Book Review: ‘Medusa’ by Rosie Hewlett

Book Title: Medusa
Author: Rosie Hewlett
Publisher: Bantam
Number of Pages: 288
ISBN: 978-0857507785
Date Published: Sept. 4, 2025
Price: INR 658

Book Review

Rosie Hewlett’s “Medusa” is a fierce and deeply moving retelling that finally gives voice to one of Greek mythology’s most misunderstood figures. Told entirely from Medusa’s perspective, this book shatters the ancient image of the Gorgon as a monster and instead presents her as a woman wronged, silenced, and vilified by the cruelty of gods and men. From her abandonment at birth to her tragic death at the hands of Perseus, Medusa recounts her story with a blend of sorrow, wit, and biting honesty. What emerges is not the tale of a villain, but of a survivor reclaiming her truth after centuries of misrepresentation.

The writing is raw, intimate, and strikingly modern. Medusa often breaks the fourth wall, addressing readers directly in a voice that swings between lyrical and conversational, giving the ancient myth a haunting immediacy. Through her narration, the emotional weight of betrayal, rage, and grief is rendered with heart-wrenching clarity. Each scene brims with atmosphere—from the cold halls of Olympus to the dark loneliness of Medusa’s exile—and the result is a story that feels both timeless and urgent. The book’s brevity may leave readers wanting more, but its poetic precision ensures that every page resonates.

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“Medusa” is not merely a myth retold—it’s an act of reclamation. In giving Medusa her own voice, Hewlett transforms her from a symbol of monstrosity into one of resilience and defiance. This is a story for every reader who has ever felt unheard or unfairly judged, and for every woman who has had to fight to reclaim her narrative. A haunting, feminist reimagining, “Medusa” invites us to see beyond the myth and finally listen to the woman behind the legend.

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