Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Galatea by Madeline Miller

32 reviews

luminifera's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Ideally, Galatea would

not have died at the end

, but I'll take what I have hahah

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Abortion, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence

It's a very dark book. Galatea describes her sufferings with much detail.

bnelson13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Cute short story. The character of Galatea is interesting. It's not a Greek myth that I am familiar with, so it's nice to read a "new" (new to me) one.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Medical trauma, Murder, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Rape, Physical abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Violence

cloudface's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If you enjoyed Circe, or if you want a sample of Madeline Miller’s work before diving into her full length novels, I highly recommend picking up this short story. It’s a powerful retelling that points out the disturbing implications of the original myth, much Circe and Song of Achilles. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma

divya_s's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abortion, Sexism, Domestic abuse, and Medical trauma

dummehure's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book is absolutely breathtaking in it's horrifying depiction if misogyny and violence towards women and is a brilliant take on the story of Galatea!!! Would recommend to anyone (but strongly urge to check the trigger warnings first!!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Body shaming, Murder, Rape, Violence, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Death, and Abandonment

kayladaila's review

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Medical content, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Pedophilia

Minor: Pregnancy

belladonnashrike's review

dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

god I wish this was a whole book, such a stunning short story 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abortion, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Body shaming and Cursing

littleredhat's review

adventurous emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Pygmalion, one of literature's earliest examples of an incel, rejects the company of women, viewing them as impure harlots, and instead devotes himself to his carved marble statue... later magically brought to life by a goddess. 

"Galatea" takes place around ten years after the protagonist's awakening. Motherhood has (supposedly) diminished her perfect beauty, and while a statue can be controlled, real women cannot, as they think and feel for themselves. Repressed and oppressed by nurses and doctors acting for her husband, Galatea makes a desperate bid to escape from her hateful creator, and to save her daughter in the process.

A great short story from the author of "Circe" - a quick but thoughtful and impactful read.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, Medical content, and Medical trauma

glen3's review

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Misogyny, Rape, and Abortion

Moderate: Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, Murder, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicide

rtaire's review

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Again, I love Madeline Miller's prose; it always captivates me. I liked this dark, feminist interpretation of the Galatea and Pygmalion myth. In some ways, it answers some unpleasant questions that always lingered in the back of my head when I heard the story of a man creating what he perceived to be the perfect woman and said woman coming to life -- like what of her agency and will? Quick read, that I highly recommend if you are in a place to handle the insidious implications that Miller explores.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Body shaming and Medical trauma

Minor: Abortion, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship