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yourwoes's review
5.0
Mal davon abgesehen wie wunderschön die Deutsche Edition ist, fand ich die Übersetzung richtig gut. Normalerweise lese ich auf Englisch, weil mir die Deutschen Übersetzungen meist nicht liegen; aber ich war positiv überrascht mit Galatea. Wundervoll, dass der Mythos weiter ausgebaut wurde, auch wenn das Buch nicht allzu lang ist, finde ich, dass die Gesichte gut rüberkommt. Emotional und regt zum nachdenken an.
skconaghan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I loved the idea. As a short story, it satisfies a curiosity, but there was so much more to the character of Galatea I believe the abruptness of the length didn’t allow for justice to her depth.
As a short, it is striking —I think it could have done better as a lengthier short (20,000 rather than 5000 words—or about—perhaps).
kelbitna's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
enitsujn's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think my husband expected me to be able to talk.
galtea is another of madeline miller's feminist retellings. this short story is an interesting take on the myth of galatea and pygmalion in which galatea is not a mute statue. instead, she fights to protect her daughter from her abusive husband.
He wondered at the marks on me, the red around my neck, and the purple on my arms and chest where he had gripped me. He rubbed at them, as though they were stains, not bruises. "The color is perfect," he said, "look." And he held up a mirror so I could see. "You make the rarest canvas, love."
contrary to the other works of madeline miller i have read, the narration felt more clinical and less whimsical and poetic. this kind of narration makes sense for a story like this, and some descriptions were still really nice, but it lacked something.
[...] the room swelled around me like a bruise.
afterthought: i would have loved it if galatea was actually and unreliable narrator. i spent the whole beginning of the story wondering if she was actually crazy or if she actually used to be a statue. however, as you keep reading, it seems clear that galatea is not some crazy woman and that everything she is telling us is true. in my opinion, i think it would have been way cooler to keep the mystery until the very end in order to make us wonder who was actually the bad guy here. i’m not saying i would have rooted for pygmalion if she turned out to be crazy because he was clearly being abusive to his wife, but it would have put some things into perspective.
on the other hand, making it clear that galatea is not some madwoman gives more weight to her story and we root for her even more as we hope she finds a way to emancipate herself from the man who is using her.
galtea is another of madeline miller's feminist retellings. this short story is an interesting take on the myth of galatea and pygmalion in which galatea is not a mute statue. instead, she fights to protect her daughter from her abusive husband.
He wondered at the marks on me, the red around my neck, and the purple on my arms and chest where he had gripped me. He rubbed at them, as though they were stains, not bruises. "The color is perfect," he said, "look." And he held up a mirror so I could see. "You make the rarest canvas, love."
contrary to the other works of madeline miller i have read, the narration felt more clinical and less whimsical and poetic. this kind of narration makes sense for a story like this, and some descriptions were still really nice, but it lacked something.
[...] the room swelled around me like a bruise.
afterthought: i would have loved it if galatea was actually and unreliable narrator. i spent the whole beginning of the story wondering if she was actually crazy or if she actually used to be a statue. however, as you keep reading, it seems clear that galatea is not some crazy woman and that everything she is telling us is true. in my opinion, i think it would have been way cooler to keep the mystery until the very end in order to make us wonder who was actually the bad guy here. i’m not saying i would have rooted for pygmalion if she turned out to be crazy because he was clearly being abusive to his wife, but it would have put some things into perspective.
on the other hand, making it clear that galatea is not some madwoman gives more weight to her story and we root for her even more as we hope she finds a way to emancipate herself from the man who is using her.
sbc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
saranevada's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
madtattler's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
gray's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-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? Yes
4.75
A very short but satisfying retelling of the tale of Pygmalion and Galatea. Where Galatea is often depicted as the object of man's desire without giving her much of a character outside of being beautiful, Madeline Miller crafted a loving mother and a smart woman who would do anything for the happiness of her child, even sacrificing herself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Moderate: Death and Murder
sue_loves_to_read's review against another edition
5.0
In Ancient Greece, a skilled marble sculptor has been blessed by a goddess who has given his masterpiece – the most beautiful woman the town has ever seen – the gift of life. Now his wife, Galatea is expected to be obedience and humility personified, but it is not long before she learns to use her beauty as a form of manipulation. In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, she is locked away under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. But with a daughter to rescue, she is determined to break free, whatever the cost...
A wonderful short story, so good that I read it twice!
A wonderful short story, so good that I read it twice!
babybug898's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0