Why Is 'Stone Blind' Considered A Feminist Retelling?

The protagonist of 'Stone Blind' is Medusa, but not the monster you think you know. This version digs deep into her tragic backstory before the snakes and the stone gaze. She starts as a beautiful priestess in Athena's temple, devout and kind. The novel follows her transformation after being cursed, showing her struggle with her new monstrous form while clinging to humanity. What's brilliant is how the author makes you root for her—every act of violence comes from pain, not malice. The real antagonists? The gods who toy with mortals. Medusa's raw emotions—betrayal, isolation, and later, reluctant fury—make her painfully relatable.

In 'Stone Blind', the ending is a brutal yet poetic reckoning. Medusa, once a victim of gods’ cruelty, becomes the architect of her own fate. Perseus’s "heroic" quest culminates in her beheading, but the narrative twists—her severed head retains power, turning the sea to stone where it rests. The gods’ indifference is laid bare; Athena shrugs, Poseidon gloats, and mortals forget. Yet Medusa’s legacy lingers. The final pages linger on her petrified sisters, still weeping over her corpse, their grief fossilized into the landscape. It’s less about victory and more about the cost of divine games, leaving readers haunted by the silence of the oppressed.

In 'Stone Blind', the central conflict is a brutal clash between divine wrath and mortal defiance. Medusa, once a beautiful priestess, is transformed into a monstrous Gorgon by Athena’s curse, her very gaze turning living flesh to stone. The gods treat her as both weapon and outcast, a pawn in their celestial games. Meanwhile, Perseus, the so-called hero, is manipulated by the gods to hunt her down, believing her a threat to mankind. The tragedy lies in their twisted fates—Medusa never asked for her power, and Perseus never questions his mission. Their confrontation isn’t just physical; it’s a collision of free will against divine puppetry, where neither truly wins. The novel digs deeper, framing Medusa’s story as one of misunderstood survival. Her conflict isn’t just with Perseus but with a world that demonizes her for existing. The sea whispers her loneliness, the snakes on her head hiss warnings, and even her victims are accidental. Natalie Haynes reimagines her not as a villain but as a woman trapped by others’ cruelty, making the conflict achingly human.

You can grab 'Stone Blind' from major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Book Depository. Amazon offers both Kindle and paperback versions, often with quick shipping options. Barnes & Noble has it in stock for online orders, plus you can check local store availability. Book Depository is great for international buyers since they offer free worldwide shipping. For indie book lovers, platforms like Powells or independent bookstore alliances (e.g., Bookshop.org) support small businesses while delivering your copy. Don’t forget to check eBay or AbeBooks for rare or signed editions if you’re a collector. Audiobook fans can find it on Audible or iTunes, narrated with gripping intensity. Prices vary, so compare deals—sometimes pre-owned copies slash costs without sacrificing quality.

Absolutely, 'Stone Blind' is steeped in Greek mythology, but it’s not just a retelling—it’s a fierce reimagining. The novel centers on Medusa, one of mythology’s most misunderstood figures, and strips away the hero-centric lens to give her a voice. The Gorgons, Stheno and Euryale, aren’t mere monsters here; they’re sisters bound by love and tragedy. The gods’ cruelty—Athena’s wrath, Poseidon’s betrayal—is laid bare, exposing how power corrupts even the divine. The prose crackles with visceral detail, like the weight of snakes coiling around Medusa’s scalp or the agony of her petrifying gaze, which she never asked for. Mortals like Perseus are painted as opportunistic rather than heroic, his 'quest' a thinly veiled massacre. The book digs into themes of victimhood and agency, asking who gets to be a monster and who gets to write the myths. It’s Greek myth with the gloss scraped off, raw and electrifying.

I am a huge fan of the HarryPotter series written by J.K. Rowling, so it is clear that on the one hand there are only two artefacts in this world as distinct as it gets. The Sorcerer's Stone, or Philosopher's Stone as it is known in the UK, can give a person eternal life and transmute any metal into pure gold. What people say converted alchemy into chemistry was actually debate about such ethics-beautiful ideas though they were. This is Harry's first year at wizard school. The Resurrection Stone, however, is something quite different. Whoever holds it is able to recall the dead-that's the nearest one can come anyway to experiencing rebirth in this life rather than simply as an idea or symbol thereof. It is one of the Three Deathly Hallows and has a crucial role to play in later books. Different stones, different things hidden inside them--both thoroughly bewitching!

Xenomorphs, the vicious alien creatures from the 'Alien' franchise, are indeed somewhat blind, but not in the traditional sense. You see, these nightmarish space critters lack visible eyes, which can easily give the impression of total sightlessness. However, mastermind Ridley Scott didn't give them iconic elongated, eyeless skulls for nothing. Their method of 'seeing' is more akin to a heightened form of sensory perception. Xenomorphs perceive their environment exceptionally well through a combination of echolocation and sensing pheromones, kind of like certain species of bats or insects. When they open their terrifying jaws, they're not just preparing to snack on some unfortunate human space explorer – they're sending out a sophisticated sonar, picking up on even the smallest movement or the most subtle change in the air pressure, effectively 'mapping' their surroundings. Add that to their ability to pick up on hormonal changes and scents associated with emotions and physical state, and you get a predator much scarier than if it simply had 20/20 vision. Fear, anxiety, panic, even the sweat on your brow – these extra-terrestrial nightmares can sense it all. A Xenomorph won't see you, but it will know you're there. And it will find you. If that doesn't send a chill down your spine, I don't know what will! So in essence, while Xenomorphs might not 'see' in the way that you or I do, their environmental perception abilities in some ways surpass traditional sight. All the better to hunt down their prey in rain, shine, darkness, or even the cold vacuum of space. Yeah, I'll never look at those terrifying toothy grins the same way again.

In the 'Jujutsu Kaisen' series, Gojo Satoru is not actually blind, contrary to what it might seem. The white band covering his eyes is actually a limitator, a device he uses to control his immense power. Beneath this 'blindfold' are his dazzling infinity eyes, which house his terrifying and fascinating ability known as Limitless Cursed Energy. So, rather than being physically impaired, Gojo willfully chooses to restrain his immense power to avoid unintentionally wreaking havoc. An intriguing character with depth, right?