Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

Galatea by Madeline Miller

7 reviews

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

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

4.0

This is the story of Galatea, the greek myth of the statue turned woman. Miller does a fantastic job of making this story seem to transcend time while making it relevant to women across time. In Millers version, Galatea has been institutionalized and taken away from her daughter. As she is sedated, raped, and talked down on, she plots her escape. Galatea is a man made woman that isn't even good enough for the man who made her. This is a poignant tale of misogyny and female rage. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

shaun_dh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.5

Madeline Miller could write an IT manual and I would read it. She could make a grocery list poetry

Like any great short fiction, this quickly riled me up then left me deeply satisfied—the ultimate “good for her” ending. I don’t believe you need to have read or know anything about Pygmalion to appreciate this. But knowing the premise of the Pygmalion myth, and the fact that Miller names Galatea and leaves Pygmalion unnamed (a reversal of the original story) makes this short retelling even better. This one’s certainly for the girls

I also loved Miller’s author’s note at the end. The last paragraph? POETRY I TELL YOU

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Minor: Fatphobia, Medical content, Grief, and Pregnancy

reads2cope's review against another edition

5.0

A horror story. That is usually not my genre, but like Miller’s other work, this story completely gripped me. 
Though I know she wrote it before getting Long COVID, I couldn’t help but connect the rage and despair of Galatea begging the doctor to believe her with the millions having the same fight today. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Abortion, and Abandonment

lakinglaze's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.0

While I really wanted to love this short story given the subject matter, I just didn’t. I read for joy and this was far too hard hitting to enjoy it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

sappix's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Misogyny and Murder

Minor: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

the_bees_books's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

FINALLY, a piece since Shaw's Pygmalion that confronts the problematic nature of the myth and seeks to give the characters their just deserves. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, and Dysphoria

Minor: Death

luminifera's review against another edition

dark inspiring 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

4.5

Ideally, Galatea would

not have died at the end

, but I'll take what I have hahah

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

It's a very dark book. Galatea describes her sufferings with much detail.