Graphic novel adaptation of the story of Pygmalion and Galatea. Beautiful artwork has you engaged as you flip through the pages.

A very good graphic novel adaptation of the Pygmalion legend – how and why a young sculptor fell in love with one of his own creations, only to see the figure come to life. It certainly manages to cover much more ground than my scant knowledge would have allowed, adding in many more characters and a suitable earthiness. That said, it would be a poorer book if it were only for those with knowledge of or interest in the specific part of Greek myth concerned. And I think it succeeds there, opening this out to be a tale of stubbornness for a much wider audience than just the Hellenophiles.

This was a very well done retelling/ reimagining for me. The storytelling had me hooked and the twist was definitely shocking for me even though I felt like it was going to happen. Overall, this was so good.

Beautiful artwork and a great story. With the popularity of greek and roman myth retellings I believe this will be a welcome addition.

I enjoyed the artwork but I did not enjoy the story. It tells the story of Pygmalion and his love for a statue None of the characters were likable or worth loving. It was a quick read

Boy was this bizarre.

Pygmalion has a dream and becomes obsessed with recreating the woman he saw. Even kills his master in his obsession. Agape is in love with him but he cares for no woman. She makes a deal with Aphrodite and takes the forms of Galatea, Pygmalion's statue. Obviously he's over the moon and they get married but someone brings up that he murdered his master. To protect him Galatea/Agape reveals her true identity and the truth of what happened. But that also means her deal with the goddess is over. I guess it's a tradegy because it took her becoming a reincarnation of his statue for Pygmalion to fall in love with Agape. He is distraught about losing her and they both become statues?

Art style was fine. Wasn't expecting that much naked people. Honestly don't understand what Agape saw in him. Not my favorite story.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the review copy!

I wasn't aware of Pygmalion's story before reading this book, so my opinion is completely based on what I've read in it. I feel like this is a toxic love story that's quite common in the society. The man being love with one woman and another woman being in love with that man, chasing each other in circle for the sake of love. It was certainly relatable. I don't feel any sympathy towards any of the characters. Pygmalion is a self-centred, stupid man who isn't worth the sacrifice. The illustrations are pretty good. Would recommend to mythology fans.

“Convinced that an extraordinary destiny awaits him, the young sculptor Pygmalion throws himself into the creation of a work that will change his life. He carves an ivory statue of his ideal woman, leading him to lose his mind and shut himself away, even rejecting the passionate and very real love of a young woman named Agape… The gods often meddle in the affairs of men, so Aphrodite, the goddess of love, decides to give the statue life in answer to Pygmalion’s mad desires. But there is a price to pay!”

I quite enjoyed this retelling of Pygmalion--any Greek mythology, to be honest, I’m in. Although it was short (90 pages total), I found that the pacing was okay and the plot was easy to follow. The illustration, as usual, was beautiful. One thing that did irk me was the use of all-caps font, which makes it quite inaccessible to read electronically. Overall, I recommend this graphic novel to anyone looking for a fast-paced, adventurous, tense read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a free copy of Pygmalion and the Ivory Virgin in exchange for an honest review.

**Disclaimer: I received a free advanced readers copy of Pygmalion and the Ivory Virgin by Serge Le Tendre through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.   Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

Pygmalion and the Ivory Virgin by Serge Le Tendre is an adult graphic novel that tells the story of Pygmalion and the statue he carved into the perfect woman that eventually she was brought to life.  It was published on June 22, 2022.  I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

After “La Gloire d’Hera” and “Tirésias,” Serge Le Tendre is back with a new Greek tragedy.
Convinced that an extraordinary destiny awaits him, the young sculptor Pygmalion throws himself into the creation of a work that will change his life. He carves an ivory statue of his ideal woman, leading him to lose his mind and shut himself away, even rejecting the passionate and very real love of a young woman named Agape… The gods often meddle in the affairs of men, so Aphrodite, the goddess of love, decides to give the statue life in answer to Pygmalion’s mad desires. But there is a price to pay!

I enjoy adaptations of myths whether they are in the graphic novel format or whether they are in prose format.  This one was obviously in graphic novel format, and it was quite well done.  I didn't know a whole lot about the story of Pygmalion, but I did find myself quite intrigued by it.  From what I had read before, Pygmalion didn't sound like that great of a person, but I did want to learn more of his story.

The art in the graphic novel was really great.  The characters were well designed.  They had a unique to look at them.  They were all easy to tell apart.  I liked the way that the panels were. designed and how the story all came through them.  The use of colour was great.  I really enjoyed the realistic art style.

The story line was interesting as well.  I didn't super love Pygmalion as a character, and I don't think he necessarily deserved to get the love from Galatea/his transformed statue.   However, the way he came across the idea to make her, and the way he got the material were all interesting layers of depth. I will admit that the myth I had read previously was very shallow in the layer of depth that was included.  There were probably more details to the story than I was aware of.  I liked the engagement plot and how Galatea came to life.

There was good pacing to the story, and an appropriately tragic end.  Overall, it was quite well done and I definitely recommend that you check it out if you are at all intrigued by the premise.

another greek tragedy by serge le tendre after his la gloire d'hera and tirésias stories, pygmalion and the ivory virgin tells the story of the eponymous sculptor and the ivory statue he carves of his ideal woman, which the goddess of love aphrodite breathes life into. this is the first i've read from serge le tendre and i'm curious to see his other work. frédéric peynet's illustrations are delicate and beautiful, fitting for a retelling of a timeless tale of love and the sacrifice that comes with it. the art is vibrant and exquisite, but interest in the story may dwindle for mythology enthusiasts because of the size of the cast making for underdeveloped characters and the changes made to the original myth. still, pygmalion and the ivory is worth a read for a deeper understanding of the myth of galatea and for its simply dreamy illustrations. *thank you, netgalley and europe comics, for the ARC!*

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

The next in their Greek myth series, author Serge Le Tendre and artist Frédéric Peynet, breath life into the classic tale of Pygmalion and his statue that comes to life.

The tale itself is straightforward, with the rather clever explanation for how Aphrodite brought the statue to life, and tackles the slippery ideas of loving and being loved in return. The artwork is stunning, Peynet did a wonderful job of characterization and bringing life (pun intended) to the story outside of just the script. The addition of characters outside the best known version of the myth, specifically Agape and Ephebe, make the story more authentic as well as drive the plot forward.

However, I didn't love the representation of people outside the Greek population-- specifically the almost animalistic depiction of the Egyptian slave.

PYGMALION is a great graphic novel, sure to be enjoyed by many!

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and Europe Comics for the e-arc.

Sadly this one was a bit of a miss for me. I usually love the comics by Europe but I felt this one just felt a little to rushed. I retells the myth of Pymalion at whistle stop pace. My main issue is that I found all the characters pretty unlikeable. There was not one character I attached to during my time with the story, and found every single one them pretty rough.

That being said most of the time the art was gorgeous and was a real plus. s a real plus.

Thank you for letting me read this book in advance. I am a huge fan of mythology and really enjoyed this graphic novel. The art is very beautiful.

Thank you to Europe Comics for the ARC of Pygmalion and the Ivory Virgin, in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this short graphic novel, and I liked the author’s take on the classic myth. I would have liked to get more scenes with Agape since she is one of the most interesting characters in the book and her experiences are so foundational for the story. Ultimately though, I would recommend this to those interested in greek mythology retellings, and its definitely inspired me to pick up more graphic novel retellings!
3.5 stars.

A beautiful story of love and sacrifice. How much you can do for your love? The story narrates about the sacrifices a lover can make. Agape’s character is the most lovely one. She lost everything and did not knew what was stored for her in the future. A short Greek Mythology story with good graphics and plot. At a time, I felt little bit annoyed with Pygmalion’s character as he was so obsessed with Galatea. But, the climax is what makes us feel good.

Thank you Net Galley and Europe Comics for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this graphic novel - it was probably because I love mythology, especially Greek Mythology so much. Pygmalion is an aspiring sculptor who can’t seem to get a sculpture of Agape right. In a dream he imagines his ideal woman, who is, in fact, Galatea. I loved the illustrations, which showed the emotions of the characters and their personalities so well. I would recommend this novel to mythology lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this in exchange for an honest review.

It’s a classic, boy meets girl, girl loves boy, boy loves rock? In this Ancient Greek tale we see the love of story, both triumphs and pitfalls, of Pygmalion and Agape. Though I love a good myth I’ve never heard of these characters before so I can’t say if they are entirely fictitious or a retelling. Regardless, it’s beautifully illustrated. The watercolors are delicate and the characters are so expressive. It’s a fairly short book but an enjoyable experience all around.

Received this Arc from Netgalley for an honest review.

I am not one to read to a graphic novel very often, but I am always interested in the Greek mythology stories. This one was on the more graphic explicit end but nothing that bothers me. I love the story and how the point of view from each character was told. The art work also played a factor to keep me interested lovely to say the least. Overall message of love is what had me hooked, Sucker for romance here. Even though Agape was extreme in her determination love ruled her heart. Would recommend to other if asked for a good Pygmalion's story.

Pygmalion is a sculptor from Cyprus, known from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, who fell in love with his statue. This graphic novel is a retelling of this story. There are a few changes from the original, and I have mixed feelings about the story of Agape. But overall, I think it worked well.

Art is excellent, and it suits this classical myth. Colored illustrations are in classical style. I love that the characters really look like they are from somewhere in the Mediterranean.

Pygmalion and the Ivory Virgin is suitable for adult readers who like classical mythology retellings.

Thanks to Europe Comics for the ARC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review, and all opinions are my own.

The script aims for drama and intrigue in the retelling of this Greek tragedy, with more explicit images than I cared for, but great plot twists and interesting characters.