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  • Pandora's Jar

  • Women in the Greek Myths
  • By: Natalie Haynes
  • Narrated by: Natalie Haynes
  • Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (510 ratings)
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Pandora's Jar

By: Natalie Haynes
Narrated by: Natalie Haynes
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Summary

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

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)

What listeners say about Pandora's Jar

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  • Overall
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Story superb, author reading superb.

Fantastic weaving of myths, which the author, thankfully, dives pretty deep into their myriad roots—would have loved more about Athena and Medusa and their link to the Libyan Amazon triple headed goddess Neith—but perhaps next time ;) The contextualising and calling the myths forward into their modern iterations for a deeper understanding of our western culture is *chef’s kiss* Always a joy when an author reads their texts with a clear love of the work and a microphone presence. Recommended

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8 people found this helpful

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Listen for amazing content, performance &insights

I have one complaint after listening to this book - I've now got to wait for the awesome creative force that is Natalie Haynes to produce and narrate another book. Listen to this for new insights into so many areas, all delivered with her normal wit and humour. She touches on serious points and makes complex arguments accessible.
The performance is superb. Ms Haynes may have very many other things that she would rather be doing, but I sincerely hope that she narrates all future books. I've listened to her other books and there are some great performances by other narrators. But she is in a class of her own.

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4 people found this helpful

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Fascinating and brilliant

I’m not sure how I found this book but I’m very glad I did. An incredibly interesting take on stories we all think we know inside and out. Greek myths focused on the women who feature in them and a re-examination of how we’ve come to see them in today’s world. Also, excellently read by the author Natalie Haynes who does it justice in a way only possible by someone who is deeply knowledgeable and engrossed in the material. Get this book; you’ll be glad you did

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2 people found this helpful

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Superb

I adored this. As a fan of A Thousand Ships and Stands Up For the Classics this encapsulates what makes both of them great. Told with heart, Haynes’ passion and enthusiasm are tangible and its infectious. Heartbreaking at points and funny at others. Can’t stop recommending it to people.

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Not what I thought

I thought this would be the other type of feminist book. The one describing the female Greek gods and maybe telling more f their story/ storylines. It’s just about the mistreatment about women. All about the literature… I almost finished it but…it was hard.

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1 person found this helpful

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Informative, engaging and wildly interesting.

It is clear to see Haynes's love of Greek myth. The author desires to examine the forgotten women of Greek mythology, placing them at the centre of their own stories. She looks to a variety of enlightening sources and proves that stories deserve retelling. Avoid if you are seeking simplistic romanticised versions of myths. This work whilst entertaining, serves primarily to educate.

For those who loved Stephen Fry and want a more expansive and informative version of his work. For those who have found pleasure in the work of Angela Carter.

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fantastic

I'm fairly new to the classics, mainly through Stephen Frys excellent books, so its fascinating to hear another side to the great stories

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1 person found this helpful

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Witty with new perspectives on myths that we share

I simply loved listening to this book with its new perspectives on the (our) ancient mythological heroes and heroines. The enthusiasm of the author who is also the narrator is palpable but also a challenge. You need to be focused to listen to this book but it is never boring and really worth the effort. I will listen and listen again to it and so look forward to be able to see some of the artwork that is mentioned and referred to. If travelling will be possible again. The author spent her lockdown well!

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Fantastic!

I absolutely adored this book! A much needed perspective to any lover of Greek Mythology! Thought provoking and brilliant.

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Medusa. I had never considered her anything other than a monster.

have recommended this book to all my mythology nerds.

Natalie's reading of the book is great.

I'm so pleased this book exists!

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Not a retelling, but a pretelling

women have always been at the heart of Greek mythology but we have slowly edited them out. Haynes puts them back in.

Haynes also has the most wonderful voice to listen to.

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