Title Galatea Series --- Author Madeline Miller Cover Art Alison Saltzman Publisher Ecco - 2022 First Printing Bloomsbury - 2013 Category Mythology Warnings --- Main Characters Pygmalion, Galatea Main Elements Mythology

An enchanting short story from Madeline Miller that boldly reimagines the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion, now in hardcover for the first time

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...

Miller provides us with another ancient Greek retelling. We know how Pygmalion asked the gods to give life to his perfect statue, but what happened after that? It wasn't like the statue was given a choice, and given that Pygmalion thought no other real woman was worthy of him, what must it have been like living with him? I mean they had a child together, so, you know, stretch marks. That would be a flaw in his perfect creation no? And his creation also has mind and desires of her own, what if they aren't all about worshipping him and being the perfect wife in that perfect body?

It was very short but poignant. One of these days I'll have to do another year when I focus much of my reading on mythology, so many new novels have been written recently, inspired by the success of Miller and others.