I see all those who men call monsters.Īnd I see the men who call them that. Haynes uses Medusa to explore natures of the monstrous. Her novel Stone Blind focusses on Medusa, not the monstrous creature of the Clash of the Titans but the victim of her own parents’ rejection of her, the victim of Poseidon’s rape, the victim of Athena’s rage and pride, the victim of Perseus’ quest… and yet discovering a terrible strength and power in those abuses. Along with that and her Instgram Ovid not Covid the days of lockdown sped by!

I love Natalie Haynes since discovering her on BBC Radio 4s Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics which is a sheer delight that I discovered just before lockdown in 2020 and promptly devoured the back catalogue on BBC Sounds. She wears her extensive learning lightly and deftly drags the Classics into the modern world’ - Kate Atkinson, author of Life After Life ‘Haynes is master of her trade.

Praise for Natalie Haynes, the Women’s Prize-shortlisted author of A Thousand Ships : ‘With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism… her thoughtful portraits will linger with you long after the book is finished’ - Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe ‘Haynes combines a wide-ranging knowledge of the original myths with a gift for compelling narrative’ - The Times ‘Natalie Haynes is both a witty and an erudite guide. Until Perseus embarks upon a quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon. She is condemned to a life of shadows and darkness. The power cannot be controlled: Medusa can look at nothing without destroying it. Writhing snakes replace her hair, and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. When the sea god Poseidon commits an unforgivable act in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge where she can – and Medusa is changed forever. And her mortal lifespan gives her an urgency that her family will never know. 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. They fear us, so they call us monsters.’ Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. 'Witty, gripping, ruthless' - Margaret Atwood via Twitter 'Beautiful and moving' - Neil Gaiman via Twitter 'So to mortal men, we are monsters. ** 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.

Stone blind natalie haynes