Galatea
A Short Story
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3.9 • 242 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
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...
Pygmalion's story has moved millions through the centuries, inspiring George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, and later the beloved musical My Fair Lady. Ecco is proud to publish Orange Prize-winning author Madeline Miller’s E-book original short story Galatea which will appear in the forthcoming anthology xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myths to be published in October. This retelling of the Pygmalion myth from the statue’s perspective is a tale that will make readers rethink how they relate to the great myths of our time.
Customer Reviews
Powerful
It’s great to see/read something that empowers a woman’s freedom of choice and their right to enforce it. Truly moving as it shows how most stories cater to a more misogynistic narrative.
A Wonderful Read
I’ve now read several of Madeline Miller’ work, each as delightful as the last. So vivid in their settings and full of life to the characters. I cannot get enough!
Simply Wonderful!
Review: Galatea, by Madeline Miller
I’m not familiar with the mythology surrounding Galatea, but I am familiar with Madeline Miller’s writing. I knew from reading The Song of Achilles that Miller’s writing alone would be enough to make this story worth reading.
Because, as I said, I don’t know much about the myth that’s being re-imagined, I can’t comment too much on the liberties the author took. What I can comment on is that Miller’s writing drew me in from the beginning. It’s such a well-written and intriguing story to dive into. The narration by Galatea really made this what it is. We get information from her at just the right pace and the right time, letting the situation she’s living in unfold around us. She’s a woman carved from stone, and turned into a real woman. She’s a mother longing to see her daughter again. And a wife with a controlling and demanding husband…a husband who created her for his pleasure.
I won’t get into the plot more than that, or the different characters. I think I enjoyed going into this story not knowing that much.
Even though it was only a short story, it’s made me want to read more from Miller, the way I felt after reading The Song of Achilles last year. I’m hoping there’s more out there to discover, soon. There’s something enchanting about the reading experience.