By Eleni Kontou
Trigger Warning: Rape, sexual assault
Rating: ★★★★☆
Stone Blind forces us to stare into Medusa’s eyes and confront the stories that we have been told through a different lens, at points making us wish to be ‘monsters’.
Natalie Haynes’ novel Stone Blind is a disturbingly devastating read with a suspense that never seems to end. Haynes’ most recent novel adds to their growing reputation for writing feministic mythological novels. This time however, Stone Blind focuses on one of the most well known ‘monsters’ throughout history - the story of Medusa. We all know of Medusa, but her origin story is one that is often unknown or forgotten. Stone Blind is the origin story of Medusa and follows her on her devastating journey to become the snake haired gorgon. The book doesn’t just stop there though, it also dives into what happens after Medusa becomes a ‘monster’.
This feminist retelling has left me feeling saddened, which is in itself a result of Haynes’ incredible talent. The truth is, if you’re looking to pick up a copy of Stone Blind as a bit of fun, light reading, this isn’t the book for you. It is a difficult read with traumatic scenes that insinuate rape and sexual assault. I have to say, each page had me feeling more and more frustrated. I went into this knowing Medusa’s origin story, so I did expect an emotional read. Haynes cleverly forges a connection between our modern world and the mythological one - making this an even more daunting read. The differences between our world and that of myth may seem large, but Stone Blind focuses on the similarities between the two by diverting our gaze to Medusa.
However, the novel does not only focus on Medusa. Medusa and all the other women featured in the novel are living in an escapable world where they either fear the men in their lives, or live under their shadows. While the actions of the men around them go unpunished, the women in the novel bear the brutal and barbaric consequences for the men and their decisions. The switching of perspectives throughout the novel were difficult for me to come to terms with at first. I was very much set on reading a novel about Medusa, and I must admit that if I were to give one criticism of Stone Blind, it is that I wish it focused more on Medusa’s story. That being said, I do understand that Haynes was forming a solidarity amongst women by showing that although all the women in the story were born into very different lives, even goddesses found themselves losing to sexism and inner misogyny.
I can’t write this review without mentioning Stheno and Euryale, Medusa’s immortal gorgon sisters. The love between the sisters is beautiful and brings some temporary relief from the dark themes embedded in the story. The narrator’s sarcastic humour is also a relief from the darkness at times, and the revealing of the narrator’s identity toward the end made me appreciate the storytelling even more. Haynes’ including a domestic setting between Medusa and her sisters intensifies the novel with the impending fate of Medusa. Their island life may appear solitary due to the fear that the humans have of them, but this only brings comfort to the sisters and strengthens their love for one another. There is an unexpected safety that comes with being deemed a ‘monster’. Something that Haynes loves to explore thoroughly in the novel.
Overall, Haynes does well to portray the anguish and frustration that women feel. But also the constant fear and lack of feeling safe. Although Stone Blind is a gut wrenching and fearful read, it is a thought provoking and necessary one that highlights the seemingly impossible escape that women face daily and have done forever. However, as mentioned before, I would have liked more of a focus on Medusa. That being said, Haynes does well to bring perspective to Medusa’s famous tale by perceiving Perseus as a useless and scared fool, and also by highlighting Athene’s own struggle with the patriarchy and her conditioning to abide by it.
I highly recommend this book to fans of Ariadne and Elektra by Jennifer Saint, and also for fans of Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls and The Women of Troy. However, I think most fans of Greek mythological retellings will want to get their hands on this novel.
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes will be released 15/09/2022.