A review by lacrimaeignis
Galatea by Madeline Miller

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

The story of Galatea and Pygmalion is one that has always been a source of controversy for many. Madeline Miller's version tells the story from Galatea's perspective and allows Galatea to have a hand in her own destiny rather than being forced to abide by Pygmalion's desires. It would have been interesting to see how things would have played out in a full novel version of the story but the short definitely covers everything it needed to. With it being a short story, it echoes the tradition of many mythological sources especially Ovid's Metamorphoses which Miller was inspired by for this retelling.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting