Customer Reviews

Amazon Story Bones

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a lovely, wonderful retelling of the myths I was forced to grow up hearing. We all know that the victors write the tales of what happened and it's great to finally have another viewpoint. As a woman, I have always longed for stories that would bring me pride...for heroes of my own gender to look up to and admire. As a mother, I have despaired of finding good role models for my daughters to grow on...women who were not wimpy things at the whim of others. I have finally found the answer to my search. And all I can say is BRAVA!

This easy flowing story introduces us into the Amazon lifestyle as seen by a wannabe novice exploring the last icons of a glorious age. This tale is delightful, educational, inventive, and suitable for all ages. I enjoyed this book...lent it to another who lent it to another. I get the feeling if I want it back, I will need to order another copy.

I won't repeat my published review of this book here, you may find that from the Women's Classical Caucus. Instead let me just say that I cannot agree with the high praise other reviewers of this collection have given here on Amazon.com. There are two primary reasons for my lower evaluation. First, as an ancient history who focuses on mythology and women, I must say that I found the retellings of the classical myths to be lacking in an understanding of the culture which created them. If one wants to believe in an ancient matriarchy, fine, but don't expect such opinions to be valued by historians or classicists. I think the idea to retell the stories from a female point of view is great but I don't think ancient women would have such a political agenda as seems evident in this collection. Secondly, the bulk of the stories follow one young woman's adventures among two wandering Amazons during a time when things are changing for the tribe/nation of women. I wish more time had been spent on the characters, the plot, anything because I did not feel enough time was devoted to the characters to create empathy with them -- a mark of good fiction in my opinion. However, if one enjoys feminist retellings and a bit of weak lesbian tension, then the book may be worth your time and money.

The following is a paper written for a class called: Feminist Approaches to Classical Literature. Of the three categories of analysis of Amazonism established in Batya Weinbaum's Islands of Women and Amazons (IWA), Reclamation, Revitalization, and Reaction, Amazon Story Bones (ASB) is most strongly in the Reclamation category. IWA describes the way in which authors are reclamationist: "those struggling to improve the situation of women use the Amazon motif as a form of reclamation of Women's lost power." Our current dominant culture devalues specific qualities in women: Not being skinny/taking up space, anger (displayed in the face), and oldness. Amazon story bones reclaims these values in women. It does not look at these qualities as negative and even finds them positive, and following are examples of that. On not being skinny or taking up space: "Stronger worked the loam with a back as wide as a valley." Arachne's storytelling loom - our stories take up a lot of room - the whole sky, and Arachne's going to tell the whole story (there was no color for secrecy). Then there is Marpessa, whose width is comforting, like a fire: "a wide body filled the whole cave entrance, and inside turned dark as night." There is power in her actual physical person - she takes up space. " ' Marpessa' she said and crossed her arms over the wide shelf of her breasts." She speaks with authority and her body speaks her authority also. Her bigness does not make her asexual - she bears children from two different men of her choosing, although neither is her real love. On being an old woman: Marpessa says my braids are "white as dandelion puffs and people call me old woman. 'Hey old woman,' but I wear it like a crown. Old woman, wise blood." And there is love and even sex between two old women, Marpessa and Melanippe, one of whom is not skinny! In our current culture, one would hear a lover's approach in the clicking of her high heels across the floor. Marpessa comes to us "shuffle - shuffle." She is old! Melanippe falls asleep shortly after Marpessa's arrival and then Marpessa falls asleep, too. They are old! And they have sex and their vaginas are described as lovepears. Old women's vaginas are described tenderly, appealingly, sexually. This is not done in the dominant culture of today. On anger: In our culture, there is the glamorous and traditional "angry young man" like Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas, but there is no positive or glamorous angry young woman - no cultural mirror for us (old or young) and no positive examples. ASB gives us stories in which women's anger gives them power. On Medusa angry: "Her eyes flared into burning coals, fangs pushed over her lips, and her curls writhed like snakes. Her shoulder blades sprouted wings," (Medusa can even fly when she is angry!) "and her brazen hands curled into claws. She would stick out her tongue and hiss until the unlucky intruder stood stone-still and breathless." The image of angry Medusa is awe-inspiring, like looking at a thunderstorm - to which one would give respect. In Pegasus's story, the Chimera first shows us what her anger looks like and then she instructs on anger. The Chimera is angry with Pegasus, but she doesn't push him away from her. His head is comfortingly buried in her mane and "her heartbeat rang solid through his bones." Then on her anger: "the cave entrance was rubble," "the mountain raged. Time passed. The fury dwindled. Then silence." Not only can Chimera's face betray her anger (as is not approved of in our culture), but her anger is an element in nature which exists. Chimera then instructs Pegasus: "When you are outraged, rage out. When you are offended, be so. A cloak of skin wears well with friends, but know when to put on the mail." ASB goes back to an old setting and creates a fiction in which the values are different from those of the dominant culture. In particular, ASB fits IWA's description of Reclamationist writing that fills in "what the author perceives as the void in contemporary culture" and gives value to traits that are undervalued by the dominant culture.

Of the three categories of analysis of Amazonism established in Batya Weinbaum's Islands of Women and Amazons (IWA), Reclamation, Revitalization, and Reaction, Amazon Story Bones (ASB) is most strongly in the Reclamation category. IWA describes the way in which authors are reclamationist: "those struggling to improve the situation of women use the Amazon motif as a form of reclamation of Women's lost power." Our current dominant culture devalues specific qualities in women: Not being skinny/taking up space, anger (displayed in the face), and oldness. Amazon story bones reclaims these values in women. It does not look at these qualities as negative and even finds them positive, and following are examples of that. On not being skinny or taking up space: "Stronger worked the loam with a back as wide as a valley." Arachne's storytelling loom - our stories take up a lot of room - the whole sky, and Arachne's going to tell the whole story (there was no color for secrecy). Then there is Marpessa, whose width is comforting, like a fire: "a wide body filled the whole cave entrance, and inside turned dark as night." There is power in her actual physical person - she takes up space. " ' Marpessa' she said and crossed her arms over the wide shelf of her breasts." She speaks with authority and her body speaks her authority also. Her bigness does not make her asexual - she bears children from two different men of her choosing, although neither is her real love. On being an old woman: Marpessa says my braids are "white as dandelion puffs and people call me old woman. 'Hey old woman,' but I wear it like a crown. Old woman, wise blood." And there is love and even sex between two old women, Marpessa and Melanippe, one of whom is not skinny! In our current culture, one would hear a lover's approach in the clicking of her high heels across the floor. Marpessa comes to us "shuffle - shuffle." She is old! Melanippe falls asleep shortly after Marpessa's arrival and then Marpessa falls asleep, too. They are old! And they have sex and their vaginas are described as lovepears. Old women's vaginas are described tenderly, appealingly, sexually. This is not done in the dominant culture of today. On anger: In our culture, there is the glamorous and traditional "angry young man" like Bob Dylan or Dylan Thomas, but there is no positive or glamorous angry young woman - no cultural mirror for us (old or young) and no positive examples. ASB gives us stories in which women's anger gives them power. On Medusa angry: "Her eyes flared into burning coals, fangs pushed over her lips, and her curls writhed like snakes. Her shoulder blades sprouted wings," (Medusa can even fly when she is angry!) "and her brazen hands curled into claws. She would stick out her tongue and hiss until the unlucky intruder stood stone-still and breathless." The image of angry Medusa is awe-inspiring, like looking at a thunderstorm - to which one would give respect. In Pegasus's story, the Chimera first shows us what her anger looks like and then she instructs on anger. The Chimera is angry with Pegasus, but she doesn't push him away from her. His head is comfortingly buried in her mane and "her heartbeat rang solid through his bones." Then on her anger: "the cave entrance was rubble," "the mountain raged. Time passed. The fury dwindled. Then silence." Not only can Chimera's face betray her anger (as is not approved of in our culture), but her anger is an element in nature which exists. Chimera then instructs Pegasus: "When you are outraged, rage out. When you are offended, be so. A cloak of skin wears well with friends, but know when to put on the mail." ASB goes back to an old setting and creates a fiction in which the values are different from those of the dominant culture. In particular, ASB fits IWA's description of Reclamationist writing that fills in "what the author perceives as the void in contemporary culture" and gives value to traits that are undervalued by the dominant culture.