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Pandora's Jar

Women in the Greek Myths

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Pandora's Jar

By: Natalie Haynes
Narrated by: Natalie Haynes
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About this listen

This audio edition is expertly and enthusiastically read by the author, Natalie Haynes.

The Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories.

Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, from the Trojan War to Jason and the Argonauts. And still, today, a wealth of novels, plays and films draw their inspiration from stories first told almost three thousand years ago. But modern tellers of Greek myth have usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling women’s stories. And when they do, those women are often painted as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora – the first woman, who according to legend unloosed chaos upon the world – was not a villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than generations of retellings might indicate.

Now, in Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, Natalie Haynes – broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist – redresses this imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk. After millennia of stories telling of gods and men, be they Zeus or Agamemnon, Paris or Odysseus, Oedipus or Jason, the voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Natalie Haynes (P)2020 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd
Ancient Europe Greece Literary History & Criticism Mythology Ancient Greece Greek Mythology Witty Funny Thought-Provoking Ancient History

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Critic reviews

"Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of...but read on!" (Margaret Atwood)

"Natalie Haynes is the nation's muse." (Adam Rutherford)

Most relevant  
Excellent narration, thank you Natalie! Thoroughly enjoyed this as an audio book, and it revealed a a different aspect of each of the women featured!

This was fascinating from start to finish!

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Engaging and fascinating overview of women in Greek classical literature. Well narrated by the author. All her books are excellent. Makes me want to read more of these tales.

Excellent

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A wonderful and incredibly insightful look back at some of my favourite myths. Natalie Haynes is a joy to listen to and her delivery is direct, compassionate and funny. I was captivated the entire time.

Incredibe

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I could give or take the classical myths until I was fortunate enough to hear Natlie Haynes. Now, I'm hooked!

stunning, erudite and thoughtfully entertaining

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I love the Greek myths and hugely enjoyed this funny, knowledgeable insight. Definitely recommend it!

Fascinating

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Having read the Greek myths time and time again when growing up, this book and narration by the incredible Natalie Haynes busts the myths! Deep, thoughtful, funny-dry, with the authors ability to capture and keep your attention, this book/audio book is a literary delight. A must read or listen for every woman especially.

Book of the year

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This is brilliant funny, insightful and makes classics so relevant! I loved it and listened to it in two days, I could not get enough of it! An I will listen to it again!

Absolutely loved it!

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Clever and witty a real treat! I cannot recommend this highly enough … go on spoil yourself.

Utterly brilliant

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I knew the author was was an authority on her subject which is why I bought the audio book, and I wasn't disappointed. I learned a lot of interesting things I didn't know before. I also knew Natalie Haynes was a comedian, so I don't know why I was surprised by how much dry humour there was in the book. That was an unexpected pleasure I probably should have seen coming. I expect her expertise in comedy and broadcasting accounts for how beautifully she reads it too.

As well as refocusing the old tales more on the female protagonists, and in doing so often redressing a balance lost only in the intervening centuries, she grounds them firmly and fascinatingly in their cultural legacy today. I really enjoyed her riffs on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Wonder Woman, and Beyoncé, among others. The best bit though is how the women in the myths come alive. Their lives were all really finely realised and absorbing, but the chapter on Medea was mesmerising. It takes some doing to write Medea's story sympathetically, if that's the right word, but I was there with her. I saw Diana Rigg play Euripides' Medea and felt wrung out emotionally afterwards, like everyone else. This, though calmly and rationally expounded felt comparable to that, which is the highest praise I can give it.

Marvellous book. Must read some more of her stuff..

A really interesting and enjoyable read.

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I usually read fiction but wanted to challenge myself, and boy am I glad I found this book. I love learning about Greek mythology so to find Natalie's work was a great step. This book is captivating, emotional and well balanced with a variety of retellings and sources to explain the depth of character that is often glossed over with these iconic women. I look forward to reading more by Natalie, who's humour and comments were a beautiful added touch to the work.

An engaging read to learn more about the classics

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