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A review by joelogsliterature
Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.75
I am excited to try more from Natalie Haynes. Her outlook on the classics is decidedly a-pretentious. I thoroughly appreciate her multimedia approach, relying as much on archeological evidence (artifact and monument) as text for investigating the women of myth featured here. Less consistently effective but still appreciated is her eye toward the place of myth in contemporary media. Where else can you find descriptions of forgotten '80s films and Lady Gaga music videos quickly followed by well-cited evolution from Hesiod to Ovid and beyond of the number and purpose of the Muses? Sometimes Haynes' own earnest enthusiasm for these characters and tales seems to cast an air of unearned sophistication and purposefulness upon some contemporary tales, and sometimes quick summaries of admittedly poor films don't go over so well, but on balance, it sets apart her perspective and I enjoyed it.
Her enthusiasm is perhaps most felt in the chapter on Hestia, which she begins by acknowledging she was bold to have accepted the challenge to write ten thousand words on a goddess who is "barely mention[ed,] ... who makes no dent on the Renaissance ... [and] inspired virtually no [one]." Yet this chapter stood out to me above perhaps all others. Lack of textual fixation belies Hestia's omnipresence in the home and her standing in the hearts of the Greeks. I admit I never thought much of Hestia myself. I cast her aside as merely one in a long line of historical deities for the home, much like I might (undeservedly, yes) clump the hundreds of fertility deities across time and culture together without much thought.
While the modern reader certainly clocks the patriarchy and psychology behind many Greek and Roman myths involving women, Haynes still sheds light on the issues. And certainly not everyone has internalized the plight of Hera or that Aphrodite stands for more than lust, so it's worthwhile to belabor such points.
Haynes' re-examinations often breathe new life into old myths while doing right by the goddesses they feature. She fulfills her purpose here admirably.
Her enthusiasm is perhaps most felt in the chapter on Hestia, which she begins by acknowledging she was bold to have accepted the challenge to write ten thousand words on a goddess who is "barely mention[ed,] ... who makes no dent on the Renaissance ... [and] inspired virtually no [one]." Yet this chapter stood out to me above perhaps all others. Lack of textual fixation belies Hestia's omnipresence in the home and her standing in the hearts of the Greeks. I admit I never thought much of Hestia myself. I cast her aside as merely one in a long line of historical deities for the home, much like I might (undeservedly, yes) clump the hundreds of fertility deities across time and culture together without much thought.
While the modern reader certainly clocks the patriarchy and psychology behind many Greek and Roman myths involving women, Haynes still sheds light on the issues. And certainly not everyone has internalized the plight of Hera or that Aphrodite stands for more than lust, so it's worthwhile to belabor such points.
Haynes' re-examinations often breathe new life into old myths while doing right by the goddesses they feature. She fulfills her purpose here admirably.