Reviews tagging 'Incest'

Galatea by Madeline Miller

9 reviews

dmc3's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this. Very bittersweet ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

lots of forced intimacy

sawdustie's review against another edition

dark sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Incest

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

delphi_oracle's review against another edition

dark informative 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Abortion

Minor: Incest and Pedophilia

adventures_in_bookstagram's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

4.75

I really like 'Galatea'; it felt both modern and timeless in an interesting way. It managed to remind me of The Yellow Wallpaper, being framed around medical misogyny and institutionalisation of the troublesome heroine, while retaining the vaguely ancient Greek setting and invoking very contemporary problems. It's funny how, by sticking close to Ovid's version of the myth, Galatea comes across as a sexbot, disappointing her creator by becoming alive and therefore a sentient, real woman, as well as a sex object. It's a very modern and ancient form of misogyny and Miller makes the connection brilliantly clear without ever having to outright state it. Funnily enough, I've just finished reading Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates (recommended!), which discusses inceldom and MRAs and other forms of extreme online misogyny, so maybe it jumped out to me because the subject was fresh in my mind, but I think it's still pretty clear, and Miller's afterword provides helpful context about the Ovidian myth and misogyny, mentioning incels by name. Which made me laugh, since every time Pygmalion appeared or spoke in the story, my brain screamed "incel!" He's creepy and disturbing and pathetic all at the same time. And Galatea is an excellent protagonist, clever and determined and biding her time. It probably helps that Ruth Wilson is a superb narrator. She has an amazing talent for sounding conciliatory and arch at the same time, the quality of her voice is perfect for the character. I had mixed feelings about the ending, but ultimately found it narratively satisfying. And Galatea gets off a great one-liner. Overall, I think I prefer Galatea to Circe, and I'd definitely recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Minor: Incest, Pedophilia, and Abortion

Pygmalion is implied to have developed a pedophilic interest in young girls and his ten year old daughter specifically, fetishising their virginity and 'purity'. He is condemned by the narrative and galvanises Galatea's escape and the story's eventual climax., including his villain's death. Galatea fakes a pregnancy and is forced to drink an abortifacient against her will, leading to her faking a painful miscarriage as part of her escape plan. It's still a depiction of a forced, painful abortion, which might upset some readers.

fangirljeanne's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

Audio Arc from LibroFM
TW: Medical abuse, intimate partner abuse, rape, sexual abuse

This was gorgeous and devastating. One of the things I love about Miller’s work is how in grounding mythology in a pragmatic reality the subtext becomes text. The brutal reality of being a woman literally created by a man resonates deeply and reflects the harrowing reality of women’s relationships with men. 

Ruth Wilson’s narration was (as always) beautifully nuanced, breathing life into Galatea.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

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

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Incest and Abortion

mushroommoo's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Rape, Suicide, and Abandonment

emmyhall's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment