Pandora's Jar

In the many retellings of the Greek myths, the focus is generally on gods and heroes, but Natalie Haynes refocuses our gaze on the remarkable women at the centre of these ancient stories.

Reading Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes: Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!

If I'm ever prosecuted, I'd like Natalie Haynes to defend me. She argues persuasively, carving out space for women denied a voice (Medusa), overshadowed (Jocasta) and unjustly condemned (Helen of Troy) . . . Agile, rich, subversive, Pandora's Jar proves that the classics are far from dead, and keep evolving with us.

Haynes is a brilliant classicist as well as a stand-up comedian and with her latest offering, Pandora's Jar , she has effectively written the first textbook codifying this new feminist take on the Greek myths.

Hugely enjoyable and witty

Impassioned and informed . . . When Haynes gets down to retelling the stories . . . and teasing out their distortions and elisions, the book flies.

An erudite, funny and sometimes angry attempt to fill in the blank spaces.

The best kind of academic writing; engaged, engaging and fun (Beyoncé, Ray Harryhausen and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all turn up within).

Witty and frequently surprising

Beyoncé, Star Trek, Ray Harryhausen . . . the most enjoyable book about Greek myths you will ever read, absolutely brimming with subversive enthusiasm.

Witty, erudite and subversive, this takes the women of Greek myth—the women who are sidelined, vilified, misunderstood or ignored—and puts them centre stage.

Natalie Haynes is beyond brilliant. Pandora’s Jar is a treasure box of classical delights. Never has ancient misogyny been presented with so much wit and style.

Natalie Haynes is the nation's muse

Natalie Haynes is both a witty and an erudite guide. She wears her extensive learning lightly and deftly drags the Classics into the modern world. I loved it.

Natalie Haynes is a writer and broadcaster. She writes for the Guardian and the Independent . She was a judge for the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction, the 2013 Man Booker Prize, and the 2014 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Natalie is the author of novels: The Amber Fury, The Children of Jocasta and A Thousand Ships as well as non-fiction books: The Ancient Guide to Modern Life and Pandora's Jar . She has spoken on the modern relevance of the classical world on three continents, from Cambridge to Chicago to Auckland. She is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4: reviewing for Front Row and Saturday Review, appearing as a team captain on three seasons of Wordaholics, as well as writing and presenting her own show Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics.