character, the heroes and what felt like a true origin story.
So many words and lessons between the lines that I appreciated and loved the opportunity to reflect upon - exactly what I love about greek mythology.
December 9, 2021
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