Galatea by Madeline Miller
2023 Frenzied Bibliophile Challenge Category: Massachusetts Center for the Book Challenge
Rating: 5/5 stars
Would you like this? You might if you like:
Re imagined Greek myths
Short stories
Ingenious heroines
To be honest, everyone should read this book
The Massachusetts Center for the Book’s January Challenge was to read a book under 100 pages. It sounds like that should be easy right, but trying to find something that short is hard! Thankfully when I walked into the Norwell Public Library this little gem was on display (oh my god, it was like the librarians knew!).
In this re imagining of the story of Pygmalion and his statue brought to life, Galatea,
Miller gives us the statues point of view. The vanity and misogyny of the sculpture that wants his creator to be alive but also out of time. Pygmalion could never love Galatea as a real woman, with stretch marks and feelings. Miller’s book reminded me of The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, which gives us Penelope’s story as she waits for Odysseus to finally make it back to her, which is another excellent read.
I’ve not read anything by Miller, though I have Circe on my Kindle, and I will be making a plan to read it real soon. I don’t know how she did it, but she packed an unbelievable amount into 56 pages. It’s a talented writer that can create the subtle picture for the reader and not feel the need to hit them over the head with everything.
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