Classicist, comedian, broadcaster, and writer Natalie Haynes is at the top of her craft. She’s a powerhouse in the publishing world and one of the foremost novelists of Greek myth. Her passion for the classics is evident throughout her career.
To celebrate news of, and as we anticipate, her latest novel No Friend to this House, a retelling of Medea’s story, to be released later this year, we’re ranking Haynes’ mythology books, both fiction and nonfiction.
1. The Children of Jocasta
The Children of Jocasta completely reframes the story of Oedipus Rex and his family. What stands out about this novel is that it doesn’t require the reader to have previous knowledge of the myth.
At once, it acts as an introduction to this classic story and a way to achieve a deeper appreciation and understanding for those who are already familiar with it. Haynes includes in her wonderful author’s note that just because the Greek playwright Sophocles’ version is the most popular does not mean it was the first or only version of this myth.
In this book, she pens a completely different take on the tale, and it works. Many elements are stripped away, leaving a raw and moving novel that humanizes these iconic characters. Compelling, suspenseful, heartbreaking, insightful, and with just a touch of humor acting as a nice contrast to the dual omniscient and first-person narrations, this is a book that will stick with you.
With two slightly different perspectives playing out, the reader must give this their utmost attention and use their judgment on certain scenes.
Not only does The Children of Jocasta deal with the marriage of Jocasta and Oedipus and its aftermath, but it also delves into their daughter Antigone’s story. She’s the child of this ill-fated pair, and her life is just as tragic, told through the eyes of her sister Ismene. Haynes handles these stories with dignity and care.
This isn’t only Natalie Haynes’ best book, it’s one of the best myth retellings, period.
2. Stone Blind
This book is Natalie Haynes’ take on the well-known Medusa myth. Relying heavily on the mythological aspect of Perseus and Medusa’s story, Stone Blind is complete with gods, goddesses, and monsters.
This novel intertwines more than just Medusa’s story and POV. We hear from so many characters from Greek myth and learn much more about Gorgon, her sisters, and her life. Stone Blind seamlessly incorporates many stories from days of old.
As with many modern feminist retellings, Stone Blind vilifies the male character, Perseus, while the goddess Athene, responsible for turning Medusa from a beautiful woman into a monster, is not portrayed in the same light.
However as you read more of Haynes’ work, you’ll understand her love for Athene, who is perhaps not-so-subtly the author’s favorite of the Greek goddesses. Regardless, Athene, like most characters in this book, is complex and enjoyable to read about, whether you love or hate her.
One of Haynes’ best works, it’s also one of the foremost Medusa retellings out there. It takes multiple perspectives and characters to paint the entire picture, which is another standout characteristic of this author’s writings.
3. Pandora’s Jar
Most people may be familiar with the story of Odysseus and the Odyssey, or Achilles, Hector, and Agamemnon, heroes of the Iliad. The men of Greek myth have, perhaps unfairly, made their way to the forefront of the cultural zeitgeist so that even those who have never read Greek myth still are familiar with its famous male heroes.
In Pandora’s Jar, Natalie Haynes sets out to shine a light on the women of Greek myth, especially those who have been unfairly villainized or simply swept under the rug over the centuries. In exquisite detail, she delves into all the known ancient sources of each woman’s story in an easy-to-understand format.
Her main argument here is that myths are fluid; there is no one “correct” version, just those that have survived or become the most popular. But there were multiple ancient sources, including art, that portrayed these women’s stories in multiple different ways.
Another great point by Haynes is that it’s really impossible to know how many ancient writings and stories are now lost to us. There could be hundreds of variations of Helen of Troy’s, Clytemnestra’s, or Penelope’s stories that were lost to time. It’s a beautiful thought that justifies retelling and reframing myths how one chooses.
In Pandora’s Jar, Haynes introduces readers to all sides of the story and details why some of these women deserve better and how their stories have evolved or continue to evolve even now.
4. A Thousand Ships
This is the story of all the women of the Trojan War. In A Thousand Ships, Haynes dedicates chapters and sections of this book to many of the forgotten women of the Iliad and Odyssey, like Creusa, Theano, and Polyxena, telling their stories for the first time in regard to most modern retellings.
Though one of the downsides to this book is its depictions of Helen–even though she does not get her own chapter, and she’s just portrayed from others’ points of view–and its inclusion of Penelope, who, as one of the most famous women of Greek myth, certainly can’t be counted among those who are forgotten.
What this book gets right is its inclusion of so many underappreciated women of myth. Readers will feel a wide range of emotions, from rage at the injustices these women face to shared hope in the face of adversity.
No other novels out there set out to bring this many female characters justice or give them a strong and memorable voice.
It covers the entirety of the Trojan War, from its origins with the Greek army setting sail to Penelope waiting for her husband to finally return home. It’s comprehensive but not overwhelming.
A Thousand Ships is one of the best Iliad and Odyssey retellings, handled with care by Haynes. These women’s stories are in the right hands with her.
5. The Furies
The Furies is Natalie Haynes’ take on a modern, contemporary novel. It’s still heavily inspired by Greek myth, especially by the writers of the 5th Century B.C. Greek tragedies.
With themes of revenge and grief, The Furies also has dark academia vibes, similar to the cult classic novel The Secret History. It features a teacher, Alex, who accepts a job in Edinburgh after the tragic loss of her fiancé.
Alex begins teaching Greek tragedy to troubled youth when one of her pupils develops an unhealthy obsession with how Alex’s fiancé died and plans revenge.
As we see with some of her nonfiction work, the furies, a trio of winged Greek goddesses of vengeance, are another favorite of the author’s to study, learn, and write about, and though they are not explicitly incorporated here, we can feel their influence over some of the characters. This is her debut novel, and though she certainly hones in her craft with each subsequent book, it’s strong and haunting, holding up well.
The Furies has strong tie-ins to Greek classics and is suspenseful at times but not a strong thriller. Very few contemporary books being published take the bold leap of combining Greek tragedy with modern settings and characters.
6. Divine Might
The sister book to Pandora’s Jar, Divine Might focuses on Greek goddesses. Haynes chooses the Olympian goddesses Hera, Athene, Demeter, Hestia, Aphrodite, and Artemis, as well as the Muses and the Furies as her focus.
In a very similar style to Pandora’s Jar, readers are given information from ancient sources on these goddesses, again with pop culture references and artistic representations thrown in for good measure. However, it just doesn’t live up to its predecessor. Some of the pop culture feels like a bit of a stretch or doesn’t add much to the value of this work.
Educational and entertaining thanks to Haynes’ sharp wit (these books work very well as audiobooks with the author narrating), there is no inclusion of minor Greek goddesses, which undoubtedly would have been exciting.
Many of these goddesses are already well-known, if a little misunderstood, but there are many female Greek deities from myth, like Hecate or Cybele, who are most elusive. This book would have benefitted heavily from even a small amount dedicated to them.
Regardless, Divine Might is a fun introduction to these goddesses for those who are not already familiar, but for those looking for a bit more of a deep dive, you may have to keep looking.
And even though it ranks last in this list of fantastic and well-written books by Natalie Haynes (something had to come in last!), Divine Might is still worth a read.
It must be said Natalie Haynes can’t write a bad book, and all books on this list are still strong and entertaining in their own right. We are looking forward to reading No Friend to this House and how it will rank among her books.
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Which of Natalie Haynes’ books are your favorites? How would you rank them? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Amanda Larch Hinchman
Amanda Larch works as a writer and editor when she’s not in the middle of a good book. Learn more about her work and view her portfolio at www.amandalarchwriter.com/ and keep up with her on Goodreads @_groovyginger_.
