Pygmalion is a pig, let's face it. It's why he wanted to create the perfect, virginal, obedient thing for his own pleasure. The problem is that a goddess of all "people" helped him by bringing the statue to life. Beautifully descriptive and heart-achingly lyrical, this is a love story as sensitive and intuitive as any you will find’ Daily Mail

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, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own, and yearns for independence. Indeed, she takes an otherwise silent female character and gives her a voice and a story. Galatea was made from stone by a sculptor. He created her and prayed for her to come to life and his wish was granted by the gods. In Ovid’s version they get married and live happily ever after, but his narrative is problematic. What about Galatea wishes? Miller gives that consideration here. Galatea was physically made and sculped to be one man’s ideal: he made her to serve his every whim. It never occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, she might want something different from life. So, this is a very strong short story. I would love to see more like it from Miller, a collection of them would certainly be great. For now, I will continue to read everything she writes. Original, clever and in a class of its own … It does what the best novels do – it transports you to another world’ Independent Galatea was quite an interesting concept and with a reimagining and retelling of the Greek Myth Pygmalion, it was sure to entice fans of Madelaine Miller. It was this premise and loving Miller’s previous works, Song of Achilles and Circe, that brought me to this short story.

I felt him looking at me, admiring his work. He had not carved me like this, but he was imagining doing it. A beautiful statue, named The Supplicant. He could have sold me and lived like a king in Araby." A deeply affecting version of the Achilles story: a fully three-dimensional man – a son, a father, husband and lover – now exists where a superhero previously stood’ Observer

Questi sono gli interrogativi dai quali parte Madeleine Miller per costruire il suo racconto denso e disturbante. This is a compelling and highly symbolic feminist retelling of an Ancient Greek story that I recommend most highly. There is also an interesting, albeit brief, element that while the choice over reproductive rights and agency is a hotly debated political topic and women are often shamed and ostracized for making difficult choices, there is no social stigma against men who do not want to have children. I'd still recommend it, especially to anyone who loves the original story or loves Mythology in general which I do. I would like to read more of this author's work. I have not read anything by her and I wonder if she has written any other reimagined Mythological fables. I'd love to see more so if anyone reading this knows of any, let me know. I'd love to see one about Echo and Narcissus and Atalanta and Meleager.

About the contributors

Galatea is the sculptured statue of seemingly the most beautiful woman who is brought to life by the man who created and became obsessed with her. However the mortal life sees her virtually imprisoned by a husband who seeks to control her and brands her mad after several attempts to flee. While we watch Galatea being denied any agency in her life and accepting a lot of abuse and made to feel it is for her own good (when Pygmalion hurts her and notices the color of the bruises left behind, he tells her ‘ You make the rarest canvas, love’), we also see her fight for the good of her daughter. The ending, which is rather darkly beautiful, is geared to the idea of protection, though retribution also inevitably factors in. In a way it is a call to break the cycles of abuse and ensure the coming generations are raised to know they do not need to accept the toxic behaviors that try to masquerade as love. Everyone looked at me, because I was the most beautiful woman in the town. I don’t say this to boast, because there is nothing in it to boast of. It was nothing I did myself.”

Having been created by her husband, his sense of ownership over her is rather oppressive. Though it is almost more metaphorical about the patriarchal ideas that wives are the property of men as his behavior is very typical of any jealous husband. For instance, he fires the tutor for looking at her and is angered Galatea was aware of his gaze and did nothing, the irony being that she knows everyone looks at her because she is a curiosity and he formed her to be the most beautiful woman alive. When he notices marks on her due to having carried a child, he wishes he could chisel them away despite her remark that it is a natural part of life. Beauty, in his eyes, must be unrealistic perfection, and any aspect of the beauty that is found in reality, where imperfections are also lovely, he rejects because it does not serve his idealized expectations. His insistence for her to be compliant and grateful is incongruous with the reality of her being an independent woman with an interior life and not merely a statue who’s entire identity is bent towards serving his desire: I felt him looking at me, admiring his work. He had not carved me like this, but he was imagining doing it. A beautiful statue, named The Supplicant.”― Madeline Miller, Galatea Enough magic, enchantment, voyages and wonders to satisfy the most jaded sword-and-sorcery palate’ Guardian I have always adored Mythology. So when I saw this short story, a reimagined version of Pygmalion and Galatea I knew I had to read it.So much better than the other short story of hers I read today - might be because of how much I have thought about this myth in the past as opposed to the other. Galatea è un racconto di dolore, (in)credibile dolore. Una settantina di pagine intrise di sofferenza e frustrazione per una condizione che, purtroppo, interessa ancora moltissime donne. Madeline Miller really has a great way of bringing to life this ancient setting and weaving the myths we know and have read with her own thoughts, filling in the blanks, sometimes changing a few details in the process. A remarkably fresh take on one of the most familiar narratives in western literature … Extremely moving’ The Times

People began to talk about the sculptor’s wife, and how strange she was, and how such beauty comes only from the gods.’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, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own, and yearns for independence. I will forever and ever and ever love Madeline Miller. It's like she's incapable of writing anything less than perfect. She is absolutely amazing, even though she always rips my heart right out of my chest and crushes it between her fingers using only her words. It's the toxic kind of love between us but I could never walk away. It's why I based my bachelor's dissertation on her books. I mean, how could I not? They are masterpieces.