Oh I really wanted to enjoy this one. I love modern takes on Greek and Roman myth, and I’ve liked Natalie Haynes. But I just couldn’t with this one. While the descriptions of art and sculpture were well done, they occupy way too much space. If you took them out you’d be left with nearly nothing. There’s a weird balance between vaguely alluding to pop culture elements she assumes we all know, and hyper-overexplainign other pieces of pop culture (I did not need a multi-page breakdown of the plot of Hunger Games while it took me hours to realize the author was referring actual existing Athena Barbie dolls). I wanted some sort of thesis or argument we were following and I thought we’d see it in the ways in which we can see the masculine creation of feminine counterparts but that through line just sort of disappeared. Fabulously researched but not my jam.

I always love Natalie Haynes. She makes me want to read so much Greek Mythology. I love her perspective and her focus on the women in these stories. Her writing is so easy for me and flows so well.

When I read Natalie Haynes’ Pandora’s Jar last year, I absolutely loved it so it made sense to round out my unintended non-fiction November reading with her latest book, Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth. Once again, Haynes explores the depictions of female figures in Greek mythology. While Pandora’s Jar looked at predominantly mortal, human figures, Divine Might focuses exclusively on goddesses and primarily those among the Olympians. But where Pandora’s Jar focused on how those mortal women were depicted and interpreted in their own time and how that’s evolved in the millennia since, Divine Might doesn’t feel like it goes as far in looking at how our understandings or portrayals of these goddesses have been impacted by time. It’s much more focused on what their depictions in ancient Greece (and Rome) can tell us about how those who worshiped them understood and interacted with them. And while that’s still important, it wasn’t what I’d been hoping for or expecting after Pandora’s Jar.

Women and power often have a fraught history within patriarchal societies and ancient Greece was nothing if not patriarchal. So, what does that mean for the goddesses that the society worshiped? From the Muses to the Furies and the various Olympian goddesses in between, the power they were supposed to have and how they wielded it demonstrated that they were – in many ways – exempt from the rules that applied to human women. But those exemptions came with caveats and limitations – they were the exceptions that prove the rule in more cases than naught. And the ways that they are often remembered, with Hera as vengeful towards Zeus’ victims or Demeter as helplessly grief stricken, Hestia forgotten at the fringes or full of contradictions like Artemis, is an oversimplification that erases elements of their stories, especially as they relate to their divine roles and power.

Perhaps it’s because the little bit of classics/mythology I had in school were so focused on the gods and goddesses and what they were each associated with, but I felt far more familiar with the myths and tales referenced in Divine Might compared to Pandora’s Jar. Some of the pop culture references (especially early in the book) weren’t as familiar to me, but they also didn’t enhance my understandings of the goddesses the way the references in Pandora’s Jar did (I truly went in thinking this would be the same analytical lens as before, but applied to the goddesses rather than mortal figures). In Pandora’s Jar there was more focus on contrasting the modern with the classical rather than highlighting the consistencies. So much time was spent directly in the text of those classical plays and poems, analyzing the historic contemporary portrayal and their sub-textual meanings. I’d been expecting more time tracing how different goddesses have fallen in and out of favor through the centuries, how we understand and think of them now compared to then. Because of this, the pop culture references felt disconnected from the actual analysis. What does it say that the Athena of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series is a mother to a demigod when the classical goddess was notoriously uninterested in sexual relationships or motherhood? What would Aphrodite (Venus) make of becoming the poster-girl for women’s razors? Why wasn’t Persephone given a chapter of her own rather than having an extended tangent on her experience of her kidnapping and rape in the chapter about Demeter and her grief (and rage) over the loss of her daughter (especially with the surge of popular re-imaginings of the Persephone/Hades dynamic in the last decade or two that Haynes, understandably, finds problematic)?

The Artemis and Hestia chapters were probably my favorites because they appeared to be the most difficult to pull together, the former because of all the inherent contradictions in how she’s portrayed/understood and the latter because she tends to be so passive that she’s left out and overlooked ninety percent of the time. I also enjoyed Haynes’ analysis of these two along with Athene as far as the different ways they hold to a shared determination to remain unmarried and childless (especially as goddesses in a society where young women had almost no options beyond becoming wives and mothers). I would have liked a bit more of an examination of if and how popular perceptions of these (and the other) goddesses have been affected by the women’s rights and feminist movements of the last two centuries. Or of the differences that arise when they’re portrayed (in painting, literature, film, etc.) by men versus women. There are hints of something along those lines throughout the book but there isn’t the same kind of unifying interpretive thread running through the chapters the way there was in Pandora’s Jar. Instead of the interpretive lens bringing the figures together, it is primarily their status as goddesses giving this collection a sense of cohesion.

Natalie Haynes is one of my favorite authors, so I was initially excited to read this book when I first saw it. But this took me so long to read, putting me into a reading slump. Each chapter was supposed to focus on the goddesses in context, but there was such a large focus on the male characters in each story it felt like the goddess was forgotten in her own chapter. I'm not sure if this was to emphasize her point that these goddesses were constructed by the men who orated about them or not. But it was increasingly frustrating. There were also very long descriptions of various plots and pieces of art. I hope that images of the art pieces are included in the final print because I couldn't always follow the description I was reading. I find that this is the weakest in Haynes's catalog but still better than other similar books I've read.

Natalie Haynes is such an interesting author: she is able to present highly-researched and detail-oriented retellings of her subject matter while also being relevant and funny, relating the stories of 2,000 years ago to the stories of today. This is my second nonfiction book by her and I really enjoy her writing style and passion for the classics. And of course the little reference jokes that only fellow nerds might get.

Thank you to NetGalley, Natalie Haynes, and Harper Perennial for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book tried by this author. Wanted to give this one a try especially since Greek mythology is usually presented in a very dry, basic manner. Unfortunately this one didn't do it for me. May not be the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am going to wait for the day that Natalie Haynes writes a book that deserves less than five stars, however, I believe I will sooner witness Hel freeze over.

This, along with each of NH's previous works, is a MASTERPIECE. Divine Might is telling/informative but it's funny and full of humor, it is what 14/15-year-old me wished she could had have in school to make learning more interesting without facts being so mundane and brain-meltingly-boring. I just finished it and I'm already excited to read it once again to see what I may have missed the first time. I don't think I've ever highlighted so much on my Kindle. This was absolutely spectacular.

Stone Blind is still by favorite book to be written, but Divine Might is certainly in the honorary mentions category!

I loved this follow up to Pandora's Jar! This book describes the major and minor Greek goddesses and as with Pandora's Jar, it provides a feminist spin on well-known myths. I really appreciate the breadth and depth of Haynes's knowledge of ancient Greece and the modern spins on the goddesses discussed. Her descriptions of both literature and art are equally illuminating, and her humor is fantastic.

I highly recommend this to readers with an interest in Greek mythology and a writer who likes to take down the patriarchy a notch or two.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

You will learn a lot from Divine Might, laughing out loud the entire time. Natalie Hayne’s latest contemporary and feminist interpretation and critique of women in Greek myth (focusing on Olympic goddesses and the Furies) is insightful, wry, and clever. When she hits full gallop on her subject—which happens frequently—it is a rollicking ride. She is a gifted teacher—always speaking to the reader, not listening to herself talk—but sometimes it still feels like she is breaking a fourth wall with a clever aside or self-aware observation. She tackles the rampant sexism (and sexual assault) of Greek myth and literature head on, pithily summing up the moral of the story (to wit, “Don’t pretend to be less than you are to make a mediocre man feel better.”). She can invoke Playmobil and pop culture with the same facility as explaining the subtleties of translations of ancient Greek and contextualizing the rise of Christianity. Highly recommend.

This book is another great look at Greek mythology from Natalie Haynes. I really enjoy how the author approaches her discussions of the goddesses she's chosen, adding much needed context and reappraisal of many of these characters. I also liked the variety she chose; we get the typical Athene and Artemis chapters that you may expect to see, while also getting discussions about goddesses like Demeter and Hestia that are less commonly seen in their own right and not attached to another myth. I was particularly interested in Hestia, as all I knew about her was from the little that she features in the Percy Jackson series. Haynes has a fantastic wit in her writing style that makes her books engaging and fun to read, while also dropping a lot of knowledge. It is obvious she knows her stuff, and it's refreshing to hear about this mythos from a female pov.

I’ve loved everything Natalie Haynes has ever written, and this is no exception. As a person, I tend to gravitate toward fiction more right now, but when I saw she’d written this book, exploring how the goddesses, muses and furies might look through a more femicentric framing, I knew I had to read it.

Haynes takes a topic that could be considered stodgy and makes it come to life, interspersing original text with pop culture references. Her prose is incredibly accessible, and if you ever get the chance to hear her narrate her own work as an audiobook, you should do it. I’d be willing to bet this book would be no exception.

The women and goddesses have long gotten the short end of all kinds of historical interpretations. Hera is a jealous shrew, Demeter is a controlling mother, Aphrodite is vapid and punitive. But by considering that maybe Hera might (just might!) have reason to not trust Zeus farther than she could throw him and that the women who worshipped Hera would have been women with very little power in their own marriages to potentially volatile men, Haynes is able to take a great deal of the misogyny out of the myths and make the argument that these goddesses have been misrepresented by male authors through history. And better yet, she does so with a tongue in cheek wit that I can’t help but enjoy.

Each chapter reads almost as it’s own short story, focusing on one goddess, and lays out what is said about her previously, then looking at those original texts more critically and coming up with something better and more compelling. I particularly enjoyed look at Artemis and the Furies.

In some ways, this reminded me of a nonfiction version of Wake Siren (which was a femicentric retelling of Ovid’s Metamorphosis).

If you’ve enjoyed Greek retellings in the past and enjoy personable, accessible nonfiction, there’s no question to me that you’d enjoy this book as much as I did.

Natalie Haynes's Divine Might is a wonderful novel that reads like your friend who studied classics and Greek mythology is telling you a bunch of stories. Separated into chapters focusing on a goddess (or group of goddesses in the cases of the muses and the furies), Haynes makes a deep dive into what makes these women tick, who they are, where they came from, and why they did the things they (supposedly) did.

As a fan of Haynes's retelling of the Trojan War, A Thousand Ships, I was eager to read Divine Might. While I am not ordinarily a nonfiction reader, Divine Might does not feel like nonfiction. The mythology inherently allows it to straddle the line between the real and imagined, and Haynes does a great job of pulling you in and making you want to hear the stories about each powerful woman or group of women.

Any lover of Greek (or Roman) mythology is sure to enjoy this book.

Natalie Haynes has done it again ! After capturing my attention with Pandora’s Jar she has fanned the flames of my reignited Greek mythos obsession with Divine Might . This title will be the perfect read for those already in love with mythology and looking to take a feminist lens to some old favorite stories.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the stories about the women really kept me interested and made me see them in a different light, especially Hera. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

Natalie Haynes brings humor and modern metaphor to ancient myths. The way characters are discussed in Divine Might makes even gods and goddesses feel like they are flawed and human. This sequel to Pandora's Jar takes a look at goddesses from Greek mythology, analyzes them through a modern and feminist lens, and asks the question of why we view female characters the way we do. Is it really them or a male dominated society viewing powerful women differently from men? This book perfectly encapsulates the line between academic reading and a fun non-fiction read. Divine Might and all of Natalie Haynes' work is perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and other Greek Mythology based media. From the beloved Muses to the feared Hera, this book covers the goddesses you thought you knew in an all new and enlightening way!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I loved Pandora’s Jar so I was incredibly excited to be chosen to receive this ARC! The author brings the same wit and excellent research to the topic of goddesses and I enjoyed every minute.

I often struggle with nonfiction reads but it’s certain now that I’ll enjoy anything this author puts out

This is a great take on goddesses and another well written novel from Haynes. Her prose is so descriptive and informative on Greek mythology. I just love the little notes of humor she puts in between the essays and the range of information we get to learn on different goddesses. Overall, a great book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy.

I was confused through the first two chapters, as I assumed it was a fiction book. Once I went back and clarified, it was in fact, non-fiction, it made much more sense. Obviously a huge amount of research went into this piece. I enjoyed the premise but the layout and outline wasn't for me.

This is another great book from Haynes. Her signature wit and sarcastic asides and stories always make for entertaining reading. This time we explore the most famous goddesses in Greek mythology. Each essay gives us just enough backstory, anecdotes, and insight, while definitely leaving me wanting more. I honestly would have read twice the number of words on Hera, Artemis, and Athena. This is a must-read for anyone that loves Greek mythology.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed this book and the authors take on the different goddesses. I really liked how she talked about all the mythology, and even about the art involving these women. I also enjoyed how the author talked about these women as complex beings, having feelings and how their emotions sometimes played into their actions. also, how the author brings this old mythology into current times with movie and books I found extremely interesting. this book is definitely very female focused however, there is a smattering of mention of the gods and other prominent characters in mythology. Excellent book for anyone who is looking for a female focused view on Greek and Roman mythology.