Audiobooks by Natalie Haynes

No Friend To This House: A Gripping Feminist Retelling of Greek Myth From the Bestselling Author of

"No Friend to This House is an extraordinary reimagining of the myth of Medea, written and read by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes. 'Haynes is the modern embodiment of the best of Homer' - Radio Times This is what no one tells you, in the songs sung about Jason and the Argo. This part of his quest has been forgotten, by everyone but me . . . Jason and his Argonauts set sail to find the Golden Fleece. The journey is filled with danger, for him and everyone he meets. But if he ever reaches the distant land he seeks, he faces almost certain death. Medea - priestess, witch, and daughter of a brutal king - has the power to save the life of a stranger. Will she betray her family and her home, and what will she demand in return? Medea and Jason seize their one chance of a life together, as the gods intend. But their love is steeped in vengeance from the beginning, and no one - not even those closest to them - will be safe. Based on the classic tragedy by Euripides, this is Medea as you've never seen her before . . . Praise for Natalie Haynes: 'Witty, gripping, ruthless' - Margaret Atwood on Stone Blind 'Fiercely feminist . . . A many-layered delight' - The Guardian on A Thousand Ships 'Passionate and gripping' - Madeline Miller on The Children of Jocasta"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

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Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics: Series 9-11: Further Comical Tales from Ancient Greece an

"Three more series of Natalie Haynes’ BBC Radio 4 show combining comedy with classicism – plus Christmas special ‘Saturnalia’ ‘Rock star mythologist’ and reformed comedian Natalie Haynes is obsessed with the ancient world. Here, she explores key tales from the classical era that still have resonance today. Whether biographical, mythological or epic, they are always hilarious and revelatory – and they tell us more about contemporary humanity than seems possible of stories from several thousand years ago. Series 9 sees her standing up for Martial, whose satirical epigrams were both perfectly crafted and absolutely filthy; recounting the powerful story of Demeter's fight to get justice for her daughter Persephone; profiling the charismatic and bloodthirsty Athene, goddess of wisdom, war and...handicrafts; and looking at Livia, the first Empress of Rome and faithful wife to Augustus, who has gone down in history as a serial killer. In Series 10, she discusses Cleopatra, (brilliant and charismatic, but probably not an Elizabeth Taylor lookalike); Hesiod (cataloguer of the gods and author of a flatpack wagon manual); and Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty, who is mostly depicted naked and/or wet). Examining Artemis, she discovers that the celebrated huntress was not averse to the odd human sacrifice; and investigating Aesop, she finds that everything we think we know about this famous fable writer is contradicted somewhere. And it’s a similar story with Tacitus, whose fascinating works are long on persuasive prose, but short on evidence… Two tales of Alexandria open Series 11, as Natalie goes on to tell the stories of the Nine Earthly Muses; Hera, queen of the Olympian gods; the Roman love poet Catullus; and the overlooked ‘domestic goddess’ Hestia. And in a tour de force solo performance, Natalie takes on Virgil's great poem ‘The Aeneid’ in 28 minutes... and wins. Joining Natalie for some witty conversation and well-informed analysis are guest experts including Robin Ince, Adam Rutherford, Dan Snow and Edith Hall. Also included is a special festive show, ‘Saturnalia’, in which Natalie celebrates the midwinter festival of Ancient Rome, described by Catullus as ‘the best of days’, in the company of André Vincent and Professor Llewelyn Morgan. Expect anarchy, jokes, cross-dressing, sweets, drinking games and the wearing of traditional pointy hats... Production credits Presented by Natalie Haynes Music by Sarah Gabriel and Sarah Angliss Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery and Beth O’Dea Special guests: Professor Llewelyn Morgan, Robin Ince, Dr Emma Southon, Jane Draycott, Professor Edith Hall, Alicia Stallings, Dr Adam Rutherford, Dan Snow, André Vincent, Dr Islam Issa, Nikita Gill and Dr Daisy Dunn First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 November-19 December 2023 (Series 9), 8 July-12 August 2024 (Series 10), 24 December 2024 (‘Saturnalia’), 22 July-2 September 2025 (Series 11) © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Las miradas de Medusa

"La vida de la infame Medusa como nunca te la habían contado «Ingeniosa, apasionante y despiadada.» Margaret Atwood «Hermoso y conmovedor.» Neil Gaiman Gran conocedora del mundo antiguo, Natalie Haynes lleva años acercando en sus novelas los mitos clásicos a cientos de miles de personas desde una perspectiva contemporánea. Esta vez le toca el turno a Medusa, la única mortal en una familia de dioses, la Gorgona con serpientes en lugar de pelo cuya mirada podía convertir en piedra a un ser vivo y que sería decapitada por Perseo. Así es como la leyenda nos ha llegado hasta hoy, pero ¿qué pasaría, se pregunta Haynes, si todo lo que se ha dicho hasta ahora sobre ella estuviera equivocado? Medusa crece con sus hermanas, Esteno y Euríale, y pronto descubre, por los cuidados que todo el mundo le procura, que no sólo es más bella que las otras dos, sino también más vulnerable. Es sensible, llena de una compasión que los inmortales no pueden comprender y preferirían aniquilar. Cuando la codicia lleva a Poseidón, el dios del mar, a cometer un acto imperdonable en el templo de Atenea, la vida de Medusa cambia para siempre: indignada y celosa, Atenea descarga su venganza sobre ella transformándola en un monstruo de pelo de serpiente y mirada petrificante. Horrorizada por sus poderes, Medusa ya no puede mirar a las personas que ama sin destruirlas y se condena a la soledad y el exilio… al menos hasta que Perseo, hijo de Zeus y Dánae, se embarca en una persecución para cobrarse su cabeza. Capaz de romper barreras intelectuales y generacionales, Natalie Haynes aporta en esta fascinante novela empatía y matices a una de las primeras historias en las que una mujer es culpada, castigada y reprendida por los abusos de un dios todopoderoso, y nos ofrece una nueva versión de este sobrecogedor mito de rabiosa actualidad. La crítica ha dicho: «Haynes tiene la habilidad de Robert Graves». Jacinto Antón, El País «Ingeniosa, apasionante y despiadada.» Margaret Atwood «Hermoso y conmovedor.» Neil Gaiman «Una maestra en su oficio.» The Telegraph «La vibrante voz que anima esta novela se siente a la vez mordazmente posmoderna y llena de antigua sabiduría.» The Observer «Haynes ha encontrado la manera de utilizar toda su erudición clásica y su vívido sentido del potencial de las historias del pasado, siendo al mismo tiempo extraordinariamente amena.» The Guardian «Una feroz exploración feminista escrita con agudeza y empatía. Haynes hace que los clásicos sean brutalmente actuales.» Glamour «La encarnación moderna de lo mejor de Homero.» Radio Times «Chispeante, juguetona y muy entretenida.» The Times «Una narración perspicaz que replantea la historia de Medusa de la mitología griega como una historia de vergüenza hacia las víctimas.» Publishers Weekly"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Sandra Benito Roca (Narrator)

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[Spanish] - Las mil naves

"Una novela magistral sobre la guerra de Troya contada desde una perspectiva femenina. «Ésta nunca ha sido la historia de una mujer, ni de dos: es la de todas». En plena noche, una mujer se despierta y observa que su amada ciudad está envuelta en llamas. Los diez años de conflicto entre griegos y troyanos, que parecían no tener fin, quedan atrás, con Troya reducida a cenizas. Desde las mujeres troyanas, cuyos destinos ahora están en manos de los griegos, hasta la princesa amazona que, en nombre de ellas, luchó contra Aquiles, pasando por Penélope, que espera el regreso de Ulises, o las tres diosas con cuya contienda empezó todo... Éstas son las fabulosas historias de unas mujeres envueltas en una guerra legendaria y marcadas por sus terribles secuelas. La crítica ha dicho... «Con la pasión que la caracteriza, su ingenio y un feminismo intenso, Natalie Haynes dota de una voz realmente necesaria a las mujeres silenciadas de la guerra de Troya». Madeline Miller, autora de Circe «Absorbente y de un feminismo valiente. [...] Su revisión original de los clásicos es una delicia de múltiples capas». The Guardian «Haynes es una maestra de su oficio. [...] Consigue insuflar pasión vital a algunas de nuestras leyendas más antiguas para demostrar cómo han cambiado las relaciones humanas y las emociones más elementales». The Telegraph «Una historia feminista ingeniosa sobre el sufrimiento, el coraje y la entereza de las mujeres. La frescura de la versión moderna de Haynes de una historia antigua es perfecta para nuestros tiempos». Booklist «Esta vívida reinvención [de la Guerra de Troya] bien vale el viaje». Library Journal «Una apasionante obra maestra del feminismo». Deborah Frances-White, The Guilty Feminist «Este libro no se limita a reconocer el sufrimiento de las mujeres. De manera vívida, cuenta apasionantes historias de coraje, traición y venganza». The Washington Post «Hábil y muy bien tramada. [...] A través de detalles muy evocativos, Haynes consigue recrear de forma admirable la vida de las mujeres griegas y troyanas». The New York Times «Un relato cautivador de las vidas de las mujeres de las culturas troyana y griega. [...] Haynes reconstruye con brillantez la visión establecida de la guerra de Troya para plasmar las experiencias de las mujeres.» Publishers Weekly"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Marta Martín Jorcano (Narrator)

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Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth

"Captivatingly read by the author, Natalie Haynes. In Divine Might Natalie Haynes, author of the bestselling Pandora's Jar, returns to the world of Greek myth and this time she examines the role of the goddesses. We meet Athene, who sprang fully formed from her father's head: goddess of war and wisdom, guardian of Athens. We run with Artemis, goddess of hunting and protector of young girls (apart from those she decides she wants as a sacrifice). Here is Aphrodite, goddess of sex and desire - there is no deity more determined and able to make you miserable if you annoy her. And then there's the queen of all the Olympian gods: Hera, Zeus's long-suffering wife, whose jealousy of his dalliances with mortals, nymphs and goddesses lead her to wreak elaborate, vicious revenge on those who have wronged her. We also meet Demeter, goddess of agriculture and mother of the kidnapped Persephone, we sing the immortal song of the Muses and we warm ourselves with Hestia, goddess of the hearth and sacrificial fire. The Furies carry flames of another kind - black fires of vengeance for those who incur their wrath. These goddesses are as mighty, revered and destructive as their male counterparts. Isn't it time we looked beyond the columns of a ruined temple to the awesome power within?"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

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Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics: Series 5-8: More comical tales from Ancient Greece and Ro

"Four more series of Natalie Haynes' BBC Radio 4 show taking a comic look at the ancient world Author, broadcaster and 'rock star classicist' Natalie Haynes is a little bit obsessive about Ancient Greece and Rome. In these four series, she explores some of the most prominent historical and mythological figures from the classical world, telling their stories through a mix of stand-up comedy and conversation. Series 5 asks how much Aristotle knew about elephants' tongues and bivalves on Lesbos; introduces us to Claudia Severa and other Roman-British women; and investigates Suetonius - biographer of the Caesars - and why Augustus used hot nuts to soften the hair on his thighs. Natalie also recounts the original epic story of Homer's The Iliad from memory (complete with magic bra and a very sulky Achilles). In Series 6, Natalie stands up for Helen of Troy (expect new insights into feathery sex); Penthesilea, Amazon warrior queen, (with a natty line in ankle boots); Eurydice (chased by a sex pest and killed by a snake on her wedding day); and Penelope (lots of suitors, but fortunately an adept weaver). Natalie also discusses Medusa, beloved sister and mother (but a hairdresser's nightmare); gives us the lowdown on Pandora (she of the box, which turns out to be a jar); tells the story of Jocasta (still spellbindingly shocking today); and asks whether Clytemnestra was the worst wife in Greek mythology (she murdered her husband, but was a good mother). Guests include Dr Adam Rutherford, Professor Edith Hall, Professor Llewelyn Morgan, Dr Paul Roberts, Anita Anand, and Chris Riddell. Production credits Presented by Natalie Haynes Music by Sarah Gabriel and Sarah Angliss Produced by Mary Ward-Lowery Special guests: Dr Adam Rutherford, Professor Edith Hall, Professor Llewelyn Morgan, Dr Paul Roberts, Anita Anand, and Chris Riddell First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 December 2019-13 January 2020 (Series 5), 17 May-7 June 2020 (Series 6), 18 May-8 June 2021 (Series 7), 13 September-4 October 2022 (Series 8) © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

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Marple: Twelve New Stories

"A brand new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors. Read by Alex Kingston, Adrian Scarborough, Adjoa Andoh, Imogen Stubbs, Alison Steadman, Jodhi May, Chipo Chung, Cathy Tyson, Ramon Tikaram, Tanya Reynolds, Celia Imrie and Miriam Margolyes. This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery. · Naomi Alderman · Leigh Bardugo · Alyssa Cole · Lucy Foley · Elly Griffiths · Natalie Haynes · Jean Kwok · Val McDermid · Karen M. McManus · Dreda Say Mitchell · Kate Mosse · Ruth Ware Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time."

Agatha Christie, Alyssa Cole, Dreda Say Mitchell, Elly Griffiths, Jean Kwok, Karen M. McManus, Kate Mosse, Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, Naomi Alderman, Natalie Haynes, Ruth Ware, Val McDermid (Author), Various (Narrator)

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Stone Blind: the breathtaking Sunday Times bestseller

"Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2023 This audio edition is read by the author, Natalie Haynes. In Stone Blind, the instant Sunday Times bestseller, Natalie Haynes brings the infamous Medusa to life as you have never seen her before. 'Natalie Haynes energizes the melodrama of ancient Greek gods with a divine level of storyteller's flair...Listeners who enjoy transformative retellings of Greek myths will find much to relish in this production.' - AudioFile 'Witty, gripping, ruthless' - Margaret Atwood via Twitter 'Beautiful and moving' - Neil Gaiman 'So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters' Medusa is the sole mortal in a family of gods. Growing up with her Gorgon sisters, she begins to realize that she is the only one who experiences change, the only one who can be hurt. When Poseidon commits an unforgiveable act against Medusa in the temple of Athene, the goddess takes her revenge where she can: on his victim. Medusa is changed forever - writhing snakes for hair and her gaze now turns any living creature to stone. She can look at nothing without destroying it. Desperate to protect her beloved sisters, Medusa condemns herself to a life of shadows. Until Perseus embarks upon a quest to fetch the head of a Gorgon . . ."

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

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Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths

"'Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!' - Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale This audio edition is expertly and enthusiastically read by the author, Natalie Haynes. The Greek myths are among the world's most important cultural building blocks and they have been retold many times, but rarely do they focus on the remarkable women at the heart of these ancient stories. Stories of gods and monsters are the mainstay of epic poetry and Greek tragedy, from Homer to Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, from the Trojan War to Jason and the Argonauts. And still, today, a wealth of novels, plays and films draw their inspiration from stories first told almost three thousand years ago. But modern tellers of Greek myth have usually been men, and have routinely shown little interest in telling women's stories. And when they do, those women are often painted as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil. But Pandora - the first woman, who according to legend unloosed chaos upon the world - was not a villain, and even Medea and Phaedra have more nuanced stories than generations of retellings might indicate. Now, in Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, Natalie Haynes - broadcaster, writer and passionate classicist - redresses this imbalance. Taking Pandora and her jar (the box came later) as the starting point, she puts the women of the Greek myths on equal footing with the menfolk. After millennia of stories telling of gods and men, be they Zeus or Agamemnon, Paris or Odysseus, Oedipus or Jason, the voices that sing from these pages are those of Hera, Athena and Artemis, and of Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Eurydice and Penelope."

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

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A Thousand Ships

"'A gripping feminist masterpiece' Deborah Frances-White Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020 One of the Guardian's and TLS's 'Best Books of 2019' In A Thousand Ships, broadcaster and classicist Natalie Haynes retells the story of the Trojan War from an all-female perspective, for fans of Madeline Miller and Pat Barker. This was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . . In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen. From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women embroiled in the legendary war. Powerfully told from an all-female perspective, in A Thousand Ships Natalie Haynes puts the women, girls and goddesses at the centre of the story. 'With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War' – Madeline Miller, author of Circe"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

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Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics: Series 1-4: A comical guide to Ancient Greece and Rome

"All four series of Natalie Haynes’ BBC Radio 4 show combining comedy with classicism Writer, broadcaster and recovering comedian Natalie Haynes mixes comedy and conversation to bring the ancient world entertainingly up to date in these four radio series. Each episode sees her profiling a key figure from ancient Greece and Rome, and, aided by her special guests, creating a stand-up show around them. Series 1 investigates Petronius and the worst dinner party in history; asks whether Sophocles invented the TV detective with Oedipus; explains how Virgil was responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer; and introduces us to the notorious Aspasia. In Series 2, Natalie stands up for Aristophanes (expect a chorus of frogs and a sex strike); Ovid (featuring frottage at the races); Plato (a bit chunky, but a good wrestler) and Agrippina (pretty well connected and handy with the purse strings). Series 3 discusses Sappho, whose scorching poetry is now mainly lost; brings us some thousand-year-old gossip about Cicero; gives us the lowdown on Lucian, the forgotten inventor of science fiction; and tells the story of Juvenal, history’s first great stand-up comedian. Finally, Series 4 explores Phryne, the Greek courtesan famed for her wit and beauty; Horace, the Roman poet who made friends of enemies through his writing; Euripides, whose Medea still shocks us today; and Livy, who gave us Hannibal crossing the Alps and the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. Guests include Martin Rowson, Richard Dyer, Victoria Rimell, Professor Edith Hall, Frank McGuinness, Andrew Collins, Pamela Helen Stephen, Gordon Cutting, Dr Llewelyn Morgan, Sarah B. Pomeroy, Dr Ian Jenkins, Cate Haste, Rosie Wyles, Fiona Laird, Michael Squire, Philippa Perry, Stella Duffy, LiTTLe MACHiNe, Mark Stephens, Matthew Sweet, Armando Iannucci, Katy Brand, Ben Okri, Mark Ravenhill and Al Murray. Produced by Christine Hall and Mary Ward Lowery A BBC Studios production"

Natalie Haynes (Author), Natalie Haynes (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Children of Jocasta

"In The Children of Jocasta, Natalie Haynes retells the Oedipus and Antigone stories from the perspectives of the women the myths overlooked. My siblings and I have grown up in a cursed house, children of cursed parents . . . Jocasta is just fifteen when she is told that she must marry the King of Thebes, an old man she has never met. Her life has never been her own, and nor will it be, unless she outlives her strange, absent husband. Ismene is the same age when she is attacked in the palace she calls home. Since the day of her parents' tragic deaths a decade earlier, she has always longed to feel safe with the family she still has. But with a single act of violence, all that is about to change. With the turn of these two events, a tragedy is set in motion. But not as you know it."

Natalie Haynes (Author), Kristin Atherton (Narrator)

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