Reviews tagging 'War'

Circe by Madeline Miller

377 reviews

grayvie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Murder

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, War, Violence, and Sexual content

willbyerslvr's review against another edition

adventurous informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Minor: Torture, Violence, War, Body horror, and Blood

lindyloureads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Blood, Bullying, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexism, Violence, Body shaming, Sexual content, Child abuse, Rape, Slavery, Death, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Deportation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Torture, War, and Gaslighting

Minor: Pregnancy, Incest, and Physical abuse

cynthiaplans's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’m partial to Greek mythology but Miller’s version elevates the characters and adventures to another level that feels like historical fiction rather than fantasy. Her prose is absolutely breathtaking. And I found the reflections on parenthood through the lens of Circe so thoughtful and poignant.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Gore, War, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Rape, Confinement, Blood, Body horror, Sexual assault, Murder, Violence, and Death

katie0528's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

A beautiful tragic tale of the goddess and witch Circe, one of the nymphs famously depicted in The Odyssey. While Odysseus and his crew make an impactful stamp on her life,

including giving her a son and Odysseus's own family joining Circe

there is so much more to the tale. From her early life, born to Titan parents and scorned by her family, to her banishment to her island, and growing powers and witchcraft. While this is a strong novel, and I enjoyed it, I found myself often comparing it to Song of Achilles, which to me was so emotionally devestating, that this semi-connected book just didn't have quite as strong of an impact.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Rape, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Murder, War, Confinement, and Misogyny

linneak's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Body horror, Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual content, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Bullying, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: War, Confinement, and Incest

maudesoul's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective 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

A feminist tale featuring one of the lesser known characters in Greek mythology gets her own legendary hero's journey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Rape, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexism, War, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Grief

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective fast-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? Yes

5.0

I didn’t think Madeline Miller could match the heights of Achilles, but she did something even better. She told a story that at once built on the themes of the work but also did it’s entirely own thing. I was impressed by the detail she weaves into the titular character’s story. i really felt the weight of immortality and how that interplay changes interpersonal dynamics, morality, etc. i enjoyed knowing some of how the story would play out, but not all of it. and of course, the mark of a great story is even as you know what’s around the corner, you are still on the edge of your seat. this book shifts the focus on a familiar tale and expands the depth of myth and how these stories are as relevant now as they were then. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Violence and Death

Minor: Incest, Animal death, and War

kellyofcali's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

A sort of slow read, though a nice one, that takes you through a number of stories of Greek Mythology from a different perspective. I've always loved the Greek gods, so I enjoyed this, though it didn't GRAB me the way some books do. Appreciate a strong female center.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Death, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Minor: War, Animal death, Sexual content, and Blood

librarymouse's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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

Madeline Miller exceeded my expectations with this one. Circe as both character and story is lovingly rendered, and the culmination of her constant change and constant striving for more at the end of novel is more than I could have hoped for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Body horror, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape

Minor: Genocide, Slavery, and War