With a look that would turn men to stone, Medusa has earned her place in Greek mythology as the ruthless Gorgon, with a head of snakes. However, forget all that because Jessica Burton tells a very human story about Medusa, the young girl who is thrust into an adult world at the tender age of fourteen, as she learns to deal with betrayal and abuse as she write her own story. However, Medusa’s severed head does appear in the form of the Gorgoneion, a protective amulet or symbol depicting her face. In Book 5 of the “Iliad,” the Gorgoneion is found on the aegis, a shield or breastplate associated with Zeus and Athena. Medusa was a beautiful young woman pursued by Poseidon until he raped her in Athena’s temple. Athena’s retribution was to punish Medusa and her two sisters by turning them into Gorgons. Stheno and Euryale became immortal winged beings, while Medusa, the mortal sister, with hair replaced by snakes, received a further cruel warning. “ ‘Medusa, listen well. Woe betide any man fool enough to look upon you now!’ ‘What do you mean?’ I whispered, barely able to speak, but Athena saw no need to give me an answer.”

A story that is magical yet tragic and beautiful yet disturbing in its evocative themes, and poignant messaging. A book that is brilliantly conceived, vividly depicted, and expertly written and a book for everyone. Not only is the writing so wonderfully feminist, it is also beautiful. Jessie Burton writes Medusa in such a heartbreaking and (finally) humanising way so that I wanted to weep for this young girl of 18 who had only ever been treated horrendously and subject to misogynistic thinking. I loved Medusa more than I have loved any character in a book for a long time, I am still in awe of how Burton brought her to life so well and made my heart break for her. Smith, William. “Gorgo.” In A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. London: Spottiswoode and Company, 1873. Perseus Digital Library. Accessed April 4, 2021. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DG%3Aentry+group%3D9%3Aentry%3Dgorgo-bio-1. The name Medusa was likely derived from the Greek verb medein (“to guard, protect”). This root also appears in other Greek names, including Medea, Medon, and Diomedes. Pronunciation Strabo, Geography: A late first-century BCE geographical treatise and an important source for many local Greek myths, institutions, and religious practices from antiquity.The image of Medusa’s head can be seen in numerous Greek and subsequent Roman artifacts such as shields, breastplates, and mosaics. One such example of a protective Medusa head pendant appeared in the form of a late 2nd to 4th century AD Roman artifact recently unearthed in the Cambridgeshire countryside . A 2,000-year-old marble head of Medusa was found not too long ago at a former Roman commercial center in Turkey as well. There are also numerous coins that bear not only the imagery of Perseus holding the head of Medusa, but also the head in its own right. The book doesn’t have much of a plot. It’s a Medusa retelling story that follows eight people in an unnamed town. The purpose of having an unknown town is to make it universal. It feels like every small town; you don’t need to know its name. Also, they are invaded by evil alien invaders. Medusa, the daughter of the sea gods Phorcys and Ceto, was the most feared of the Gorgons. It was said that anyone who looked directly at her was immediately turned to stone. Medusa was often depicted as a terrifying winged female with snakes instead of hair. Books about Medusa explore her transformation from a beautiful woman to a terrifying creature and the reasons behind it. Understanding her story can provide insights into jealousy, betrayal, and the consequences of hubris. 7 Books About Medusa (Myths & Legends) Apollodorus, Library: A mythological handbook from the first century BCE or the first few centuries CE. The myths of Medusa and Perseus appear in Book 2.

This book had so many good things covering Medusa’s story. It shows her before Poseidon and Athena: how she was a sailor with her two sisters as divers. This book also shows a strong sisterhood between Stheno, Euyale and Medusa and I absolutely loved the relationship between Stheno and Medusa especially. This book also delved into rape culture, victim blaming and slut shaming- even by other women, acting as an agent for the patriarchy.Medusa and her sisters were called the Gorgons. They lived together in a remote part of the world. According to the seventh-century BCE poet Hesiod, they could be found “beyond glorious Ocean in the frontier land towards Night.” [2] Later sources, however, usually placed them in Libya. [3] Other authors have proposed still more remote dwelling places, including the obscure Gorgonean Plains near Cisthene in Asia Minor [4] and the island of Sarpedon. [5] Appearance

Also, most of the book is told in conversation format. So a lot of the significant events in Medusa’s mythos don’t actually *happen* in this book - Medusa just talks about when they happened. It was an interesting stylistic choice, and perhaps it works for some, but not for me - it made me a little bored, to be honest. (Very literal example of someone TELLING and not SHOWING). Virgil: In the epic the Aeneid (19 BCE), Medusa and the Gorgons are included among the monsters living at the outskirts of the Underworld (6.287ff). The novel advocates a woman’s position, a woman wronged, and a journey to discover herself and find acceptance for what she has become. At one level, this can be interpreted as a feminist opportunity to illustrate the power of women and the deceit of men. Still, I instead wanted to see this through the lens of a dazzling tragedy of humanity. Athena somehow cursed Medusa, changing her head that she was so jealous of into venomous snakes. From that moment forward, anyone who dared to glance at Medusa’s face would be instantly petrified. The head of Medusa helped the hero to accompany several other missions, for instance. After this, Perseus flew away via Hermes’ sandals or Pegasus, setting course for Seriphus. But he had several other exciting events before returning to the island. Although Perseus may be at the center of these stories, it could be argued that it is the transformative powers of Medusa’s severed head that played a pivotal role in the hero’s subsequent adventures.Chris Ofili’s The Riddle of the Sphinx, from Charlotte Higgins’s Greek Myths: A New Retelling. Illustration: Chris Ofili Haynes speaks in many voices. Brief sections admit us to each of the principal characters’ points of view; others are narrated by a crow, an olive grove and the snakes on Medusa’s head. Her narrative encompasses a war between the gods and giants, earthquakes and floods and the passage of aeons of time. Her focus, though, remains sharp and her message clear. The prose is beautiful and unambiguous in keeping with the author’s intention to make this story accessible to a younger audience. Therefore, this might not read as comprehensive or complex as similar retellings featuring strong female protagonists from the Greek myths. Both young and older readers will find this a captivating read, not overly long but deeply thought-provoking.The full-color illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill are stunning and I could spend hours just poring over them. This is a beautiful edition that I’m happy to be adding to my personal collection.

Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica 4.828ff; Eustathius on Homer’s Odyssey 12.85; scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica 4.828; scholia on Plato’s Republic 9, 588c. However, other sources gave Scylla different parents. ↩ I cannot praise the exceptionally written narrative and beautifully lyrical prose without mentioning the stunning illustrations by Olivia Lomenech-Gill. They truly bring Medusa and her story to life, I was honestly mesmerised by how hauntingly beautiful they were. Even if you are not a lover of Greek Mythology the chances are extremely high that you will at least have heard of the infamous Gorgon named Medusa.Apollonius of Rhodes: The third-century CE epic Argonautica describes the venomous vipers of the Sahara as the offspring of Medusa (4.1505ff). The art was beautiful, and this book had so much promise for me - but unfortunately fell very flat.