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zaynadarres's review against another edition
4.0
madeline miller turned a powerful and dangerous witch, to a relatable and honorable mortal. this character faced intense criticisms, traumas, challenges, isolation, etc, but managed to maintain a clear head and judge those based on their actions.
consider me a newer fan of her writing. unlike half of the reviewers on here, i have not yet read the song of achilles. this was my first introduction to madeline miller. this novel was a beautiful collection of deliberate and slow burning prose.
circe means hawk, named after the thin sounds that she made when crying as a newborn. this later stems into the cadence of her voice being the same as a mortals.
in terms of circe’s character, i would consider her extremely well written but i struggled with a minor flaw. circe’s inner dialogue was extremely predictable, which, is not entirely the fault of the writer considering the pre-written timeline of events. she gave a voice to the previously mute version that is depicted in the classics. circe was intelligent, willing, and kind, giving people multiple chances and trying to find humanity in every individual that sailed on her harbor.
this feminist and female perspective take on the stories written long ago, touches on modern values and culture. i found the feminist empowerment throughout the book to be especially realistic and grounded. there was no clique “girl power” moment. circe’s character was emotionally written, before being written to assume a gender role in a novel catered towards modern feminism.
these themes blossom throughout madeline’s writing with the theme of an systematically flawed and unfair patriarchy. this is seen in the place of circe’s father and also in the role given to her son.
parts of the book felt extremely sluggish to me. however, due to the nature of those moments, i still rate the book with 4 stars. those chapters that felt like they stemmed on through time, aided in the storytelling of the isolating punishment that plagued circe throughout the book. i believe that her elongated and thought-out descriptions are captivating to a certain audience. however, if you’re looking for a story without all of the bells and whistles, you’re likely to begin to feel bored by the third chapter.
as a whole, the writing / story itself was tremendously gripping and beautiful. the reader is immersed in centuries of circes’ life, experience, and the conclusion in the finding of her truest self. when reading though her multiple stories of love and one sided immortality, the reader slowly begins to realize the weight molded into the word “forever.” this book delivers a beautiful message. circe’s journey tells of the agony that comes from immortality- it is only grief, when loved ones live on the moral timeline.
—— “he was another knife, i could feel it. a different sort, but a knife still. i did not care. i thought: give me the blade. some things are worth spilling blood for.”
consider me a newer fan of her writing. unlike half of the reviewers on here, i have not yet read the song of achilles. this was my first introduction to madeline miller. this novel was a beautiful collection of deliberate and slow burning prose.
circe means hawk, named after the thin sounds that she made when crying as a newborn. this later stems into the cadence of her voice being the same as a mortals.
in terms of circe’s character, i would consider her extremely well written but i struggled with a minor flaw. circe’s inner dialogue was extremely predictable, which, is not entirely the fault of the writer considering the pre-written timeline of events. she gave a voice to the previously mute version that is depicted in the classics. circe was intelligent, willing, and kind, giving people multiple chances and trying to find humanity in every individual that sailed on her harbor.
this feminist and female perspective take on the stories written long ago, touches on modern values and culture. i found the feminist empowerment throughout the book to be especially realistic and grounded. there was no clique “girl power” moment. circe’s character was emotionally written, before being written to assume a gender role in a novel catered towards modern feminism.
these themes blossom throughout madeline’s writing with the theme of an systematically flawed and unfair patriarchy. this is seen in the place of circe’s father and also in the role given to her son.
parts of the book felt extremely sluggish to me. however, due to the nature of those moments, i still rate the book with 4 stars. those chapters that felt like they stemmed on through time, aided in the storytelling of the isolating punishment that plagued circe throughout the book. i believe that her elongated and thought-out descriptions are captivating to a certain audience. however, if you’re looking for a story without all of the bells and whistles, you’re likely to begin to feel bored by the third chapter.
as a whole, the writing / story itself was tremendously gripping and beautiful. the reader is immersed in centuries of circes’ life, experience, and the conclusion in the finding of her truest self. when reading though her multiple stories of love and one sided immortality, the reader slowly begins to realize the weight molded into the word “forever.” this book delivers a beautiful message. circe’s journey tells of the agony that comes from immortality- it is only grief, when loved ones live on the moral timeline.
—— “he was another knife, i could feel it. a different sort, but a knife still. i did not care. i thought: give me the blade. some things are worth spilling blood for.”
iv03's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
claracalymayor's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
syafa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
there are a lot of side quests but i didnt feel tired reading and in fact stayed excited to read throughout the book. and it still feels like one cohesive character dev arc overall. i thought the plot and ending was really satisfying too. maybe not so much the part where she marries odysseus' son lol but hey the gods have done much worse i guess. but it felt fitting that she turned herself mortal with the first spell she casted. idk how else it couldve ended tbh. she had so many little plot lines that it did feel like she lived a really long life, and if she stayed a god her story would never end. but then again it was technically an open ending situation so maybe all that didnt happen and the spell didnt work. also liked the characterisation. i dont know if i hated people strongly but i did like the ones we're supposed go sympathise with
gemmaaaar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
paitynak's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
clairegauthier's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5