Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Circe by Madeline Miller

597 reviews

majestictrilobite's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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mia_difelice's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0


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waitwhathelp's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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hammie_32's review

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challenging dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was really disappointing. I had a lot of hopes for a dark, reflective retelling of a myth often starring a villainous evil bitch, easily defeated. And this gets 2.5 stars ONLY because for precisely the first 50% of the book, it was the dark, captivating, sorrowful tale I was promised.

And then it turned into a shitty "feminist" novel. And I know that makes me sound gross, but it's in quotes for a reason. Because why, why does every book featuring a powerful woman always have to end up about
motherhood
? I have nothing against it, and yes, sometimes that IS a powerful statement to be made. Not like this, and not this often. If someone somewhere needs permission, you have my allowance to write a feminist, feminine power, woman-dominated, whatever else story where your main female character DOESN'T
get pregnant
!! Doesn't "
find power in nurturing
." Doesn't
use a child to remedy their own traumas
!!! Successfully might I add! It's just never the feminist statement that these authors think it is, and I'm so sick of having to read it after hearing the same sentiment shouted from the rooftops for years by young women and femmes.

I wish I could have more love for this book. But I want 500 pages of an immortal's torment at the hands of humanity. I want a narrative of her suffering on finding a few kind souls, only to be torn apart by the next pack of dogs. I want a dark assemblage of our species' sins told via a recollection of an eternal life's worth of memories. I want her to be twisted and cold and cruel and I want it to be justified because that would be real. If someone wants something happy in there, throw a Sapphic romance in at the end that doesn't "fix" her. But I can't stand to read Circe talking about the cruelties of men, cruelties of gods and goddesses, cruelties of LIFE, just to turn around and
pop out a baby
because she wishes a reprieve of her solitude.

And then she
fucks her stepson
, and that just made me mad.

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emilymazzara's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-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

5.0

Who are we kidding, everything Madeline Miller touches is gold. This is exactly how the myth of Circe deserved to be handled and I cannot imagine any other outcome. 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars!! I’m too overwhelmed to make a more comprehensive review come out in words. Just…FIVE STARS

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kitkathw871's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

5.0

A spellbinding book that is an Odyssey in it's own right, this is just the quintessential myth retelling. It's surprisingly how much humanity can be reflected in a story of magic and gods. This book feels like the comfort of home to me and I never tire of the epic journey Circe's life takes to the perfect ending. You can read this book over and over and still not want to put it down.

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tgutauskas's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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almaprincess66's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Nagyjából másfél évvvel ezelőtt fejeztem be az Akhilleusz dalát, és akkor megfogadtam, hogy sohasem fogom elolvasni a Kirké-t abból kifolyólag, hogy milyen negatív kapcsolatban mutatták be az Odüsszeusszal való kapcsolatát a felszínes tapasztalataim. Természetesen ez egy hibás gondolat volt, és roppant mód örülök, hogy mégis úgy döntöttem elolvasom ezt a könyvet. 

Bár Kirké történetét kevésbé ismertem, sokkal jobban kapcsolódni tudtam vele és az isteni mivoltával csupán azért mert ezek olyan gondolatok amikre gyakrabban kerestem a választ. Ha a görög isteneket akartam volna megérteni, akkor ez a mű csodás kommentárt adott a megértésükhöz narratíván keresztül. 

A rengeteg történet amelyben Kirké részt vesz és a rengeteg mitológiai utalás mind megérintettek vagy megnevettettek. Érdekesnek találtam, hogyan kapcsolódnak össze mégis a különböző mesék és legendák. 

Kirké karakterfejlődése figyelemreméltó volt, és csodáltam, hogy mennyire megérthetőnek és megérintőnek találtam. Talán ez tetszett benne annyira, hogy milyen karakterfókuszú volt a mű. 

A mellékszereplők mind érdekesek és élvezetesek voltak. Pasziphaé gyönyörűen kegyetlen, Daidalosz mélyen érintő, Pénelpeia furfangos, Télemakhosz és Télegonosz pedig szívmelengetőek. Odüsszeusz pedig önmaga volt, mely nosztalgiát ébresztett bennem, de nem mondhatom azt, hogy nem változott meg a róla alkotott képem teljesen. 

A különböző metaforák és gondolatok amiket megjelenített igazán elgondolkodtatóak voltak és nem hiszem, hogy a közel jövőben ki fogom tudni szedni ezt a könyvet a fejemből.
 

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lauramcc7's review

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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rmdange's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-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

4.5

A lyrical meditation on mortality through the eyes of an immortal, Circe reclaims the myth of the oft-maligned sorceress from The Odyssey through a wry, feminist lens. Madeline Miller’s prose is stunning, evoking the flow and emotional range of classical poetry with all the accessibility of modern English. Through Circe’s eyes, Miller narrates some thousand years of Greek mythology – precise to the letter – with unstinting honesty and keen insight. The gruesome realities of wartime choices, the vices and follies of revered mythical heroes, and the self-serving avarice of the gods are all laid bare in 385 pages. Despite the scope of the book’s content, most of it reads quickly and engagingly, though in some sections it slows to the point of near-tedium. Plumbing the boundless depths of Circe’s grief is not for the faint of heart, as I learned, a great deal of my own nature and loneliness having come to light in the process. I now consider Circe one of the crown jewels of my bookshelf. From its intricate, melancholic tale arises a beautiful reflection on the meaning of a fleeting mortal life that is timeless without being clichéd.

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