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Pandora's Jar
- Women in the Greek Myths
- Narrated by: Natalie Haynes
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
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Pandora's Jar
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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.
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)
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What listeners say about Pandora's Jar
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Miss G
- 14-11-20
This was fascinating from start to finish!
Excellent narration, thank you Natalie! Thoroughly enjoyed this as an audio book, and it revealed a a different aspect of each of the women featured!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Dominika Spilarova
- 20-12-20
Book of the year
Having read the Greek myths time and time again when growing up, this book and narration by the incredible Natalie Haynes busts the myths! Deep, thoughtful, funny-dry, with the authors ability to capture and keep your attention, this book/audio book is a literary delight. A must read or listen for every woman especially.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- meglets
- 30-08-21
Fascinating
I love the Greek myths and hugely enjoyed this funny, knowledgeable insight. Definitely recommend it!
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- Marina Strinkovsky
- 01-02-21
Enjoyed every minute of this
Just what the title says :) Not one sentence was disengaging, dull, uninformative, or jarring. Well-nigh a perfect book. And very funny!
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- Deb
- 28-12-20
superb. loved it
loved every minute of this book. well written and researched. beautifully read.will read more by the author. perfect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Illyrianth
- 22-10-20
Thoughtful, engaging, fascinating
This latest from Natalie Haynes is an absolute masterpiece. A considered, thoughtful study of the myths we think we know so well - but clearly do not.
Bringing in elements that have been lost, or hidden in the more modern versions, we get to see much more of the characters as they were first imagined. As a result, we can engage with the women of these stories, who have been sidelined, losing their vibrancy down the centuries.
Although Greece was undeniably a deeply patriarchal society, there can be no mistake that the women they wrote about were so much more than just bit players or fillers in their stories. The ludicrously brave and remorseful Penthesilea. The vengeful mother, Clytemnestra. Penelope at her loom day and night, weaving her deceit. Medusa, the victim of gods and "heroes" alike.
A fantastic book made all the better by the author's reading of it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Newton-Harris Family
- 06-09-22
Brilliant Historian, Writer and Narrator
I’ve listened to a number of Natalie Haynes podcast episodes in her series Natalie Haynes stands up for the classics and they are always insightful and full of comic matter-of-fact anecdotes and comparisons.
Pandora’s Jar is another brilliant piece of work by this incredible researcher, writer and performer. She is often referred to as the ‘rockstar classicist’ and, in my opinion she absolutely is.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- sultan g.
- 05-06-23
Nice one but too fast to catch up
Way too fast to follow, I hope a slower version by another reader… good read fighting patriarchy!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 21-06-21
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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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-12-20
Fantastic fantastic fantastic
I loved every second of this book... A refreshingly wholistic look into the lives of some of the most interesting the women from Greek Myth... such brilliant insight and a perspective that I had been craving but hadn’t been able to find until now!!... Keep them coming Natalie
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