Pandora's Jar
Women in the Greek Myths
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Pandora's Jar
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Narrated by:
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Natalie Haynes
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By:
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Natalie Haynes
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 LtdCritic 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)
What listeners say about Pandora's Jar
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 18-05-2024
great book, well read
It's not often I find myself clapping at the end of a book, but here I am! Pandora's Jar is highly informative, very funny, wonderfully written, and beautifully read. I loved everything about it, from the multiple sources, to the diving deep into meanings, to the connections from the past and into today. A must read! Bought the paperback too so I can go back to different parts and re-read...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Saskia Lane
- 29-10-2020
An amazing book
This is a beautifully written piece that perfectly challenges normal societal views regarding women in classics. Natale Haynes presents the women in ways, and with so much passion, that you will fall in love with them. The book includes many aspects to reflect upon and after finishing the book, I cannot wait to start it again.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 08-10-2024
Unique assessment and modern interpretation of classic stories
I loved the unique insight Natalie offers. She really knows her subject and explains things in such an interesting and modern way. Exploring these classic Greek stories through a modern feminist lens was fascinating. Great book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 22-10-2024
Passionate Author
Natalie Haynes is a truely remarkable author! Her deep love for the classics shines through every page, and her dedication to showcasing the female perspective in these timeless myths is inspiring. I can't wait to dive into the rest of her works!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Emma
- 13-05-2021
A stunning work of non fiction.
This was not what I expected, it was so much more! I rushed to listen to this straight after reading Haynes’ “A thousand ships” and was pleasantly surprised that this book is much more than a retelling of these classic stories. It is also an intelligent and beautiful feminist insight into these complex and often overlooked characters. The pop culture references throughout were also a welcome addition! A witty and informative work of non-fiction narrated beautifully by the author.
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- Tracey
- 20-12-2022
I'm loving this author
These are my new favorite books and all the better when narrated by the author Natalie Haynes. Ive been only vaguely familiar with the Greek myths and legends, I'm so pleased my first proper introduction was with a feminist lens
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- S.Attenborough
- 20-04-2022
Excellent
Just entirely, magnificently, superbly and unremittingly excellent. The best book for me in 2022…thank you!!
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- S. Seeney
- 20-05-2022
very enjoyable listen and very well written
The idea of looking at the legends from the bronze age has given me many enjoyable hours. Natalie Haynes books are very engrossing, you can see the people before you. The narration is beautifully done. This is the second book by Ms Haynes that I have bought and I am going looking for more. Also I have ordered them in physical book form, as that is what I do when a book really pulls me in.
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- Anonymous User
- 04-10-2022
Glorious
Smirked quietly to myself through the entire reading of this intelligent book. Natalie's writing is smart, acerbic and twinkles with humour, rather like the female characters in her retelling of these Greek myths.
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- Jessica
- 09-07-2023
An excellent way to spend 9.5 hours of your life
Wow! I love Greek mythology and have just finished reading Hesiod’s Theogony, I found it interesting but it didn’t give me the broad understanding of myths (and how they tie together) that I was hoping for, plus it was pretty dismissive of women as a whole. Then this popped up in some search results, I listened to the audible sample and was HOOKED. Fantastically told, well-woven, clever and so funny. The author has the perfect voice and it was a joy to hear her read her work. I’m off to buy every single book she has written!
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