Ooo round three of book club is in full swing now! For our October pick we went with a short story: Galatea by Madeline Miller, acclaimed author of Circe and The Song of Achilles.
It ended up being really amusing, because despite knowing it was a short story, we were all quite surprised at how short it actually was. When I was finished it, I kept hoping there was more because it was so engaging!
The average rating was about a 7 out of 10, which is pretty good for us!
We surprisingly also had a lot to say about a short story. The first thing we discussed was the use of 'fuck' in the story. Janean thought it was anachronistic and took her out of the story, but Jane countered that it was more intentional and purposeful the way it was written with the swear in there. I agreed with Janean and noted that a different word could have been used and still kept the idea around what was happening to Galatea in the story.
As per usual we talked about whom our favourite and least favourite characters are, and while the cast of characters is small, we all agreed that the sculptor, doctor and nurses were the worst. And for some of us, the doctor and nurses were the epitome of bad because of the role they played in Galatea's confinement. They are perpetuating the problem of keeping women down in the context of the book's setting. We all agreed this is a piece of feminist literature; there was no doubt.
There really wasn't a favourite because you're not meant to like Galatea, her purpose is mostly for pity. I felt the most sympathetic to the sculptor's newest piece of the 10-year-old girl. Galatea even apologizes to her and calls her 'daughter'. The whole scene is heart-breaking. Others brought up Galatea's actual daughter and how she represents hope and potential but that there is also nothing more to her story. What happens to her? What does she become?
We also talked about the ending, which came to me as a shock when I read it. I was not expecting it. I can't remember if it was Jane or Janean who mentioned that Aphrodite was the one who brought Galatea to life, so it only made sense that when she returned to the sea she would be turned back to stone, her original state, because the sculptor took advantage of the gift she had given him.
Overall, I loved this story! Many of the other girls in the club have read her other books and loved them, so perhaps I also need to get on that train and give them a try too.
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