3 New Novels That Let Legendary Ladies Speak for Themselves
Classic legends tend to be classics for a reason; there’s something in the story that’s engaging and appealing, and that captures our imagination for decades, centuries, even millennia. At the heart of many legends are women, but the classic version of these stories generally leave the women as ciphers, fodder for a reader’s projection of dreams and insecurities. Was Lizzie Borden a victim or a villain? Either way, can she be reduced to a nursery rhyme? Did Sleeping Beauty actually have any agency, or is she a prop caught between a curse and a savior? And what was really behind Circe’s seduction of Odysseus, beyond the temptress archetype? These three new books in this week’s book club update the legendary tales and give their women a voice.