Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Galatea by Madeline Miller

86 reviews

andclay's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Madeline Miller notes in the afterword that she's responding directly to Ovid's account of Pygmalion and Galatea from Metamorphoses and in 56 pages manages to write something so complete and completely devastating you'll think about it forever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny

Minor: Body shaming

place6o_ffct's review

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Murder, Death, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Body shaming, and Gaslighting

thenoboshow's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical content, Murder, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Misogyny, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Incest, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

el_wheel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was beautifully written but also so short and sad and I wanted more, especially of the characters and the mother/daughter relationship 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Body shaming, Suicide, and Murder

ursa_arlo's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Positives. As far as short stories go, this one is very strong. It is a story of a beautiful woman coming into her own as someone who is more than her beauty; she is curious, daring, intelligent and a loving mother. All of which is spoiled by her abusive husband who would rather see her as an obedient object of lust without thoughts or personality. The ending is devastating: while her last act gives her back her agency and stops her from being an object of lust, it also deprives her of the future she deserves. 

Negatives. This story would have worked better as an addition to a collection or anthology. Ovid's stories are well known for connecting back to a larger theme. If you want to thoroughly critique Ovid's work, creating an anthology with an overarching theme would be the way to go. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

quarkie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

I picked up this book based on a recommendation from the New York Times "Read Like the Wind" newsletter. It was one of two physically small books described that week, and it is small! 6" by 4", and about 50 pages long.

Honestly, I'm sort of glad it wasn't any longer. It didn't have to be, to get its main point across. The world that Galatea lives in is horrifying, and was very uncomfortable to read about. It is even worse to think how near this fiction is to reality: women being seen by men, their partners, their families, or society as a whole as nothing but property, and used as such. That it would be much better if they were silent and simply did as they were told. And how everyone - professionals, other women, strangers - all help uphold this role.

That said, it was beautifully written. Galatea's voice is clear, strong, and very matter-of-fact. To hear this story solely through her eyes is powerful. her reclamation of her own is ending is powerful.

Overall, it made me look forward to reading more by this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexism, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Confinement

Moderate: Body shaming, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia

eclipsee's review

dark reflective sad tense fast-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? N/A

4.75

A very short read but very gripping. I loved how Madeline was able to capture something so cruel yet real in this symbolic re-telling. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Body shaming

glossworld's review

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

female rage is real and should include violence

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Rape, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death and Physical abuse

Minor: Miscarriage, Abortion, and Body shaming

editorsansserif's review

sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual content, Death, Emotional abuse, Abortion, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Body shaming and Cursing

shanieshira's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I truly have no words. All I can say is this was emotional, haunting, and absolutely beautiful. The writing was poetic, and it was one of the instances the audiobook did it justice. In the short time it took to listen to the audiobook, it made me feel so much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Domestic abuse