Three Books Of Herstory
Greek Myths Rewritten
If you’ve walked into a bookshop recently (which I would wager many of you reading this will have), on one of those tables at the front as you walk in, you’d be hard pushed not to find a retelling of a Greek myth in one form or another. This isn’t particularly unusual, Greek myths have been retold for centuries in a variety of different mediums, what I noticed about the more modern versions, those published over the last five years or so, is that they are written by women telling the stories of the women in Greek myths. They tell herstory.
When presented with the women of Greek myths, mortal and immortal, we often find their behaviour is not always glowing. They are vengeful, wrathful, manipulative, conniving and unforgiving; much like their male counterparts. The main difference is that there are few heroes and their behaviour is not excused in the way the men’s is. Ultimately, the women are trapped by a patriarchal Olympus and the constraints of ancient Greek society. In the three books that I have chosen to review below, the motivations for their behaviour and the framework in which they are living is laid bare.
Natalie Haynes - Divine Might
In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with Natalie Haynes. This is the second book I have read of hers and this takes a deep dive into the imagery, myth and modern retellings of the stories of the Greek goddesses.
Haynes never fails to get to the heart of the matter and examine what really motivates these women and why the way they behave might actually be their only option. This book looks at some of the more well-known figures such as The Muses, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter and Athene, but also takes a more in depth look at the characters that are often present but not necessarily given a leading role: Hestia and The Furies.
It's an excellent book, that looks at the imagery and character of these women throughout the eras, bringing it right up to the modern day with a look at their roles in film and popular culture. A great book for getting to grip with your Greek goddesses.
I also loved Hayne’s ‘Stone Blind’, a retelling of Medusa’s story, which you can find my review for here.
Jennifer Saint - Elektra
Jennifer Saint weaves a story with the skill of the Moirai and in this book she looks at the women who played leading roles in the epic siege of Troy. Whilst they were not always on the battlefield they were behind the walls and they had their own crosses to bear.
The book is essentially in three sections: before, during and after Troy. It gives a voice to the women on both sides and those in the middle, moving between the houses, different perspectives and how they work to overcome the social constructs that constrain them.
Each voice is different. You don’t need a chapter title to know which character you are reading and that is a rare skill. You understand Clytemnestra’s grief, Elektra’s confusion and utter despair resulting in fury at the wars her family are waging amongst themselves never mind the battle that is being conducted across the seas by her father, and finally Cassandra with a gift that she cannot hope to communicate effectively or gain anyone’s understanding of, lost in a sea of visions.
If you are interested in Troy and the women on the periphery of what was a legendary battle then Jennifer Saint is a most excellent place to start.
Luna McNamara - Psyche & Eros
Of the three, this one was the one I enjoyed the least. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. Natalie Haynes and Jennifer Saint are hard acts to follow, but there were points in this story where I felt crucial moments, for example the first time McNamara sends Psyche into the Underworld and in fact the three trials she is given by Aphrodite, are rushed and lacked tension.
The majority of the book is about Psyche growing up and then her relationship with Eros. Around a quarter is her tasks set by Aphrodite and finding Eros once more, arguably the mainstay of this myth. I enjoyed this backstory and the set-up of her life with Eros, but it came at the expense of the meat of the story which is the trails of Aphrodite. In my opinion it could either have been a longer book or the weight of these sections could be reversed.
Towards the end of the middle, is the beginning of the battle with Troy and Iphigenia’s sacrifice by her father Agamemnon, which feels out of place and shoehorned in. It reads like an ‘oh by the way this happened’ rather than an anchoring point in time and doesn’t serve the story.
As an aside, if you are not familiar with the story of Eros and Psyche, you might not notice the ad libs and creative licence used with the story, scattered throughout the book. To be fair though, this book is not aimed at scholars of the subject. I may read another of McNamara’s books in the future as it was a fun and easy read with interesting perspectives but it’s hard to beat Haynes and Saint.
Other books based in Greek myth that you may enjoy:
You can buy all of these books in all good bookshops. If you would like to buy a copies online, please consider visiting my page on Bookshop.org where I have gathered some of the books I read and recommend. Here you will find a plethora of myth, legend and folktale.
And don’t forget to support your local library too. See if they have a copy to borrow.
