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captnmorgan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I wish there were more! Circe grew so much, yet down to her core, remained the Circe we were initially introduced to. It was a hard book to put down, even at the worst moments, the writing was captivating. I felt charmed by the writing, similar to how I felt gods and goddesses charm those around them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Gore, and Murder
midnightreads1803's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, and Gore
Minor: War
moraina's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Circe is a twist on how women are represented in Greek mythology, giving them power and wit. Although it is a slower read, Circe interacts with a variety of characters and learns lessons from each of them, while imparting some wisdom of her own and trying to fix her past mistakes. She learns that she is capable of more than she and her family realize and sticks true to her moral compass even when it is contradictory to what godhood entails.
Madeline Miller has a great writing style and conveys relationships between characters in a way that I don't find in books often. I do think this is a slower read than The Song of Achilles, but both books are fantastic and I highly look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Madeline Miller has a great writing style and conveys relationships between characters in a way that I don't find in books often. I do think this is a slower read than The Song of Achilles, but both books are fantastic and I highly look forward to reading more from her in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, War, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, and Child death
lindsaysofia_25's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Such a gorgeous novel! The prose is absolutely captivating and is the perfect blend of Homer's epic tradition and Miller's own flair. Following an immortal protagonist through an epic spanning thousands of years allows the story to touch on many myths as well as the overlap with the Odyssey which inspired the novel in the first place. I was impressed by how smoothly Miller managed to transition between these eras of Circe's life such that in hindsight I can remember all the different myths I read about Circe's involvement in, and yet I never felt like I was being jolted from one to the next. It's also quite a feat to write such a sprawling epic while maintaining strong narrative momentum!
In the first half of the novel, I was already enamoured with the style and atmosphere, but reading further and beginning to see how loose ends tied together and themes emerged, I really saw that this was a 5 star novel. I remember my 12th grade English teacher saying that reading fiction is the best way to learn about the world and yourself, and this novel turned out to be a perfect example of that. I genuinely believe that I am changed by my reading of it, and by exploring my own reaction to it. Miller skillfully blends a fabulous reading experience on the surface with an insightful philosophical argument about life, love, and passion.
Using Greek myth as a vehicle for all this allowed Miller to use readers' existing knowledge of these oral histories to make commentary, and allowed her to use immortality and divinity as a foil for mortality and humankind. I love reading work that uses well-known source material but doesn't feel hollow or derivative, and this is a great example of exactly that. The blend of style against a thoroughly well-researched background reminds me of Chloe Gong, which is one of the highest compliments I can offer! Of course their particular style differs, but they both are experts at producing an engrossing atmosphere that draws readers in and invites them to contemplate the events of the novel and their underlying meanings and motivations.
I'm excited to reread this at some point after becoming more familiar with the Odyssey (I know the Iliad much better) and some of the less popular source myths, and buy my own copy so I can annotate to my heart's content. This is such a rich novel I can feel in my bones its excellent reread value!
In the first half of the novel, I was already enamoured with the style and atmosphere, but reading further and beginning to see how loose ends tied together and themes emerged, I really saw that this was a 5 star novel. I remember my 12th grade English teacher saying that reading fiction is the best way to learn about the world and yourself, and this novel turned out to be a perfect example of that. I genuinely believe that I am changed by my reading of it, and by exploring my own reaction to it. Miller skillfully blends a fabulous reading experience on the surface with an insightful philosophical argument about life, love, and passion.
Using Greek myth as a vehicle for all this allowed Miller to use readers' existing knowledge of these oral histories to make commentary, and allowed her to use immortality and divinity as a foil for mortality and humankind. I love reading work that uses well-known source material but doesn't feel hollow or derivative, and this is a great example of exactly that. The blend of style against a thoroughly well-researched background reminds me of Chloe Gong, which is one of the highest compliments I can offer! Of course their particular style differs, but they both are experts at producing an engrossing atmosphere that draws readers in and invites them to contemplate the events of the novel and their underlying meanings and motivations.
I'm excited to reread this at some point after becoming more familiar with the Odyssey (I know the Iliad much better) and some of the less popular source myths, and buy my own copy so I can annotate to my heart's content. This is such a rich novel I can feel in my bones its excellent reread value!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Violence
tashaxkate's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
I am heartbroken to have finished this book, I feel emptier knowing there’s no more story to read but fuller for having read through its pages. One of the best books I have ever read and it deserves every piece of hype and praise it gets.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Grief, Violence, Medical content, Sexual violence, Rape, Murder, Sexual assault, and Slavery
themirrorball's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
for the first half of this book, i felt like i was just waiting for something meaningful to happen. i found myself becoming disinterested with how quickly characters were introduced and then dropped. however, once i realized that the focus of this book it not on the plot, the relationships, or even the characters, but simply how circe develops over her long life, i began to appreciate much more. Circe is an excellently thought out character. she is incredibly complex, and it is interesting to watch her change as she meets new people with new perspectives. watching her discover more and more about the world and what she wants, all while remaining on her island is fascinating. I also loved the complexity of the relationships in this book. each one is rich and layered, and they become more so as circe’s matures. overall I think this book is an amazing achievement that tells the story of circe very well, but can be slow and difficult to get through too often.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Murder and Incest
milkkyghost's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, Murder, and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death
kmp19's review against another edition
adventurous
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, and War
Minor: Blood, Death of parent, Cannibalism, Rape, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, and Murder
elementalmoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
A lovely reimagining of Greek mythology, as well as a reflection of the joys and sorrows of human life.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Rape, War, and Violence
emilywemily6's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
The writing was beautiful and I loved how to themes are subtle yet significant throughout. I really enjoy Greek mythology and how the more I read, the more names I recognize. Circe really came into her own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Abandonment, Body horror, and Sexism
Moderate: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, Rape, Death, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol and War