Excellence resource of information on giving a greater perspective of women in Greek lore. It was easy to read, cleanly organize, and provided engaging information. Recommend for anyone eager to learn mor about Greek culture and mythos.

A very interesting look at ten women in Greek mythology. Haynes compares the modern view of these women and contrasts them with the many variations of their myths found in ancient literature, and makes a very good case that ancient writers wrote the women with far more complexity than they are given today.

Much of the material Haynes covers will be familiar to fans of her excellent podcast, <i>Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics,</i> but there's still a wealth of information to explore here.

Received via NetGalley.

Pandora's Jar is a critically assessing and absorbing read that puts the focus, the spotlight, on ten females figures in Greek mythology. Devoting a chapter to each Pandora, Jocasta, Helen, Medusa, The Amazons, Clytemnestra, Eurydice, Phaedra, Medea and Penelope, the author is able to provide insight and breathe dimensionality into characters I thought I already knew. By dissecting various mythos and how they've been interpreted, reshaped, erased, or condensed throughout history, mostly by men, Haynes highlights the ancient misogyny that was at work in addition to showing that these women have always had much more complexity than we realize. They're comprised of so much more than the bad/evil/temptress or chaste/beautiful/faithful archetypes they've been shoved inside.

This book allowed me to see the marginalization women have suffered over time more clearly. So-called "standard" depictions of a lot of Greek myths focus on the hero, the man, and his journey and tragedies while sidelining the heroine. Or worse, not acknowledging her thoughts or sufferings at all.

I loved how this placed women in Greek myths center stage where they belong. Gave them a voice. I liked how it made me think, too. Contemplate. Asking me to not only consider the sociohistorical context they were in but also to try and imagine as well as understand the more layered motivations behind some of the violent, deplorable acts they committed or were blamed for causing.

This delivered the feminist POW to Greek mythology I didn't realize I needed. So fascinating!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC.

Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths

Tales of the Greek heroes are indelibly woven into the fabric of Western storytelling, as the exploits of Odysseus and Oedipus are told and retold to each new generation. But what of the women? In Pandora’s Jar, comedian and classicist Haynes (A Thousand Ships) explores the lives and afterlives of figures like Medea, Penelope, Medusa, and Clytemnestra. Portrayals of these women frequently fall along predictable, usually condemnatory lines—Medea the unnatural mother, Helen the ultimate femme fatale. Haynes complicates these narratives, diving into the historical and literary records to understand how and why stories and interpretations of the women of Greek mythology have changed over time. Why does Greek art lack any images of Jocasta? Why does Helen shoulder the blame not only for the multiple abductions she suffers, but for ten years of war among men? What might Eurydice have to say about Orpheus’s failure to save her life? Packed with wry humor and scholarly insight, Pandora’s Jar shines a new light on our oldest stories, illuminating her subjects in all their painful complexity.

Natalie Haynes is back with this witty and powerful book about women from Greek mythology. We meet Pandora, Jocasta, Helen, Medusa and many more women who have not been given due recognition by many other authors. Haynes provides us with these incredible women in the myths that we all know but rearranged, enhanced, and beautifully powerful,

I cannot recommend this book enough. It was truly amazing to read such a different take on the old myths, which I've been reading since I was young.

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for providing an e-copy for me to read and leave my honest opinions. I am truly grateful for the experience that is Pandora's Jar

I wasn't expecting this to be a deep non-fiction dive into the history of Greek females across genres, but I'm weirdly glad that it was. In any other book, discussing Buffy and Beyonce might seem out of place but it worked! While slow at times, I enjoyed learning more about some of the underrepresented females like Jocasta and Penthesilea as well as the QUEEEEEN Medea. The writing style was easy to follow, feeling similar to an AP essay, and it was broken down into sections by each female character. I'm not sure why it took me so long to finish this book, but it's worth the read for any mythology fan.

*Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I thought this book was amazing. It wasn't what I expected. I originally thought it would be a book about Pandora (I clearly didn't read the entire title), however, this book is about multiple women within Greek mythology. How they are lost over time to the more popular story and how they're story has changed even when their stories were just starting out. I am enthralled with this book, I wanted to keep reading this last my bedtime or avoid going to work and just read this. It was so nice having the different stories of the women within Greek mythology, because many times they're just left in the background. Sometimes these women have huge stories and over time it becomes lost or changed to relate to modern day or because the author has decided to omit the history of the character.

I thought this book was wonderful and highly recommend that anyone who is into Greek mythology take a look at this book and hopefully you'll learn something new, as I had.

This is definitely a more "textbook" approach to greek mythology rather than a narrative one. However, it is still more approachable than some of the stuff you might have read in grade school by some old dead white guy. The book is indicative of the title, it's about the Women in Greek Myths and their stories. Haynes is a strong writer and crafts this book well. If you're looking to do research, or just want a straightforward guide, this is the way to go. If you are looking for a more narrative structure, like The Song of Achilles, this may not be the exact thing you're looking for at the moment.

Pandora's Jar was an interesting read. It was nice to re-read these Greek myths through a different lens. It was fascinating to think about how mistranslations and combining of stories could change the story and the message/lesson the myth was suppose to teach. Revisiting these myths and learning some nuances that I have never thought about made me think about more about the storytelling in ancient times. The causal throw of wit and lighthearted writing in-between was also enjoyable.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating = 4.25

"Every myth contains multiple timelines within itself: the time in which it is set, the time it is first told, and every retelling afterwards."

I ADORED THIS.

I've been obsessed with Greek mythology since elementary school, so I requested this as soon as I saw it on NetGalley and I'm so glad I did. Natalie Haynes - an author I haven't read before but will definitely be revisiting - is a classicist who is exploring some of mythology's favorite ladies, heroic and otherwise.

For me, reading about Medusa, Helen, the Amazons, Media and co was like being united with old friends, though Haynes explains the characters so well you probably don't need to be overly familiar with the source material to enjoy this.

I will definitely be picking up the physical book once it's available!!!

As always, thank you, NetGalley, for my arc in exchange for an honest review. This book was FANTASTIC!!!! I absolutely loved this book and being able to read several stories of women in the heart of Greek myth in a women’s pov. I am here for the feminist take and better representation for these goddesses. 5/5 can’t wait to get my paperback copy!

In Pandora's Jar, Natalie Haynes take a variety of women throughout Greek mythology and outlines out each of their stories. This was a bit more academic than I was expecting but over all I enjoyed it. Haynes breaks things up with a bit of wit and humor sprinkled throughout. She brings new perspectives to these characters that are often overlooked. And really gives each of them their own time to shine.

I loved the author's previous works so I was somewhat disappointed with this.
Although the subject matter was what originally caught my attention, there was something
about this book that failed to keep me engaged.

Despite that -- I do look forward to reading what this author writes next.

I wanted to like this but felt that this retelling fell flat for me. I just did not like the direction the author took with it.

A former stand-up comic turned classical scholar, Natalie Haynes has written an entertaining and enlightening survey of some of the most famous women in Greek mythology, looking at them from a modern feminist perspective and showing how these women had to overcome oppression in the ancient world and how their stories are relevant today. Well-written and researched, Haynes ties in the original stories with interpretations of these ladies in later forms of art and media. It is easier for her to make the case for sympathy with some of the women (Medusa, Eurydice, etc.) versus others (Medea, Phaedra), but she is successful in showing how all of them deserve a second look from modern readers. A easy entry to Greek mythology for readers with only a basic background in the field, this would be a good library purchase for adult and teen readers.

More literary criticism than straight retellings, Pandora's Jar delights with a feminist deep dive into different readings of famous women and demigoddesses of Greek and Roman mythology. The author encourages us to see these legends in a different light, and sometimes to view their experiences and depictions from multiple angles. Pandora's Jar has wit, snark, dazzling scholarship and parallels to modern entertainment.

Since so many references, artistic renderings, and retellings exist down through the ages, Natalie Haynes has a deep literary well to draw from when questioning whether, for instance, not only whether Pandora's box was actually a box (it wasn't, as the title indicates) but even whether Medusa was truly a monster and whether Helen's face, or men's warmongering, was the real cause of the Trojan War. All of these legendary women are complex and worth re-examining, which I did with great relish, a few gasps, and many chuckles.

This history of women in Greek mythology is a delight to read. Perfect for those just getting interested in mythology, or readers with an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology, Hayne's has presented a detailed yet highly readable account of the titular female characters in the major Greek epics. From creation stories to the Trojan Wars, we get to focus in on the true heroes: the women. Filled with ancient pottery and just as much reference to pop culture, Haynes examines the popular perception of these female characters and the historical and literary context with equal attention. With a humorous writing style and just enough details to leave you wanting to do more research on your own, Pandora's Jar is a fascinating look at the women of Greek Mythology.

I loved A Thousand Ships, so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. Haynes has given readers something special here: a feminist look at some of Greek mythology's well-known leading ladies. For each, Haynes discusses the stories related to that character, how it's changed between retellings, and how they are perceived culturally and shown in other works of art and media. This gives readers a much more comprehensive look at these famous characters, giving great facts I never heard before, such as Hippolyta's girdle actually being a war belt given to her by her father, Ares, or Medea ending her story with the favor of the Gods despite having just killed her own children. There's a great amount of context and care given to the stories of these ladies, Haynes providing more cultural and linguistic information (the word translated as hope in Pandora's myth not quite meaning that, etc.) that really gives lovers of mythology a new perspective. Haynes has taken women we all usually know from mythology and celebrated their complexity, this is a must read for any lover of mythology (and apparently, so is Euripides).

Thank you to NetGalley for the preprint!
Overall I like the book, it is well sourced and I love the information it contains. It follows the stories and myths surrounding 10 women (or groups of women) from Ancient Greek mythology. With each, the author analyzes the popularly known iteration of the myth and the details that are misunderstood or mistranslated and why (e.g., Pandora opened a jar, not a box, because of a mistranslation, and possibly because a translator mixed up two stories). The author then analyzes the meaning of these changes, and what they say about the differing attitudes of modern and ancient peoples. These analyses are complex, satisfying, and a lot of fun, in my opinion!
The author clearly understands the difference between what a layman would think about the particular myths represented and what a scholar would think. My main issue is not with the content, but the tone. The author clearly wants to project a more irreverent tone than many reference books have, but the tone is inconsistent. It will wildly swing from a formal, informative tone to one of levity and back in the span of a few sentences. I'm sure some people will like this, but I found it disorienting at times. It also might not be helpful for people who are very literal, who may not understand that the jokes are jokes and not to be taken seriously.

When studying Greek myth it can be all too common to get the version of the story that makes the woman look like a complete monster. Case in point, whenever we talk about the evils of the world, it isn't uncommon to hear someone talk about Pandora opening a box and covering the world with chaos. Except that the receptacle was in fact a jar, and Pandora was created to be framed.  Natalie Haynes new book Pandora's Jar explores the most famous women in Greek myth and breaks down their stories for a modern audience.  

Haynes does an incredible job of framing the context of the myths for the time, exploring how they mutated along with new and different writers of plays and poems, and occasionally throws in a more modern pop culture reference to help the reader understand what the experience would have been like for Ancient Greeks.  For readers who enjoy Greek myths, but feel like Medusa got the raw end of the deal, this book is fantastic. You will, however, find out that heroes like Jason were absolute trash to their wives. 

Pandora's Jar is available March 2022 from Harper Perennial.