I want Natalie Haynes to teach me everything she knows, and then I want her to learn more and teach me that. She has a sneaky wit that livens up her descriptions! As a certified mythology girly, Haynes is consistently knocking it out of the park!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Excellent recap of the female Olympian goddesses + the Muses + the Furies. Goes in depth into the relevant stories in which each is involved supplemented by texts and concepts from plays, poetry, and literature by the great authors of the time. This reads as more serious than a Wikipedia article, more detailed than an intro primer to Greek Mythology. There is an assumption that you know these characters beforehand — this is a much more erudite analysis of the characters appropriate for Haynes roles as a university classics lecturer. At the same time it is no chore to read this book, it is interesting for the right audiences. This is more than a one time read, it’s one I would refer to periodically again and again. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have not read this author before, but will be reading more by her and will definitely recommend them at the library.

This feminist exploration of Greek mythology was refreshing and incredibly well researched by the author. We all know that most myths have been conveyed to us through the lens of men, which obviously offers a one sided view. Haynes’, however, reevaluates all we know about those myths using the lens of the women deities.

I enjoyed that this was an examination and discussion of Greek Goddesses rather than a reimagining or retelling of the myths.

(4.5 rounded up to a 5)

Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes is a female-centered look at Olympus and the Furies.

I borrowed the audiobook from my local library and the author does an amazing job narrating. I really enjoyed her historical fantasy book Stone Blind, so I was excited to delve into her non-fiction. I minored in Classical Mythology in college, so I'm excited to be charmed by books like this.

Haynes does an amazing job weaving together tales from various sources in attempt to create a flowing narrative for each goddess she explores in this book. The gods really feel like they're just people and not infallible beings. She also does an amazing job injecting humor into stories that were often tragic.

I truly need to read her back catalogue now.

This is not one of Haynes's better books. She frequently rambles on for pages without coming to a point, especially when trying to use a pop culture example to illustrate a myth. I also think her analysis strips the myths of much of the nuance found in ancient sources.

While <i>Divine Might</i> isn't a bad book, I would recommend Haynes's podcast over it.

Received via NetGalley.

What a delightful dive into the goddesses of Greek myth — imbued with humor, plenty of research on the ancient sources, and modern pop culture references that bring these ancient myths to life.

This book is perfect for classists and newbies alike! Haynes easily gives summaries of classical sources and stories in a refreshingly modern way while staying true to the source material. Her fresh, snappy commentary on these myths made it enjoyable, although they sometimes dragged on too long. Haynes clearly knows her stuff and did her research!

Something particularly unique about this anthology is that it includes many (perhaps too many) pop culture references to draw connections between modern presentations of these infamous goddesses. I found that Haynes sometimes went on too long giving us the rundown summary of these movies, books, or shows. Definitely could have been edited down! But they were a useful tool to point out the everlasting themes of Greek myth.

One thing I loved about Haynes’s that she pushed back against the modern romanization of many of these myths and gave it to us straight — here’s what the original sources specifically said, and here’s what we can infer from societal practices of the time. For example, her treatment of the Hades and Persephone myth, which has a tendency to be romanticized and rewritten over and over again today as the epitome of romance, is explicitly stated to be a kidnapping of a young girl, with no say or power. I loved that she specifically used our ancient sources to dispel some modern day misinterpretations! My classist heart was happy.

Overall this is one of the better books out there that will introduce you accurately and humorously to the nuanced and complicated goddesses of ancient myth. They’re not good, they’re not bad: they’re goddesses. As Haynes says in the introduction, “we create gods that reflect us and the way we see ourselves,” which is messy, complicated, and inherently human.

I always thoroughly enjoy Natalie Haynes’ books. I always end up learning things!
Her writing style is so educational but the farthest thing from dry - so refreshing!

Surprisingly a lot drier than other books by Haynes (and other books in the genre) - I learned a lot, but sections often felt more like a textbook than a novel. Still, it was a treat to gain deeper insight into the history of mythology.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read.

Honestly anything that has to do with Greek mythology I’ll pick up and read. So this was an auto grab for me. This is definitely a fantastic book for people wanting to get into Greek mythology and a nice refresher for someone who is into it.

It’s lovely having a female writer in the Greek myth world where it’s mostly written by men. Natalie continues to do a great job with Greek stories.

(4/5 stars) While you may know Natalie Haynes from her fiction books like A Thousand Ships or Stone Blind, this work is broader and more about the female goddesses of Greek mythology: the Muses, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Hestia, Athene and the Furies. It is obvious upon reading that Haynes isn't just knowledgeable of Greek myth, she is simply saturated with it. I appreciated her wide appreciation of source literature as well as her bringing in modern depictions as well. This book strikes me as more academic than her other books, but is still a worthwhile read for anyone who appreciates Greek mythology, especially those who are interested in how women are depicted.

Honestly anything that has to do with Greek mythology I’ll pick up and read. So this was an auto grab for me and I will be adding it to my personal shelf. This is definitely a fantastic book for people wanting to get into Greek mythology and a nice refresher for someone who is into it.

It’s lovely having a female writer in the Greek myth world where it’s mostly written by men. Natalie continues to do a great job with Greek stories. Beautiful, funny and insightful.

My favorite sections were Demeter and Hestia.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love Natalie Haynes and Greek mythology so I was super excited to read this one. She's been writing books for a while so whether its fiction or nonfiction, Haynes always brings her best most polished work. Most of Greek mythology really focuses on the men to the point that even the female goddesses usually take a back seat to the narrative. It was refreshing to get a more female focused view of Greek mythology and it's history.

10/10 would recommend :)

i enjoyed this deep dive on these selected Goddesses. My favorite was the section on Demeter. I love Natalie Hayne's writing and sense of humor.

I really love it, engaging at all times. Very intresting story I didn’t knew. I’m a fan of Greek mythology and this book didn’t disappoint.

I love a good myth retold by a female perspective and with a female centric focus. The goddesses have always been just as amorous, jealous, and dangerous as the gods.

I loved learning about the goddesses in Greek myth from a modern, feminist perspective. I read this in print and listened to parts. I preferred it in audio, as the author has a sense of humor and a lovely British accent. There are a few pictures in the book, but I personally still find the audio superior.

The author paints vivid pictures of women in myths, and questions whether widely held beliefs about those women are true when looked at with a modern lens.

I'm not generally interested in mythology, but I learned something and was entertained, and that's a win.

Thank you NetGalley, LibroFM, and the publisher for the ARC. I shared this with one of our book groups.

Thanks for an arc netgalley!
Natalie Haynes is very, very funny.
This collection of essays on various women figures in Greek mythology that's very accessible for those with little prior knowledge and new perspectives for those with more. Woven in the text is a clear love and deep knowledge of the women in question as well as smart commentary on the state of women today.

The only thing keeping this from being a five is that I wish the essays had been a little more connected. The overarching theme is kind of just... women. And it's really great for what it is, and some are a little tied together, but I would have appreciated connecting the essays just a little more to bring it all together.

Greek mythology was filled with drama and that was perfectly reflected in relations between gods themselves and their attitude towards people. "Divine Might" invites readers to ponder timeless questions about the nature of divinity, humanity, and the human condition. Through the stories of the goddesses, Haynes explores themes of love, jealousy, vengeance, and redemption, offering readers a rich tapestry of mythological wisdom to contemplate.

I was a little bit disappointed by this book - it fell flat for me, though I was excited about the premise.