Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Galatea by Madeline Miller

107 reviews

shayna14's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

this would get 5 stars if it was a little longer and expanded on what happened after the ending. 

more specifically, i would love to see what happened to pygmalion after he died in the realm of Hades, and if galatea would go to the underworld as well even though it seems that she turned back to stone. i'd imagine she had a soul because she lived for a time not being a statue and could think/speak for herself.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicide, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual content, Abortion, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Drug abuse

crystxlxsxd's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Gorgeously written, loved it and the afterword

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Confinement, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Abortion, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

emilybarbian's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse

beancastro's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Abortion, Misogyny, and Forced institutionalization

raptorq's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Violence and Sexual violence

Minor: Sexual content

totsfions's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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? No

4.25

Galatea was one of my favorite Greek myths as a child, although the version I was first introduced to differed wildly from the Ovid version that this retelling is a response to. Because it was so dear to me, the opening of this story had me very conflicted. The more it went one however, the more enveloped in this version I became. The relationship between Galatea and Paphos was moving. While I will always have a place in my heart for the version I grew up with, the power of this story cannot be denied, and I am glad to have read it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical trauma, Sexism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Excrement

sofi237b's review against another edition

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

Touched a part of my soul, I didn't know needed to be touched.
The afterword is incredible, and I will always love women who shines a light on, and supports suppressed women 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse

huntress's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Suicide, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Rape, and Misogyny

Minor: Incest and Abortion

ssp_amax's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

1.0

What a strange read.

Like most people, I'm a fan of Miller's work (especially Song of Achilles), but this short story was just weird and off the mark. 

Miller's story is a contemporary retelling of the Pygmalion myth. In the original myth, Pygmalion, a sculptor, creates the perfect woman out of ivory as a response to his disdain of prostitutes. Aphrodite brings his creation to life, and the two marry and have a child (and live happily ever after).

By comparison, this short story is told from the perspective of Galatea as she is interned in what appears to be a psychiatric hospital. We learn that her husband, Pygmalion, has put her there after she tried to escape from him. Pygmalion is shown to be an abusive, controlling man with a penchant for young girls below the age of 15 (yikes).

This story is hailed by many as a feminist take on the myth, but Galatea's brand of feminism is strange at best. She grovels, begs, and apologizes to the male doctor and her husband continuously, which you could argue that she's "playing the game" when she does so, but it comes off as cringeworthy instead. She often returns to her 'original state' of being a stone statue as a sort of defense mechanism, but this only seems to be contrary to the feminist message she is supposed to embody.  

As for the 'twist' at the end, I'm not sure it's as impactful as what it pretends to be.

Galatea sacrifices herself for her own freedom, which is ironic. Murder is hardly the feminist response we want to encourage. Though she is portrayed as a loving mother throughout the story, the ending contradicts this as she now leaves her daughter orphaned.

All in all, this short story just wasn't it for me in terms of what I've come to expect out of Miller's work.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, and Death

Minor: Abortion

mcc004's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Attempted forced abortion