Galatea

This is only a short a story but it comes in the form of a small book with beuatiful cover art. A friend lent it to me. It lays bare the dark underbelly of an antique myth. Other modern takes on the story usually focus on Galatea's creator and husband Pygmalion. It's also a realistic take on how horrible men could be to their wives in Ancient Greece. Doesn't need a lot of words to sketch out the world of Galatea and what's been happening. I also liked all the allusions to being made out of stone and what that would mean in reality.

This was a wonderful, quick little jaunt into Madeline Miller's work. I loved the story, but with it being so short, it of course left me wanting more. Don't let the three stars fool you, this was good, but there really was no time to explore anything in any depth. Because there wasn't much depth to it, I anticipate its impact won't stick with me for long. And that's not a dig at short stories in general, I think decisions could have been made about the narrative to make it more impactful, but alas here we are. Anyway, Madeline Miller remains one of my favorite authors and, in my opinion, continues to be the master in the genre of mythological retellings and I will continue to read whatever she writes.

“We fell through the currents and I thought of how the crabs would come for him, climbing over my pale shoulders. The ocean floor was sandy and soft as pillows. I settled into it and and slept.”

Une courte nouvelle sympathique dans la Grèce antique. Madeline Miller a du talent pour écrire sur l'Antiquité, mais je pense que ce talent s'exprime réellement dans des textes plus longs, des romans en format d'épopée.