| Title | : | Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0063377098 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780063377097 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 259 |
| Publication | : | First published September 28, 2023 |
Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth Reviews
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4.5⭐️
“Not only did the ancient Greeks seem to have modelled gods in their mortal image, but they apparently chose their worst selves as the template.”
Having read and loved
Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes, I was eager to read the author’s latest work of non-fiction and I was not disappointed! Meticulously researched, factual, informative, and laced with the author’s insightful observations and trademark wit, Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth is an immersive read.
While most existing texts (and much of the inspired art) depict female characters from the Greek myths predominantly from the male perspective which, though interesting, can certainly feel (on occasion) unidimensional, the author allows us to explore each of the goddesses and their myth with a fresh interpretation of their gifts and motivations, vices, and their lasting impact on the modern world. As the author states in her brilliant introduction, ” Women can now make art, and we require no one’s permission. We can create our own stories of all those gods and monsters and –if we choose –make them in our image.”
My favorites were the chapters on The Muses, Hestia, Demeter and The Furies but I did enjoy the remaining chapters on Hera, Athene, Artemis and Aphrodite as well. Referencing several sources, the author delves deep into the characters, their stories from the myths and how their stories have inspired various art forms all around the world ranging from paintings and sculptures and artifacts to movies, music and much more.
Please note that this is not a “retelling” but a series of discussions about the goddesses in Greek Myth drawn from various existing sources with the author’s observations interwoven throughout the chapters.
Many thanks to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for the digital review copy of Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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The StoryGraph -
If oxen and lions and horses had hands like men, and could draw and make works of art, horses would draw gods like horses, and oxen like oxen, and each would draw pictures of the gods as if they had bodies like their own.
But what would the goddess-lionesses look like?
This one was much better than I expected!
"When women make art like men do, their goddesses look divine."
A nonfiction mythology about Goddesses and this time written and interpreted by a woman, "Women can now make art, and we require no one’s permission. We can create our own stories of all those gods and monsters, and –if we choose –make them in our image."
At first, I thought might enjoy the author's viewpoint on goddesses but as as I kept reading, I began to wonder how often my own opinions matched hers.
After the introduction and the Muses chapter, the first goddess is Hera. The one who was always pictured as a jealous wife and wily. Of course, I had a problem with that, for sake, we are talking about Zeus, what else she could do?!
"Beautiful, jealous, destructive, comical: the peacock was the perfect match for Hera, the goddess everyone loves to hate. Before we go any further, I should explain that I do not love to hate her."
Me too, and yes, she has been misrepresented.
The next two goddesses are Aphrodite and Artemis. I like the description of Natalie Haynes of Artemis, she never really was the protector of animals or girls!
Demeter is one of my favorites, the way she turns the world upside down as no gods or goddesses could calm her down for the sake of her daughter.
"Not knowing the fate of a loved one is a catastrophic double loss, where imagination forces those left behind to grieve again and again."
Hestia, the oldest Kronos child in many references also does not have many tales.
"She is the heart of your home and mine, the heart of our cities and temples alike. She is our warm homecoming, our baked bread, our light in the dark."
The last one is tricky, I always find myself questioning whether I love or hate her. It's funny that the author also seems to struggle with this character's complexity. Athene, the goddess of wisdom, sometimes behaves like an eight-year-old child. I've also never seen her as a female favoritism...
"She does tend to prefer men, even if she isn’t keen to have sex with one; she doesn’t tend to support women...
Athene doesn’t hate competitiveness, she loves it. What she hates – above all else – is losing."
The final chapter discusses the role of the Furies in ancient mythology and why they were needed.
"If clear water is tainted by filth, you’ll never find a drink.
Advice we might all do well to remember next time someone tells us that, for example, a certain amount of corruption in politics is to be expected."
My huge thanks to Pan Macmillan for giving me a chance to read Divine Might (Goddesses in Greek Myth) by Natalie Haynes via NetGalley. I have given my honest review. -
The introductions to Greek goddesses in this book are more heavily tied to pop culture than I anticipated, so I'm shelving this for now. Will perhaps revisit at another date.
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It's no secret that I'm a fan of both mythology and this author so when she announced that she'd be writing / publishing a book about the female gods of Greek mythology, I had to get it of course!
We thus axamine how the world has seen and still does see 9 goddesses:
the muses, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Hestia, Athene and the furies.
That we look at these and 9 in total is no accident since the muses themselves number 9 in total (except for in the Disney movie).
I like that the author, while obviously taking a modern and feminist view on things, is never militantly feminist but simply points out mistakes in translations, questionable choices made in how stories are told and later modifications, as well as overall sexist differences in viewing the male gods/heroes but not the female ones.
This books does not claim to be the one book to tell you all about the Greek pantheon. Rather, it expects you to already know at least a little about them (even if it is through pop culture, Haynes isn't discriminating against movie lovers) and then points out a few interesting details. What you take away from it is up to you.
As I've come to expect from this author, the writing flows nicely, what we're told/shown is never boring and literally listening to the author (Haynes narrates the audiobook version herself) was absolutely nice because she has such a wonderful voice and is a total nerd, which is nothing short of endearing. :D
Total recommendation! -
As much as I have loved all of Natalie Haynes’ previous work, I have to say that the amount of unnecessary, suuuper dated and irrelevant pop culture references and jokes that dont always land makes this book seem like a desperate attempt to make greek myths seem “relevant” (they are, we don’t need such a desperate reassurance) and “cool with the kids”, a treatment that tthey neither need nor deserve. The book just ends up feeling cringe and desperate at times, which truly ruins the enjoyment of some amazing analysis of ancient greek mythology, history and philology. Truly a shame that the author seemed to feel that that wasn’t enough. I truly hate to give this book such a low rating.
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4/5
Look at the great gifts the gods have given you, Athene's tapestry proclaims. Arachne's response is very detailed in its execution, but very simple in its message: the price is too high.
This was absolutely amazing! With immeasurable skill and wit, Haynes takes us through a fascinating journey of Greek goddesses and their lasting effects on our modern world. She questions the very structures of their myths when they have only been recorded by men, develops why this perception is so fundamental in how we understand these myths now, and uses modern media to parallel her points. Every moment of this book is so interesting.
It's blatantly clear how knowledgeable and intelligent Haynes is, yet she always keeps it accessible. You could read this book without having any knowledge at all of Greek mythology, Haynes does such a brilliant job of this whilst also making it absorbing for a more seasoned Greek mythology reader/enjoyer.
I highly recommend this book if you have any interest at all in Greek mythology. Haynes covers a vast array of goddesses and pulls from various texts to tell their stories in a very fluid way, making sure to still tell them with immense detail and understanding. This is an amazing chapter of learning in a nonfiction comprehension of feminist Greek mythology reclamations. -
Ultimate girl crush (not sure if that’s the goddesses or Natalie Haynes)
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So this is non-fiction account of female figures in Greek myth in that it uses examples both ancient and modern to flesh out our favourite goddesses/major figures. These are Natalie Haynes favourites that she'd like in a modern pantheon.
There were some minor parts that had me a little lost but on the whole I loved this book. It was smart and funny and a massive amount of research has obviously gone into it.
We all have our favourites and I'd have loved to see the Gorgons in there but at least we had The Furies and since I am reading House of Odysseus by Claire North as well the two dovetailed beautifully giving me a second look at Athena, Aphrodite, Hera etc. We also get a look at less showy goddesses eg Hestia and Demeter.
There are lots of feminist re-tellings of Greek myth - some good, some not so much - but this just gives you the concrete "facts" surrounding these women.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in Greek myth.
Thanks to Netgalley and Picador for the advance review copy. -
If we have learned nothing else from myths, folklore and fairy tales, we should at least know this. If an old woman approaches you and asks for anything, or suggests anything, you always, always say yes, and thank you very much for asking. There is an almost zero chance that she is an actual old lady and not a goddess, a witch or an enchantress in disguise. You either change your offending behaviour immediately or – and this is the best-case scenario – you find yourself stuck in a castle full of singing furniture, with one erratic houseplant your only hope of salvation.
Natalie Haynes names Dido “one of the greatest broken hearts in ancient poetry,” and boy was that a throwback! I took Latin as one of my subjects on the BAC exam and got a fragment from Book Four of Virgil’s Aeneid—the tragic story of Dido, abandoned by her lover Aeneas when he leaves Carthage for Italy. I was asked to write an essay and give it a title. To this day, I think the teachers correcting my paper must have liked my essays enough to ignore a possibly wrong answer I gave to one of the multiple-choice questions. I got a 10/10. The title was “Procella Amoris.” -
4.5/5 stars
as an avid lover of greek mythology (obviously!) of course I enjoyed this. but let’s be real, it is so incredibly saturated in our western society. year after year there are a dozen books published relating to it in some way or another and dare I say……. most of them aren’t very good…
when I find an author that can successfully take on the gauntlet of these ancient stories, I take note of it.
it’s one thing to recount greek myths but if who can provide new insights and perspectives I haven’t thought of.. that’s when it’s really special. I mean, isn’t that the whole point of stories that continuously are told?
loved this. can’t wait to read everything else this author has and will write. -
Really insightful and well put together look at the Greek Goddesses and how they've been shaped by a male gaze, as well as their influence on current day culture, art, music and film. Obviously I personally loved the chapters on Artemis and the obvious link with Katniss Evergreen, but also the more thought provoking discussion around Aphrodite and Athene and their lasting legacies. Throughout there's this discussion about loosing your voice bring the most powerless thing that can happen to an individual - being turned into a cow or deer for example, but also again this idea that women were constantly without a voice or opinion.
I always love Natalie Haynes writing, whether it's fiction or non fiction she has such an eloquent way of putting her opinion across in a way that educates without sounding condescending. For someone such as myself who really enjoys Greek and Roman mythology, I still came away with new perspectives and ideas and overall it just makes the myths feel exciting and fresh again. Highly recommend. -
The male gods are always the star of the show. Or have been until Haynes came along to shake things up.
Haynes shares the goddesses side of the story, both major and minor. She shares their strengths and weaknesses and shows why we love or despise them.
Haynes writes (and narrates the audiobook) with humour and wit that has you laughing at centuries old mythology and modern culture references and perceptions.
She makes this relevant for modern readers by describing films that depict characters from Greek mythology including Xanadu and the Disney cartoon Hercules. She talks about comic books and how other popular characters take inspiration from Greek mythology.
Bookstagram -
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes is a cool look at history and women in Greek mythology. I loved her novel A Thousand Ships and I especially enjoyed seeing this piece of non-fiction that focuses on women. I found myself particularly hooked on the segments on The Muses, Demeter, and Artemis. I was also pleasantly surprised by how interested I was in the section on Hera which probably does most of the heavy lifting. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future. -
Haynes at her best. Lesser-known figures and myths alike, this was a sharp, modern analysis of the goddesses, yet a very readable (listenable?) length.
I very much enjoyed the sidelong cutting remarks Haynes put into the audiobook, not sure if they're present in the written book the same way. -
I loved this so much.
Literally no notes, this was an incredible dive into some of the women in Greek Mythology. -
i enjoyed this deep dive on these selected Goddesses. My favorite was the section on Demeter. I love Natalie Hayne's writing and sense of humor.
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Special thanks to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for allowing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is the first book I’ve read by Natalie Haynes but let me tell you, it will definitely NOT be my last! Natalie’s writing is playful while being jammed packed with facts. You’re learning, but also having fun and giggling while doing it! I have a feeling I could listen to her lectures and seminars with the same amount of excitement because you sense the jovial tone she likes to set, even when speaking on tough information.
I have always been a huge Mythology nerd, and Greek Mythology is right up my alley. More than most people, I have heard these tales over and over again, read them ad nauseum while studying for my Art History degree, and every blue moon I’d go down the proverbial Wikipedia K-Hole when I wonder about a very specific and minute issue within the mythology stories. With that all said, I could read and reread Natalie’s text about them and still feel the joy of hearing them for the first time.
I appreciate Natalie’s perspective concerning these myths. Like most art and history, they are shown through the male gaze. While that isn’t a bad thing necessarily, it does mean that half the population don’t get to understand texts from their point of view. Natalie GIVES us that point of view, and WOW does she! It truly is one of my favorite scholarly texts I have read, and even better, it reads like a story.
If you’re into mythology and want a fresh, contemporary view of the Greek pantheon…check this book out! Even if you’ve heard the stories before, come enjoy the text for the laughs alone. Seriously! This one made me giggle! 101/10! -
I read this earlier on in the year, but new I had to read it again as there’s a lot of information packed in this book that is interesting and new for me.
This is a nonfiction that takes a closer look at some of the female immortals in Greek myths.
I like how Natalie Haynes puts the Muses and the Furies alongside others, which include Athena, Aphrodite and Hera.
I also like how Hestia is included. Haynes points out that Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, has very few heroic stories about her and so is barely remembered.
I also take to books that make me look at things another way, here it was Athena. Until now, I’ve never been sure about Athena for her spite to turn Arachne into a spider and playing with Ajax’s sanity.
In short, this is the book wish I had to hand when reading Homer, Ovid and Euripides was daunting. However, my journey has not ended and I can see myself reading this again several more times. -
Natalie Haynes regresa a la no ficción en este libro, que toca la historia de varias diosas griegas populares, explorando sus orígenes y contrastándolos con otros mitos que se conocen de ellas. Si bien sigue el formato de Pandora's Jar, siento que en esta ocasión se enfoca mucho más en intentar que empatices con las diosas y generes emociones hacia aquellas que tal vez no conocías. Me pasó que he logrado empatizar increíblemente con Hera y Deméter, a pesar de que la cultura popular a veces no las pone como las buenas de la historia. Me encantó conocer la importancia de Hestia, sobre todo el hecho que los romanos la pusieran en un mayor nivel de importancia cuando adoptaron a los dioses griegos.
Pero siento que algunos capítulos me dejaron mucho que desear, como el de Afrodita. Tanto ese capítulo y el de las musas los sentí muy llenos de referencias a la cultura popular actual, y por momentos eso hacía que pierda el hilo de la historia.
En general, he disfrutado muchísimo de la escritura y narración (porque escuché el audiolibro) de Natalie, y definitivamente es una autora que seguiré leyendo. -
A lot of these conclusions seemed not only obvious to a 21st century reader but they are also expressed in a very try-hard way. I understand it’s for more casual readers, but I still found it neither insightful nor particularly clever. As someone who has studied a lot of these texts it was quite bland and meandering.
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Intelligent, Witty, and informative!
I love Natalie's ability to connect with each of the deities and themes. She is able to seamlessly connect the ideas to modern references which I find fascinating.
One star was removed for such an abrupt ending (I seriously thought there was going to be at least another chapter!). -
I adore Haynes's style and her humor is *chef's kiss*. This was a really fun and educational read about how these Greek goddesses were perceived in the ancient world, how they've been portrayed in media, and how we view them now. Highly recommend!
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Synopsis;
Natalie Haynes, author of the bestselling Pandora’s Jar, returns to the world of Greek myth and this time she examines the role of the goddesses.
We meet Athene, who sprang fully formed from her father’s head: goddess of war and wisdom, guardian of Athens. We run with Artemis, goddess of hunting and protector of young girls (apart from those she decides she wants as a sacrifice). Here is Aphrodite, goddess of sex and desire – there is no deity more determined and able to make you miserable if you annoy her. And then there’s the queen of all the Olympian gods: Hera, Zeus’s long-suffering wife, whose jealousy of his dalliances with mortals, nymphs and goddesses lead her to wreak elaborate, vicious revenge on those who have wronged her.
We also meet Demeter, goddess of agriculture and mother of the kidnapped Persephone, we sing the immortal song of the Muses and we warm ourselves with Hestia, goddess of the hearth and sacrificial fire. The Furies carry flames of another kind – black fires of vengeance for those who incur their wrath.
These goddesses are as mighty, revered and destructive as their male counterparts. Isn’t it time we looked beyond the columns of a ruined temple to the awesome power within?
My take;
I always love Natalie’s books and this one was no exception, I loved getting more insight into some of my favourite goddess and female figures in Greek mythology. I especially enjoyed Natalie’s take on Artemis and Athena as they are some of my favourite of the goddesses in the Greek pantheon. Natalie covers a nice variety of people in this book and I honestly just need her to continue this as a series and eventually cover all of the gods, goddess and heroes.
This is quite possibly my favourite non fiction book of the year, if you’re interested in Greek mythology then definitely pick this one up.
Thank you so much to BookBreakUK/Pan MacMillan for sending me a stunning proof package of this wonderful read. -
A bit disappointing, but some parts were interesting. I was hoping for more of a retelling from a feminist perspective, but it was more of an essay on her thoughts. Filled with tangents that were way too long from that one movie she saw in 1990. I liked the Artemis chapter the best, maybe because she’s always been my fav. She made an interesting comparison to the hunger games and I didn’t realize how much Katniss was shaped by Greek myth.
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If “i support women’s rights and wrongs” was a book. While Pandora’s Jar focuses on female figures in Greek myth who were obscured by their male counterparts, this one focuses on the power of the goddesses who have conducted great violence and made some *questionable* choices. Haynes cracks jokes here and there about these women’s actions but she is dead-serious about trying to make sense of them. She doesn’t say if they are in the right or wrong (with some moral exceptions, of course) but she successfully gives contexts and close readings of their characters. The literature student in me was nodding along with every word because Haynes’s conclusions make so much sense.
This book and Pandora’s Jar reminded me of A Thousand Ships in the sense that the latter also includes female stories who were forgotten and misinterpreted. While the goddesses are all but forgotten in Greek myth (a minor exception being Hestia), their characters are explained through such an extremely misogynistic and sexist view that a ‘retelling’ of their stories such as in Divine Might is, sadly, necessary. A masterclass of intertextuality, just like any work by Haynes really. -
If you love reading Greek Mythology, especially the myths focused on the goddesses, run out and buy Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth right now!
Divine Might by Natalie Haynes looks at the myths featuring the goddesses: the Muses, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Hestia, Athene, and The Furies. Each goddess, or group of goddesses, gets her own chapter, with the focus on some of the more famous myths as well as looking at how that goddess has appeared in popular and ancient culture.
Natalie Haynes has the perfect voice to help us dig into the lives of these goddesses. Her dry humor and wit made me chuckle several times and made the reading experience so enjoyable! I half physically read this and read it through audio. Haynes narrates the book, and I'd highly recommend reading it on audio as she makes the myths come to life.
One of my favorite books from January 2024, this will go on my shelf of all time favorite nonfiction books. -
3.5 stars. Pandora's Jar is one of my favourite books but I thought Divine Might didn't have the same power that its predecessor had. Whilst I love combining academia with pop culture, I felt that the first half of the book was too focused on popular culture. I felt like I didn't learn a lot which was a shame and that's one of the things I loved so much about Pandora's Jar. However, I think this got a lot better in a second half and I enjoyed this half more. I will reread this book at some point because of my circumstances I wasn't really able to absorb the information very well
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Гооооляма загуба на време, отново.
Авторката разказва по два-три мита за съответната богиня и с това се изчерпва стойността на тази книга. Нищо ново не се казва, а когато се опитва да се прави на интересна и да сравнява с поп културата, получаваме, например, пет страници преразказ на „Игрите на глада“ в главата за Артемида.
Пълен bullshit. -
This book reads like the author was assigned a Lit Review on the Greek Goddess and there was a large required word count.
If you’re interested in pompous writing and long winded synopsis about movies like The Hunger Games and every other movie that has the smallest connection to a Greek goddess… then this book is for you!
P.S. I will never stop reading fanfiction about Hades and Persephone being in love… sorry not sorry Natalie Haynes.
