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Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Title: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Synopsis:
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.
With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.
Initial thoughts:
I have read through Miller’s Song of Achilles and I had loved the history that had come out of the rotting of such a well known story. So, when I learned that Circe was coming out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I knew a little about Circe from my past with Greek mythology, but I knew I was going to learn much more about her through this book.
Plot:
What I liked:
I loved how Madeline Miller described things in this tale. She spun her words much like magic throughout and I found myself falling into the details entranced by them. It felt like the tale was alive and I could see all that was happening in my head. I also loved the intricacies of the characters from such ancient myths. She brought them to life and allowed me to understand them from a different perspective than what I had read before. The story was well researched and addressed so many different myths Circe was a part of and allowed the reader to
What I didn't like:
My like how I felt when I read the Song of Achilles, Circe had a pace that felt slow at times. I found myself having to reread sections to keep back up and fully grasp everything that was happening as well.
Characters:
Circe: Being the main character, I found it really interesting to watch her growth throughout the entire book. She was such a fun character to get to know better.
Odysseus: His wit was what made him stand out within this book as well as his madness in the end. I loved how this book spoke about his life in mostly flashbacks and stories that Circe was told.
Penelope: I have always liked her. She is very cunning much like her husband.
Telemachus: I am glad that I got to know more about him through this book. I didn’t know much about Telemachus other than through the story of Odysseus, but I loved the extra part of his life that we got to glimpse.
Telegonus: He was such a wild child and I loved him. He really was a sweet boy and I am glad that he and Circe had a good relationship with one another.
Daedalus: I thought that he was wonderful. He was brilliant and the love he had for his son was evident in this beautiful story.
Hermes: I loved him. Madeline captured his trickery and lies in her story and he was such a fun character to read every time he appeared within the book.
Athena: I have always enjoyed reading about Athena. She has seemed much like a level headed immortal in many stories that I have read of her, but this showed a darker side of her that I liked as well. I thought it was interesting to read.
Helios: He was an interesting character. He was very much like other immortals that I have read about. Very arrogant and very much believing that he was the center of the universe. He didn’t seem to care about anyone other than himself.
Aeëtes: At first I thought that he was a good character. Then he turned out to be a complete jerk. I found myself disliking him and wishing I had known more about him before reading this book.
Pasiphae: I didn’t like her, but I didn’t really know all that much about her other than what was spoken about her through Circe. I didn’t know of her hardships and I didn’t know what it was that made her such a cruel person.
Scylla: I did feel bad for her, but I also thought her story was interesting as Circe explained how Scylla came to be.
Note: There were so many characters in this book, but these were the ones that stood out to me the most as I read it.
Overall:
This was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it. The history in the book is well researched and retold. The main reason this book lost half a point from me has to do with the pacing. The more I find myself going back to reread passages, the more I struggle with the book. However, I did enjoy it and love the myths that were added into the text as well. The language was beautiful and the details were magnificent.