Circe

{My Thoughts} What Worked For Me A Classic Tale Reimagined – Taking a classic story and reinventing it with a modern twist is nothing new. We see it time after time, but the usual reimagining places the characters and plot in a contemporary setting as the story plays out. With Circe, Madeline Miller kept the characters and the setting, and instead shifted the focus, placing it solely on Circe. Those of you with a background in mythology will see many, many elements from classic Greek mythology (especially The Odyssey) popping up in this book. However, if you’ve lived under a rock and never even knew there was such a thing as mythology it won’t matter. Miller gives you everything you need to know and she does it seamlessly. A Woman with Attitude – If you’re anything like me, you will come to adore Circe, the book and the woman. Born into one of the two most powerful families of gods, Circe adored her father, Helios, but never quite measured up. Where her siblings were gorgeous and powerful from an early age, Circe was plain and seemingly powerless. Tormented by her own family, Circe grew more and more fascinated with mortals. Falling in love with one, brought out her previously unknown powers of witchcraft. “I was too wild to feel shame. It was true. I would not just uproot the world, but tear it, burn it, do any evil I could to keep Glaucos by my side. But what stayed most in my mind was the look on my grandmother’s face when I’d said that word, pharmaka. It was not a look I know well among the gods.” This girl had gumption and she used her new power to punish her rival, creating a monster all came to feared. But, she paid a price for going too far. Circe was banished to the small island of Aiaia for eternity. This is where the book Circe really took off for me. On the island, I found it impossible not to admire and root for this woman who year after year, century after century, faced her fears, honed her powers, and learned to stand up for herself. “She was gone. But I said it anyway, to that great empty room and my son’s dreaming ears: “You do not know what I can do.” Soap Opera of the Gods – You might think a story of a woman alone on an island could get dull, but you would be wrong. Circe lived a lonely life, but was not without the occasional visitor, many bringing adventure and challenges to her life. Hermes flitted in and out with news and gossip from the worlds of gods and mortals. Her sister, Pasiphae, granted Circe temporary exile to help deal with her little Minotaur problem. Shipwrecked sailors soon discovered the wrath of Circe. And then came Odysseus, perhaps her most well known visitor, bringing to Circe a lasting love she was willing to die for. The level of drama never failed! That House – I really can’t say any more, but for those who have read Circe: I want that house! What Didn’t Absolutely EVERYTHING worked for me in Circe! {The Final Assessment} Madeline Miller is definitely a writer to admire. Reinventing the life of a minor goddess into a remarkable woman while remaining faithful to the original mythology can be no small feat. Miller did it in the best way possible, by knowing her star character and sticking to her story. From start to finish Circe was all about Circe, no long tangents, no veering off into some other god’s story. Just Circe: her life, her feelings, her mistakes, her heart, her choices. I haven’t yet read Millers’s debut, Song of Achilles, but I will. I’m already looking forward to that next trip to ancient Greece. If it’s anything like Circe, I’m sure to find the journey immersive, entertaining, exciting, everything! Just incase I haven’t been clear, I loved Circe. She will be one of my top ten books this year. Grade: A

I cannot recommend this book more to anyone who's somewhat enjoyed any Greek mythology, particularly the work of Homer. The tale spans thousands of years, from Circe's birth to a certain number of years after Odysseus' visit to her island (the specifics of it are spoiler-y), but the story still moves at a satisfying pace, and I definitely did the "ok ok just one more chapter/just one more section break" thing while reading. By far the most satisfying aspect of the story, besides the tour of major Greek myths that we get, is the evolution of Circe herself. Miller very much humanizes Circe (pun intended), giving her dynamic relationships with gods and mortals, a passion for cultivating her gifts, and a satisfying and organic character arc. Other character she meets--Daedalus, Odysseus, and her own divine siblings--are also well-realized, well-written, and given depth and humanity they weren't afforded in the myths. I've heard this book described as a "feminist retelling," but I feel like that sells Miller's work short. Referring to a story about a woman as "feminist" risks pigeonholing it into being an SJW diatribe. Yes it technically is feminist because it's about Circe and gives her agency, but that's only because her story to us before this book was just "daughter of Helios who turned some dudebros into pigs one time." Saying that Circe (the book, not the goddess) is feminist implies that the story is one big annoying message, which couldn't be further from the truth. Circe is a fully developed character, and the only agenda the book has is to realize her as such. [note: there is a scene of sexual assault. It's unmistakable that that's what's happening, but it's not graphic.] I only have 2 complaints about this book, which is why I've given it 4 stars and not 5. There are times when the writing (descriptions of places, Circe's observations, etc) gets to be a bit pretentious; however, I suppose that's mostly excusable because the story is set in an ancient, classical era, and plus it makes the story quotable. My second complaint is that [SORT OF A SPOILER SO STOP HERE IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO THE BOOK TOTALLY BLIND] the gods that Circe personally interacts with, (Helios, Perse, Aeetes, Pasiphae, Hermes, Athena), are total jerks to the point of being unsympathetic in contrast to Circe herself. Their behavior is dissected by her throughout the book and therefore made a bit believable, but it still made Circe's differing nature seem unlikely--why are no other gods lonely, or having a hard time fitting in? Do no other gods genuinely like mortals? I understand that gods are jerks in the myths--that's practically the whole point of them--but still, it's hard to believe that no other god got along better with Circe. Basically, please read this book. It's a well-told, well-researched, and well-written story.

My experience with Greek mythology was first instilled by the movies of Ray Harryhausen. I loved Jason and the Argonauts as a kid and still do to this day. I may have read some condensed little bits of Greek myth while in middle school. It was not until I attended college that I was exposed to Ovid's Metamorphosis. And although I found Homer interesting, overall I thought The Odyssey was pretty dry. Maybe it was just the translation I read. Madeline Miller's new novel, Circe is in no way dry or boring. It takes the old myths that we are familiar with and weaves them together into a narrative that is captivating, engaging, and fresh. Reading Circe is akin to sitting is a great hall after a meal while a poet recites tales of love, passion, loss and magic. The lights are dim and a crackling fire is burning on the hearth. Circe is the daughter of Helios, Titan god of the sun. A seemingly black sheep of the family she is exiled after showing kindness to Prometheus who was punished by Zeus for bringing fire to mortals. It is here that Circe's story begins to take off. She is exiled to the island of Aiaia. On this island she hones her craft of herbcraft, referred to as pharmaka. To the gods it is considered witchcraft. But even in exile she receives visitors. The first is Hermes, the messenger of the gods. He doesn't care about her exile status and finds her fascinating. He brings her news of the outside world, of the wars of man and the petty squabbles between the gods. We later get glimpses of Circe's family. Her sister is Pasiphaë, wife if King Minos of Crete, and mother of the Minotaur. Her brother is Aeëtes, King of Colchis and keeper of the Golden Fleece. Through her eyes we get a unique perspective on the old myths that so many of us grew up on. Circe is probably best remembered as the witch that Odysseus encounters and basically shacks up with for a year while returning from the Trojan Wars. And true to the spirit of the this narrative, Miller presents presents a different perspective on the familiar tale as told by Homer. Madeline Miller has managed to take the old and present it as something that is fresh, and told in a style that is engaging and hard to put down. The language flows smoothly and is almost conversational in ton. It's perfect for the first person perspective that it is written in. Of special note, the audiobook, as narrated by Perdita Weeks, is exceptionally performed with nuanced storyteller like performance. It is Perdita Weeks' first book narration and I hope to here more of her performances. One of the underlying themes of the novel is the perception of women in the world of the Greek myths. Miller explores that not only with Circe, but with Medea and Penelope as well who had been given short shift in most other interpretations. Jason and Odysseus are not the heroes that they have often been portrayed as and the reason why Circe changes any men that come to her island to pigs is understandable and as far as I'm concerned better than some deserved. What Miller has done is something special and hopefully can be taught alongside Homer and Ovid in Classics courses in the future. Despite it being a retelling of stories thousands of years old, its style is modern, and relevant. Highly Recommended.

Even if you have never been acquainted with the classics, or the Greek and Roman gods; even if you don’t know that Prometheus was made to suffer so we mortals could have fire, this book will charm you and obsess you and keep you reading way past the time you should have left for work. Here is Circe: sea nymph with witchcraft. She longs for a lover. And she poisons her competition. She clings to her brother, a mortal with the power of Gods. We feel her loneliness and her desire. She wants a lover. The author is a professor of classics. She decided to tell the story of the siege of Troy, the Trojan horse, the hero Achilles, and his powerful goddess mother. The author reimagines the gods and the warriors and the kings as being just like us: they lust, they envy, and they suffer. Kings and Gods we feel should know better, go to war for the wrong reasons; they steal, and they lie. Yet their life loves, their heart pains, their infidelities, attachments and longings, tear our hearts too. We root for them as we turn the page. We long for our heroes to prevail. Our hearts bleed for Achilles’s mother. This is after all her son. Achilles slaughters and kills. He has no reservations about what is needed to win a battle. He glories in the deaths of his foes. But he like his mother also longs for love and fears the power of the gods. The author does not just tell us a story we will want to hear, she embellishes it with texture- nudity, shame, beauty, the touch of intimacy, the gore of killing, the size of the fleet, the weariness of slaughter and the colors of blood. Here is a story for all time told with deliberate pace. The climax will leave you shattered, surprised, and satisfied. I am hoping the author is already onto her third book. Her last two, of which this is one, still resonate in my imagination. You will never think of Circe, the legend of Achilles or the Trojan war in the same way. This is a book of wonder, magic, power, and love. I highly recommend it.

4.5/5 Another beautiful book from Madeline Miller. She’s just such a fantastic author. Her prose is relatively simple but poetic and immersive. This is a unique tale of a Goddess who is exiled to an island for eternity, but gets wrapped into unique adventures and encounters with legendary characters and mythical beasts from Greek classics, all while she grapples with her immortality, her exile, her relationships with mortals and gods, and her general experience as a woman navigating her world. The plot can get a bit meandering at times as it takes place over thousands of years, but it’s an enjoyable journey along the way and it comes together nicely with a beautiful and poetic ending. I’ll read anything Miller writes after reading this and Song of Achilles. Highly recommend both books.

|"But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.” | I am putting Circe in the forever unhelpful 3 star category. Or, maybe it is helpful to those who will see a 3 star rating as me being completely honest. I bought Circe mainly because the cover is pretty and super shiny and was at a steal of a price on Amazon so I honestly couldn't pass it up. And a story about Olympians and demi-gods and I was immediately intrigued. It did take me nearly 2 weeks to get through this because it never truly gripped me. Circe left me unsatisfied. The things I really enjoyed: 1. The writing was beautiful and enchanting. This is what stole the show for me honestly. Everything in this story was so vividly described I felt like I was a part of this ancient world and I loved it. 2. The mythology. I have always enjoyed stories of ancient gods and goddesses and Circe was no exception. There were so many characters in this book that I had remembered from previous stories I have read or pretended to read in High School like The Odyssey. Things I did not enjoy: 1. Honestly, the story. I liked the idea of a story about Circe but what I didn't enjoy was there was essentially nothing happening with the plot. Nothing to move the story forward. It was a lot of descriptions (which again, I loved that) but not a lot of action to pair with the descriptions. When big action points would start to happen they would fizzle out before anything monumental happened. OR if something crazy did happen, I was left unsatisfied because they happened so quickly and there was no depth to what was happening. 2. The characters. While I enjoyed the idea of having a story full of ancient gods and goddesses I never truly cared about any of them. It didn't matter to me when Circe would continue to live on while the mortals around her withered. It didn't matter to me whether Circe would ever find a way out of her exile. 3. The ending. I was not expecting the story to end the way it did. Sort of on a cliffhanger but also not really because it is implied what happens and endings like that infuriate me because it leaves you stewing over it forever as to whether it happened or not. AND if there is no sequel to Circe then I will forever have to ponder what happened and I just can't accept that as a sound ending. If you like descriptive writing and stories of Olympians and demi-gods then I do recommend this book to you. But if you need a more plot driven action filled book then I would tell you to skip out on this one.

The odds of me liking Circe were fairly high. I love Greek mythology. I love retellings, particularly those that feature characters who are often overlooked. I’ll always root for stories that focus on people who would otherwise be considered the sidekick or a background character. I adored Song of Achilles. I fully expected this book to receive a 4.5-star rating, at least. That’s not where I’ve landed, though. This book deserves much more than a 3.5-star rating, but I can’t say it deserves a solid four. The various settings are excellent. Circe is skillfully woven into several different myths. So many characters have well-structured nuances that bring them to life. There isn’t a major battle or a destiny to claim, just drama through the centuries, and I wasn’t bored once during this almost 400-page read. It took me a while to figure out what my issue with the book is, which is surprising since it’s the main character. Circe herself is why this book doesn’t get a higher rating. Still, after realizing she is the problem, I couldn’t fully explain why. Despite the challenges she faces, she maintains her agency. She’s vivid and imperfect and raw compared to the other gods, Titans, and nymphs. For the latter part of the book, I resonated deeply with her struggles and fears as a mother. So, why is she the problem? Circe is too much like Patroclus from Song of Achilles. I don’t mean to imply that they’re the same character. No, Patroclus is tragically mortal, and so is Circe at her core. I fully understand the narrative choice for Circe to come across that way, and I don’t even dislike it, but from the very start she’s like this. She never has the ferocity that I’d expect from a creature such as herself. If not for following her since her birth, it would be hard to believe that she’s the daughter of Helios and a witch whom even Zeus fears. She never once bought the hype about herself, even when she was turning men into pigs. I wanted her to struggle more with the identity thrust upon her and her true self. A time when she lost herself to the expectations of someone from her lineage would have balanced out the rest, and the ending would have felt better earned. Overall, though, this book is exactly what I expected it to be, and I’m not upset by that. Do I like it as much as Song of Achilles? No. Will it remain on my bookshelf and be re-read multiple times? Hell yeah.

I have been meaning to read this book, and I was excited to read this. We follow Circe from her birth, her time as a goddess before she is exiled. She finds herself learning new skills and a long life with people coming to her. I remember the tales from the Odessey and The Iliad and that is here too, blended seamlessly into a grand adventure. Must read.