Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths

I was drawn to the book because of my enthusiasm for 'Natalie Haynes Stands Up For The Classics' and my only partial knowledge of Greek mythology. I particularly liked the sections dealing with Medusa, Phaedra and Medea. Natalie Haynes nicely mixed the recounting of the tales in ancient Greece with insights into more modern treatments. Her scholarship is lightly worn. If at times I found it difficult to follow all the relationships between the the women and others, my reading of the book was eased by the lightness of touch and clarity of the writing. As Mark Haddon wrote on the dust jacket, books about Greek myths are not meant to be this enjoyable.

Well, after reading "Pandora's" section of the book, I'm not happy. I was expecting a story similar to Circe. Instead it's a woman babbling on about past stories of Pandora 😭 gutted.Time to put it back on the shelf and move on.

Few writers combine such erudition with so accessible a style and so broad a range of apt popular culture references. This book is a complete delight and Natalie Haynes one of the most skilled and compelling popularisers of classics. I learned a lot and loved every minute.

Quite a few writers nowadays are addressing the classical world from a broadly feminist perspective, but Natalie Haynes is, in my view, in a class of her own. A Thousand Ships is a great retelling of the Troy story; this book focuses on a number of iconic Hellene women, and manages to make us think about each of them in ways that we (OK I) haven't before. Read the book, listen to her on BBC Sounds.

I love Natalie Haynes' writing, and her radio show 'Stand up for the Classics". This is a great addition, very interesting and well researched. I wish it had more illustrations but I just Google the particular art she is referring to and look it while I am reading Natalie talk about it, which adds to the enjoyment.I highly recommend The Children of Jocasta by the same author.