Medusa: A beautiful and profound retelling of Medusa’s story

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If I told you that I'd killed a man with a glance, would you wait to hear the rest? The why, the how, what happened next?

A beautiful and compassionate retelling that gives the serpent-headed monster of myth a powerful and haunting humanity' - Jennifer Saint They promise to tell each other their story. Medusa, what she now is, and how she became this way, and Perseus why he is truly on the island. It seems he has not just washed up randomly at all. King Polydectes has charged Perseus with the task of cutting of Medusa’s head. Fierce and tender and full of heart; the reclamation of self that Medusa is owed, the version of the myth that deserves to be told, passed girl to girl, painted across walls and screamed from rooftops - Melinda Salisbury A girl who no longer puts her key to happiness in someone else’s hand she recalls. “They all tested me; they all tried to see if I could break. But I was tired of men and gods and goddesses dictating the ebb and flow of my happiness, my state of mind… my one true hope was me”

Internationally bestselling author Jessie Burton flips the script in this astonishing retelling of Greek myth, illuminating the woman behind the legend at last. Burton is also a non-fiction writer. Her essays have been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, Vogue, Elle, Red, Grazia, Lonely Planet Traveller and The Spectator. [3] Early life and career [ edit ] Also, most of the book is told in conversation format. So a lot of the significant events in Medusa’s mythos don’t actually *happen* in this book - Medusa just talks about when they happened. It was an interesting stylistic choice, and perhaps it works for some, but not for me - it made me a little bored, to be honest. (Very literal example of someone TELLING and not SHOWING). This book is absolutely stunning. A beautiful modern re-telling of a very old tale. It was refreshing to see the point of view of a young Medusa. Not the scary gorgon that she is most commonly known as. My first thought on finishing is that I need this in a hard copy, so I would say that if possible, savour this in the flesh rather than ebook. The illustrations are utterly eye-catching, inspired and beautiful.

Quinn, Anthony (25 June 2016). "The Muse by Jessie Burton". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 29 June 2016. I first came across Jessie Burton’s work in her novel The Miniaturist, an imaginative and intricate story of love and betrayal in seventeenth century Amsterdam, inspired by Petronella Oortman’s gorgeous doll’s house, on display to the public in the Rijksmuseum. it was clear from this debut piece, that Burton could handle a complex plot with style and subtlety. It is the reason I opened Medusa with such hopes of a roller coaster read. But it does not live up to her previous work, and even if, as some reviewers have suggested, this is a book aimed at young adults, it simply does not go dark or deep enough, to fulfil the fateful promise – or curse – of its legendary namesake.I will be buying a copy of this book once it comes out (I have been reading this on my tiny phone screen). This is the Medusa myth that should be told to everyone. Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love and betrayal... With this novel Burton tells the story of Medusa and Perseus from Medusa’s perspective. Giving her a very human side.

The novel advocates a woman’s position, a woman wronged, and a journey to discover herself and find acceptance for what she has become. At one level, this can be interpreted as a feminist opportunity to illustrate the power of women and the deceit of men. Still, I instead wanted to see this through the lens of a dazzling tragedy of humanity. So often [Medusa’s] robbed of agency, turned into a monster, and used as a stepping stone for heroes. The myth of Medusa is a tale of objectification and toxic masculinity, and the meaning of consent. Given the continuing revelations about men like Weinstein and (US president Donald) Trump, and others we have each encountered on our way through life, Medusa's myth is ripe for the retelling." Tim Masters (1 December 2014). "Miniaturist novel named Waterstones book of 2014". BBC News . Retrieved 23 December 2014.Who are you?’ I called down. I spoke in panic, worried that Argentus’ suspicion of this new arrival would drive him to his boat at any moment. And I spoke in hope: it felt of utmost importance that this boy should stay on my island – for a day, a week, a month. Maybe longer.” Her third novel for adults, The Confession, was published in 2019. [14] [15] Medusa, her second book for children, was published in 2021. [16] When the novel opens Medusa has been living in a cave on a remote island for four years. When Perseus washes up on her island, she helplessly cannot resist talking to him. She makes Perseus stay on the outside of the cave wall while they converse and ultimately get closer to each other. With each day affection grows on both sides, with Perseus declaring that he thinks he loves Medusa, Medusa realizes that she feels the same.