Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology – Jess Zimmerman

Celebrating Women’s History Month

Out this week!

I cannot get enough of the current trend of interspersing researched non-fiction with personal reflection (Some favorites: Fish Don’t Exist by Lulu Miller; and The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara). Women and Other Monsters is a welcome addition to this genre. This book looks at the ways female monsters in Greek Mythology influences contemporary culture. Zimmerman brings an element of memoir to each of the essays in this collection.  Each piece discusses a mythological monster and a corresponding modern story, illustrating the ways women have been consistently vilified.  As in the original tellings, each monster highlights a particular element that is reflected in modern life.  For example, Medusa speaks to ideas about beauty, while the Furies exemplify women’s rage.  Looking at the myriad ways women are demonized, Zimmerman urges us to reclaim these traits as tools to help cope with and combat the prejudice and oppression of modern life.