Review: Monstrous Bitch by Eleanor Johnson

Title: Monstrous Bitch: A History of Terrifying Women
Author: Eleanor Johnson
Publication: October 6, 2026 by Princeton University Press
Genre: Nonfiction, History, Mythology, Gender Studies
Find it on: Princeton University Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Waterstones
Rating: 5/5★

How an ancient myth about a sexually voracious, baby-slaying, loudmouthed demoness became the defining misogynistic archetype of Western civilization

For as long as human societies have been telling stories, the patriarchy has felt threatened by women. In this book, Eleanor Johnson provides an engaging cultural history of a figure she calls the “monstrous bitch,” the notorious female who has haunted the patriarchal imagination for centuries, feared for her sexual promiscuity, her exercise of reproductive agency and control, and her outspoken way of contesting patriarchal power.

In a narrative brimming with insight, Johnson traces the origins of female monstrosity to the demoness Lamashtu of ancient Mesopotamia, showing how this infanticidal, hypersexual, loudmouthed monster appears in different guises throughout history. In classical Greece, she reemerges as the sorceress Medea, the child-devouring monster Lamia, and the vengeful Furies. In the medieval and early modern periods, she is an oversexed, baby-slaying, spellcasting witch; in the Romantic and Victorian eras, a vampiress; and in the modern age of psychoanalysis, a mental patient. After this longue durée history, Johnson shows how monstrous bitchery has been challenged and reinterpreted in contemporary cinematic popular culture, becoming an expression of heroism and resistance in films like The Exorcist, The Hunger, and Species. She demonstrates how deeply embedded the roots of misogyny have become, and why it is more critical today than ever that we expose and address them.

An irreverent look at a pervasive trope that runs through four thousand years of Western culture, Monstrous Bitch reveals that while representations of the powerful woman have evolved over time, the fear and demonization of her remains the same.

Monstrous Bitch: A History of Terrifying Women by Eleanor Johnson explores how the image of the dangerous, monstrous woman has evolved throughout history, from ancient Mesopotamian demons and Greek mythological figures to witches, vampires and women in modern horror films. Despite the different forms this figure has taken throughout history, the underlying fear of women who challenge patriarchal expectations has remained remarkably consistent. Needless to say, I found this book absolutely fascinating and incredibly thought-provoking, especially considering how relevant many of its themes still are today.

When I started reading this book, I already had a feeling I was going to enjoy it because the subject matter is right up my alley. And I'm very happy to say that I was right! In fact, I ended up loving it even more than I initially expected. It's always incredible to be able to say this about a highly anticipated book.

The first part of the book explores the ancient Mediterranean world and its demons and goddesses, from ancient Mesopotamia to Greece and Rome. Obviously, I absolutely loved this section. It was hardly a surprise, considering how much I enjoy ancient history and mythology. I ate it right up! Figures in this portion of the book like Lamashtu and Lilitu were particularly interesting to read about, especially in the context of how female sexuality, reproductive power and independence were associated with danger and monstrosity.

Another section focused on the silver screen and the portrayal of monstrous women in modern films. I honestly didn't expect to enjoy this part as much as I did since the focus lay on films and the modern world of today but I ended up being just as fascinated by it all. This really says a lot about the author's ability to make even the subjects I was less familiar with so engaging.

The final section, titled Back to Babylon, takes us back to ancient Mesopotamia and introduces us to Enheduanna, the world's earliest known author. Enheduanna has always been a favorite and special historical figure to me so I obviously loved this. I also found this a particularly interesting way to bring the book full circle, returning to the ancient world where the story of the monstrous women began. Monstrous Bitch: A History of Terrifying Women by Eleanor Johnson truly was a fascinating blend of history, mythology and feminist perspectives. I really can't recommend it enough!

About the author:

Professor Johnson specializes in late medieval literature, medieval theology, the history of environmental thought, horror, film, and feminism. She has published three books on the Middle Ages: Practicing Literary Theory in the Late Middle Ages: Ethics and the Mixed Form in Chaucer, Gower, Usk, and Hoccleve (Chicago 2013); Dramatizing Contemplation: Participatory Theology in Middle English Prose, Verse, and Drama (Chicago 2018); and Waste and the Wasters: Poetry and Ecosystemic Thought in Medieval England (Chicago 2023). Scream with Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism (Atria 2025) analyzes the relationship between horror films and feminism in the 1970s and 2020s. Monstrous Bitch: A History of Terrifying Women (Princeton 2026) analyzes the 4000 year history of the demonization of women by western patriarchy. Her forthcoming book Mother of Frankenstein (Atria 2027) looks at the shaping influence of Mary Shelley's novel on 21st-century cinematic feminism.

Columbia University | Goodreads

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Wally by Rich Cohen

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read.
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Wally: Egon Schiele and the Story of a Portrait that Changed the World by Rich Cohen

Expected publication: July 13, 2027 by Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster

An engrossing work of narrative nonfiction that reads like a novel, Wally traces the strange journey of a single picture—from its creation in the ateliers of fin de siècle Vienna to its theft by a Nazi on the eve of the Second World War, to its emergence decades later at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, to the legal battle championed by some of America’s most legendary prosecutors.

Painted by Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele in 1912, Portrait of Wally—often called the Mona Lisa of Austria—depicts the artist's lover and muse, Walburga “Wally” Neuzil. It emerged from the studio of a painter once dismissed as degenerate and immoral, and its power has held admirers in its thrall ever since.

Among its earliest and most devoted owners was Lea Bondi, the Jewish gallerist who bought the painting in 1925 and hung it in her Vienna apartment—until a rival dealer, a Nazi, took it from her home. She spent the rest of her life trying to get it back. Its provenance obscured, Wally passed among crafty dealers and collectors until 1997, when it turned up at the Museum of Modern Art on loan from the Viennese collector Rudolf Leopold. A bombshell New York Times article accused the museum of hanging Nazi-looted art on its walls.

What followed was “the case that launched a thousand lawsuits”: a thirteen-year saga of prosecutors and defense attorneys, reversals, seizures, and tantrums that engulfed museum directors and billionaire collectors alike. At its heart was a multigenerational effort, led by a group of women working across decades, to right an old injustice.

The fight for restitution put the art world under a microscope, exposing the greed and hypocrisy teeming beneath its surface. The painting came to stand for everything—beauty, money, betrayal. Binding the story together is the dream of Vienna as the glowing capital of art and ideas it was before fascism destroyed one of the world's most vibrant Jewish communities. Told in vivid, heartbreaking detail by New York Times bestselling author Rich Cohen, Wally shows how, in pursuing the painting, the Bondi family was pursuing a mirage.

I have many niche interests and the art of Egon Schiele (1890-1918) is one of them. Schiele's Portrait of Wally is one of my favorite works of art so this book sounds very interesting to read!

What book are you awaiting today?

Review: How the World Made the West by Josephine Quinn

Title: How the World Made the West: A 4,000 Year History
Author: Josephine Quinn
Publication: February 29, 2024 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: Nonfiction, History
Find it on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Google Play | Apple Books
Rating: 3/5★

The West, history tells us, was built on the ideas and values of Ancient Greece and Rome, which disappeared from Europe during the Dark Ages and were then rediscovered by the Renaissance. But what if that isn't true? What if the story is very different?

In this bold and magisterial work of immense scope, Josephine Quinn reveals a new one that traces the relationships that built what is now called the West from the Bronze Age to the Age of Exploration, as societies met, tangled and sometimes grew apart. She makes the case that it is contact and connections, rather than distinct and isolated civilisations, that drive historical change. It is not peoples that make history – people do.

How the World Made the West by historian and archaeologist Josephine Quinn is an exploration of how different cultures and societies (especially non-Western ones) shaped Western history through their interactions, connections and exchange of ideas over thousands of years.

While I enjoyed the majority of the book, it's quite a hefty and information-packed read of 576 pages with many historical names, dates and details that it was easy to get a bit lost along the way. It did take some concentration to keep track of everything and some chapters definitey blended together. But it was nevertheless fascinating to see how different cultures and societies influenced one another more than you'd think.

I found the chapters covering the period from the Bronze Age through to the Roman Age particularly interesting. These were the parts I enjoyed reading the most, which didn't come as a big surprise to me as I'm always most drawn to those periods anyway. It was nice to revisit these eras of history through Josephine Quinn even if some parts could be a little heavy to read.

Overall, How the World Made the West: A 4,000 Year History by Josephine Quinn was an interesting read that gave me a different perspective on how history has been shaped by connections between cultures. And although it was sometimes difficult to keep track of all the historical details, list of facts and the many dates, I'm glad I read it and came away with plenty of new insights.

About the author:

Josephine Crawley Quinn is an Irish historian and archaeologist, working across ancient Mediterranean history. Appointed on 1 January 2025, she is the first woman to hold the Professorship of Ancient History at the University of Cambridge, and is a fellow at St. John's College. Quinn was previously Professor of Ancient History in the Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford and Martin Frederiksen Fellow and Tutor in Ancient History at Worcester College, University of Oxford.

St John's College | Instagram | Goodreads