Imagine Medusa.
What comes to mind? A monstrous woman, talons on her fingers and snakes sprouting from her head? A villainess who was righteously slain by a noble hero?
An innocent woman who was violated, then cursed, by the very Gods she loved?
Most likely it’s the first two perceptions and rarely, if ever, the latter. However, Lauren J.A. Bear’s book Medusa’s Sisters takes our assumptions about this myth and, like the coiling serpents on Medusa’s head, twists them sharply around and strangles them. In this reimagined tale of Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, the three Gorgon Sisters of Ancient Greece, Bear transforms these mere mythical monsters into fully fledged protagonists voyaging from the grandeur of Olympus to the tragedy of the mortal realm.
Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa have endured countless sensationalized and butchered renditions of their own mythical life. Finally, through Bear, these Gorgon sisters seek to tell their own tale. In the prologue, Stheno recounts the popular telling of the heroic Perseus slaughtering the monstrous Medusa, though reveals that PERSEUS actually slaughtered a slumbering and pregnant Medusa. Going back in time, the story is told in a series of flashbacks by Stheno and Euryale. Starting with their birth by Ceto, this introduction sets Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa’s dynamic throughout the story. Stheno, the eldest, is strong and intentional in her actions. Euryale, the middle child, cries for attention and a higher stature than she currently occupies. Medusa, the youngest and only mortal of the triplets, is discarded into the sea at first, before joining her sisters as a perceived burden due to her finite lifespan. Growing up, the sisters enjoy their freedom as seemingly forgotten characters within the larger drama of the Olympians. However, this changes when the sisters are invited to Olympus for Epimetheus and Pandora’s wedding, where Posideon takes lustful notice of Euryale and Medusa. Although Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa attempt to peacefully live outside of the Gods’ meddling, even venturing amongst the mortals to experience love and life, they have already captured the attention of monstrous men. As all three sisters quickly understand, in the eyes of the Gods and men who rule this era with foolish decree, a woman’s power, even an immortal one like Stheno or Euryale, should only come from what she has to offer: the beauty of her face and the virginity of her bed. Thus, when the three sisters nurture power from elsewhere – the monstrous capabilities of their womb, or the depth of their familial love and loyalty – even the Gods of Olympus take inquisitive notice.
This is a strong story for several reasons: its mythological reimagining; the focus on highlighting and uplifting women’s stories and voices out of the ancient rubble of time; and the witty balance between dialogue and exquisitely illustrative details. This manuscript’s strength lies in its ability to take the framework of Medusa’s widely known story and utilize this solid foundation to build a new and rich perspective. Both with the mythos itself, but also how women’s stories are told. In particular, the book begs a subtle questioning regarding why women, for the crime of their mere existence and resistance, are often cast as the villain. I highly recommend Medusa’s Sisters, both for its writing but also for its representation of oft overlooked female perspectives in Ancient Greek myths. Within the already present market of contemporary renditions of Greek Gods and monsters, there has not been an overwhelming diffusion of stories that provide a mature perspective on womanhood within male-dominated spaces. Furthermore, although the book focuses on difficult topics – sexual assault, child abuse, and gore – it balances these heavy moments with joyful renditions of sisterly and familial love.
Sophomore Teagan Durkin is the Opinions editor. Her email is tdurkin@fandm.edu.