Thank you, NetGalley, Natalie Haynes, and Harper Perennial for the opportunity to read this book! It will be released on March 29th, 2022.

"To some people, a woman with power and a voice is always a monster. And for some of these people, death and disfigurement are an appropriate response to such women."

Pandora's Jar

I have read Natalie Hayne's previous book, A Thousand Ships and while it wasn't my favorite mythology retelling, I still enjoyed it. When I found out she wrote a nonfiction book about the women of Greek mythology, I knew I would have to read it. Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes discusses 10 famous women of Greek mythology: Pandora, Jocasta, Helen, Medusa, The Amazons, Clytemnestra, Eurydice, Phaedra, Medea, and Penelope. Pandora is the bible equivalent to Eve. Instead of eating the apple from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, she is tempted by the contents of the jar. Jocasta is from the tale of Oedipus while she is sensible and outspoken she is not safe from the will of the gods. Helen of Troy is the face that launched a thousand ships, but is she truly the reason for Troy's demise? Medusa is always seen as a monster, but she is really more than that. The Amazons were female warriors and were the reverse of the male-dominated Greek society. Clytemnestra has the most heartbreaking story but is viewed as what a wife should not be. Eurydice and Orpheus are one of the more tragic love stories in Greek mythology. Phaedra is the stepmother from Hell. When one hears the saying, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," that could easily mean Medea. Penelope is viewed as the perfect and most loyal wife even if her husband isn't. The author dives into each story and discusses how these women reflect the views of society.

There is no doubt that this book is extremely well-researched. The author pulls from many sources and versions of the myths. She also discusses current media and compares them to the first sources. We see how women are viewed in Greek society but also if society has changed. While she breaks down each tale, we see that these women were stronger and more clever than even the Greeks made them out to be. It is about time that these tales are told from the woman's perspective and broken down so we could see what they were going through. These women lived in a male-dominated society and did what they could to survive. When they chose to step outside the parameters of society they were often vilified.

I did like the format of this book, as it breaks down each tale. However, it still relied heavily on the men. There were times when the author would go off on a bit of a tangent. It would take a minute before she would work her way back to the point she would be making. However, I could not help but smile because her passion is palpable. She even included some sarcasm that made me laugh out loud. Overall, those who are interested in an analysis of women in mythology will love this book. I rate this 4 out of 5 stars.

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