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kmtaylor002's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Body horror, Confinement, War, Violence, Misogyny, Mental illness, Bullying, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Sexual content, and Incest
papayaya's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.5
There’s something in me that won’t give this book the whole 5 stars but I’m not sure why. It was a little slow at the start if I really had to nitpick. But other than that this book was perfection. Circe and her great mind. I feel like I got to know her so closely that she would laugh at me if I said she could not catch a break. But I love her, with all her pride. We follow Circe from her earlier years to when she is exiled on Aiaia. I’m happy for the ending she got in this. She deserved nothing but. Reading it made me emotional and warm. If there’s ever a time I want to come down from a bad day I would read this ending over and over again. A very fulfilling story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: War and Sexual assault
crybabybea's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The best part about this book is that it turned Greek mythology on its head, which is clever and creative. Madeline Miller took the character Circe, often relegated to the sideline as a plot device for famous heroes such as Odysseus, and made her the main character. In Circe, the titular witch becomes our hero, and all other characters serve her narrative as plot devices. Because of this, the novel becomes more of a character study, and we spend most of our time in Circe's experience and thoughts.
I should mention that I know very little about Greek mythology; it's never been a huge interest for me, and I wasn't a Percy Jackson child. That being said, the parallels to The Odyssey are very clear, and we even get a visit from Odysseus himself (which serves as a turning point in the novel for Circe's character). The prose itself is very clearly inspired by classic Greek literature. Descriptive and poetic at times, it also became the novel's biggest drawback for me as it became sluggish and even pretentious at times. But. I can't deny I felt incredibly immersed in Circe's journey, the island of Aiaia especially, and the witchiness of it all.
As for the character Circe herself, I did enjoy her. I enjoyed her journey, seeing how she changes and grows as she is influenced by the people and experiences she has throughout the story. Like I said, the other characters are merely plot devices; if you are looking for a unique cast of highly developed characters, this is not it. There is no overarching plot with intense action, no big baddie that needs defeated, and no moral lesson that needs to be learned. It is simply about the human experience of loneliness and connection, finding our way in life, making peace with our mistakes, and ultimately living a life of fulfillment.
As a literary character study, Circe (the character) is done very well. She is complicated, full of rage, grief, jealousy, love, and remorse. I think her story is relatable to a lot of different people, women and femmes especially, as they experience heartache after heartache in their search for love and acceptance. The mistakes we make as human beings, as well as the ways we try to right ourselves in a chaotic world are universal and Circe is an excellent mirror for that experience. I really enjoyed her development and how her story ended. Greek mythology was a great setting for this experience, as Circe grappled with her life as a lesser god -- surrounded by tricksters and remorseless cruelty, Circe redefines her own nature as she chooses love, both for herself and for the few people that become important in her life.
Because of the slow pacing and sluggish prose, this is on the lower end of the 3.25 star rating for me. The character study was great, but I think it dragged on a bit too long for little reward.
I should mention that I know very little about Greek mythology; it's never been a huge interest for me, and I wasn't a Percy Jackson child. That being said, the parallels to The Odyssey are very clear, and we even get a visit from Odysseus himself (which serves as a turning point in the novel for Circe's character). The prose itself is very clearly inspired by classic Greek literature. Descriptive and poetic at times, it also became the novel's biggest drawback for me as it became sluggish and even pretentious at times. But. I can't deny I felt incredibly immersed in Circe's journey, the island of Aiaia especially, and the witchiness of it all.
As for the character Circe herself, I did enjoy her. I enjoyed her journey, seeing how she changes and grows as she is influenced by the people and experiences she has throughout the story. Like I said, the other characters are merely plot devices; if you are looking for a unique cast of highly developed characters, this is not it. There is no overarching plot with intense action, no big baddie that needs defeated, and no moral lesson that needs to be learned. It is simply about the human experience of loneliness and connection, finding our way in life, making peace with our mistakes, and ultimately living a life of fulfillment.
As a literary character study, Circe (the character) is done very well. She is complicated, full of rage, grief, jealousy, love, and remorse. I think her story is relatable to a lot of different people, women and femmes especially, as they experience heartache after heartache in their search for love and acceptance. The mistakes we make as human beings, as well as the ways we try to right ourselves in a chaotic world are universal and Circe is an excellent mirror for that experience. I really enjoyed her development and how her story ended. Greek mythology was a great setting for this experience, as Circe grappled with her life as a lesser god -- surrounded by tricksters and remorseless cruelty, Circe redefines her own nature as she chooses love, both for herself and for the few people that become important in her life.
Because of the slow pacing and sluggish prose, this is on the lower end of the 3.25 star rating for me. The character study was great, but I think it dragged on a bit too long for little reward.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Body shaming, Murder, Animal death, War, Bullying, Child death, Rape, Pregnancy, and Sexism
chloewilson_13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, War, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Confinement
Minor: Animal death
iconicavocado's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
(Read via book & audiobook)
Book 📖: 5/5 stars
Audiobook 🎙️: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This may be one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. Stunning prose and delicate description of a Greek retelling. I love how Madeline kept the fickleness and absurdity that is the gods temperament but brought such humanity to Circe, with her plights and injustice. But I most of all loved Circe, a side characters to mythology brought to life in a full length novel. I adore the ending. Just chef's kiss to a incredible character. The audiobook is stunning! Highly recommend listening to it. I cannot wait to read more of Madeline Miller's other works in the near future.
Book 📖: 5/5 stars
Audiobook 🎙️: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This may be one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. Stunning prose and delicate description of a Greek retelling. I love how Madeline kept the fickleness and absurdity that is the gods temperament but brought such humanity to Circe, with her plights and injustice. But I most of all loved Circe, a side characters to mythology brought to life in a full length novel. I adore the ending. Just chef's kiss to a incredible character. The audiobook is stunning! Highly recommend listening to it. I cannot wait to read more of Madeline Miller's other works in the near future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Torture, War, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape and Animal death
anniover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, War, Cannibalism, Death, Sexual content, and Violence
agnodike_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
My fave quote:
Will it was, every hour, will. Like a spell after all, but one that I had to cast upon myself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape
torismazarine'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Self harm, Confinement, and Infidelity
snips17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, Confinement, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Sexism
Moderate: War, Rape, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, and Torture
codapril's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was amazing!! It was slow paced, yet so intriguing and the pace of the book made it easier to understand, since the book takes place over thousands of years and spans so many different events. I loved this take on Circe, a goddess I had never thought much about before this book. This author is also so talented, the way in which she writes is so captivating and she has a way with her words in which I've never seen before. This book is so adventurous and exposes you to so many Greek myth stories, if even briefly, and it's exciting to see how they all intersect and influence each other. There is tremendous character development, in my opinion, more for some characters and less for others. But I loved how the author shaped your perception of a character and then introduces new information that can change your opinion of that character, for worse or for better. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and hope this author has more coming!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, War, Torture, Child death, Rape, Slavery, Sexual violence, Animal death, Pregnancy, and Violence