Short Stories & Anthologies
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Galatea: A Short Story
An enchanting short story from Madeline Miller that boldly reimagines the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion, now in hardcover for the first time
**A small hardcover edition featuring a new afterword by Madeline Miller**
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. After marrying her, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own and yearns for independence.
In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, Galatea 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 small hardcover edition featuring a new afterword by Madeline Miller**
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. After marrying her, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own and yearns for independence.
In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, Galatea 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 . . .
Editorial Reviews
Praise for Song of Achilles - ///
"At once a scholar's homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art….A book I could not put down." - Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House
"Sharply written, cleverly re-imagined. . . . Incredibly rewarding." - USA Today
"Wildly romantic [and] surprisingly suspenseful....[B]ringing those dark figures back to life, making them men again, and while she's at it, us[ing] her passionate companion piece to The Iliad as a subtle swipe at today's ongoing debate over gay marriage. Talk about updating the classics." - Time
"One of the best novelistic adaptations of Homer in recent memory." - Wall Street Journal
"Powerful, inventive, passionate, and beautifully written." - Boston Globe
Praise for Circe - ///
"Circe,' [is] a bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story that manages to be both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right." - Alexandra Alter, New York Times
"One of the most amazing qualities of this novel [is]: We know how everything here turns out - we've known it for thousands of years - and yet in Miller's lush reimagining, the story feels harrowing and unexpected. The feminist light she shines on these events never distorts their original shape; it only illuminates details we hadn't noticed before." - Ron Charles, The Washington Post
"Miller's spell builds slowly, but by the last page you'll be in awe. In prose of dreamlike simplicity, she reimagines the myth of Circe." - People
"So vivid, so layered, you could get lost in it... Whether or not you think you like Greek Mythology, this is just great storytelling. It feels cinematic." - NPR's Here & Now
"The story of Circe's entanglement with Odysseus lasts far beyond the narrative of "The Odyssey," making for compelling material to revisit. But ultimately it's as a character that Circe stands apart....Through her elegant, ps...
"At once a scholar's homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art….A book I could not put down." - Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House
"Sharply written, cleverly re-imagined. . . . Incredibly rewarding." - USA Today
"Wildly romantic [and] surprisingly suspenseful....[B]ringing those dark figures back to life, making them men again, and while she's at it, us[ing] her passionate companion piece to The Iliad as a subtle swipe at today's ongoing debate over gay marriage. Talk about updating the classics." - Time
"One of the best novelistic adaptations of Homer in recent memory." - Wall Street Journal
"Powerful, inventive, passionate, and beautifully written." - Boston Globe
Praise for Circe - ///
"Circe,' [is] a bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story that manages to be both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right." - Alexandra Alter, New York Times
"One of the most amazing qualities of this novel [is]: We know how everything here turns out - we've known it for thousands of years - and yet in Miller's lush reimagining, the story feels harrowing and unexpected. The feminist light she shines on these events never distorts their original shape; it only illuminates details we hadn't noticed before." - Ron Charles, The Washington Post
"Miller's spell builds slowly, but by the last page you'll be in awe. In prose of dreamlike simplicity, she reimagines the myth of Circe." - People
"So vivid, so layered, you could get lost in it... Whether or not you think you like Greek Mythology, this is just great storytelling. It feels cinematic." - NPR's Here & Now
"The story of Circe's entanglement with Odysseus lasts far beyond the narrative of "The Odyssey," making for compelling material to revisit. But ultimately it's as a character that Circe stands apart....Through her elegant, ps...
Readers Top Reviews
featherlashesAnother
Galatea is a super short retelling featuring the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. Brief myth summary: Pygmalion was a sculptor who avoided and scorned all women based on his revulsion towards the local prostitutes. As such, he invested himself completely into creating the perfect woman out of ivory. He ended up falling deeply in love with this female form made of stone. After witnessing Pygmalion's devotion, Aphrodite: Goddess of Love gave life to the statue who was named Galatea. Pygmalion and Galatea married and had a son: Paphos. (Use your favorite search engine for more details.) In Madeline Miller's retelling, she removes the glow of myth off this story and reveals its bare bones. Misogyny, ownership, power imbalance, abuse. Through Galatea's POV, readers feel the effects of it all and then watch as she problem solves how best to protect her children, who are female in this retelling. Although I wish this story was longer, it communicated its message beautifully. Check it out
*Sorry for Spoilers* I didn't see the killing coming. OMG. I was so sad that this was only a short story cos I was looking and hoping for more but even though this was only a 20pages read, I salute Madeline Miller for concentrating every sentence with quality story. The reason why I only gave 4 stars is that I was really wishing for another paragraph to see what happened to her daughter or to her right after. A lot of question keeps popping on my mind but I can only answer them for myself because there's no one more page to flip. I hunger for more.
Gail N.
This is a short story based on the various myths and stories about the sea nymph Galatea. Madeline Miller has deftly retold the story of a statue which comes to life after the sculptor falls in love with his creation. The story comes down to us from Ovid in his poem Metamorphoses. But Wikipedia notes that "The trope of a sculpture so lifelike that it seemed about to move was a commonplace with writers on works of art in antiquity." Reading about Galatea and Pygmalion (the sculptor) online is very interesting. Ms. Miller's genius was to use this story and its various nuances to create a tale about the lives of women down through the ages and what they have had to endure at the hands of their possessive and controlling lovers, husbands, and employers, and enforced by society even to this day. However, I do not think the ending is as dark as others have described. There is a bright ray of hope to be found in the selflessness of Ms. Miller's Galatea. I do not want to write a spoiler, but I would say that it is a gift symbolizing what each generation of women have tried to pass down to the next generation since the dawn of time.
Carissa Janes
I love stories with a twist. I hate when I have to write a review that is longer than the story.
lyddibugVLP
Quick delivery, great condition. The book cover itself is very pretty. I love the other books by this author and was excited to read this one. Although there were a couple of parts that I found to be creative and enjoyable, this retelling did not seem to be on par with her other work. If you purchase this book, know that it is a SHORT story. It does not seem to be worth the amount that I paid but am still keeping it as it is a book by one of my favorite authors.
