Reviews tagging 'War'

Circe by Madeline Miller

386 reviews

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

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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!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, War, Torture, Child death, Rape, Slavery, Sexual violence, Animal death, Pregnancy, and Violence

wogslandwriter's review against another edition

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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The epic and endless life of a goddess distilled into a beautiful story that makes sense to us mortals. Miller does an amazing job communicating complex emotions and complicated topics without preaching. The first person narration lends the story an intimate feel and Miller leans heavily on the idea that Circe, herself, is telling us the story of her past to excellent effect and emotional impact. The novel feels and reads like an intimate literary novel while still being solidly founded in the fantasy and mythology of the Circe mythos. Overall, it was an excellent read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Sexism, Gore, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, War, and Slavery

Minor: Torture, Animal death, and Xenophobia

Circe is raped at one point by sailors who visit her island. It is not described in explicit detail, but it is not actively shied away from either. Immediately afterwards, she murders the man who did it and his friends.

zauet's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and War

Moderate: Toxic relationship

rohrbaugh82's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Death of parent, War, Animal death, and Infidelity

hello_lovely13's review

adventurous emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

The writing was, of course, amazing and right up my hill. This book did an excellent job of purposefully making you angry on Circe's behalf, with everything lined with underlying sadness as she works to embodying her own power. I liked seeing her progression as she transformed from someone that believed themselves weak and powerless to someone that was defiant and accepts and embraces how powerful they are. The ending wasn't quite my favorite, but it does make sense for the desires of the character.

I did not like that she gave up her immortality, but liked that she retained her powers and kept working as a witch. Due to the emphasis on isolation and her despair over the idea of eternity (everything always moving on, memories fleeting), it makes sense for her to want and then actually take the steps to become mortal with a more normal life, but I would have preferred her to find a found family or remain solitary, but learn to bask in her own power (she does this, but loneliness is a big aspect to her character). I absolutely loved that Penelope became the new witch of Aiaia. A refuge island for women would have been a great ending as well. I did not expect that she would actually achieve an end to her exile.

A majority of the book lacked a spark of rage, which made the treatment of Circe all the more sad. Everyone around her was absolutely terrible to her, and she would just take it. Very rarely would there be moments of catharsis where she would speak out and prove them wrong, and it was so unfortunate for her because she was always looked down on and underestimated.

The moment she achieves acquiring Trygon's tail is a good moment, and I delighted that her brother tried and failed. She didn't get much recognition on this accomplishment, but she was never concerned with such things. I more wanted it for her.

The third quarter of the book lost my attention a bit, due to the subject it focused on (

I don't particularly care about reading about motherhood; I find it a bit boring. The part about her having to defend her son against Athena was interesting because it demanded her to use the defiant side to her that acknowledges her power and uses it. The fact that she succeeds for so long only to lose him to Athena once Telemachus turns her offer down is something sad that I resigned myself to.

It was written effectively, but the subject matter is one I'm not attached to.). It was interesting seeing Circe connected to so many well-known myths. Circe always moves forward, and that is something admirable about her. Overall, a beautiful story underlined with sadness (mostly due to the audacity of men), and you will definitely be rooting for Circe until the end (I support women's rights, and I also support women's wrongs. There is also good work done making each character multifaceted, so even as you hate or love them, you are able to understand (and sometimes sympathize with) them. A definite recommend if you like slow-paced character studies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: War

eliya's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.5

Loved this book. This one felt similar to Matrix by Lauren Goff just the way it followed a woman through her life, I loved that. I wasn’t expecting the book to keep growing, but it did. The last chapter was delicious and

made me hope to live again. I have been feeling idk less than thrilled to be alive, but I will swim in the words she wrote so beautifully about savoring growing old. I can’t wait to grow old with my beautiful love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: War, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Blood, and Sexism

Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, and Death of parent

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

4.25

I really enjoyed this book! I think getting to know Circe more intimately and engaging in her story as one piece instead of the fragments created an engaging and creative 400 pages. Circe is both likable and unlikable, blunt and evasive, rude and considerate, caring and unfeeling, and selfish and selfless. She evolves from a naive doormat into a strong and wise witch. I wish I could give this 5 stars but it falls flat for me. I didn't need a battle or a death but I feel like the disconnect from other characters and how flat everyone else seemed made it hard to care about the ending. I dislike comparing books (especially when they aren't actually connected) but, after reading Millers other greek retelling, this feels like an emotional let down. Not sure if my expectations were too high or if this just didn't deliver. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, War, Medical content, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Gore, and Toxic relationship

mi_chlo's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Incest, Murder, Slavery, War, Pregnancy, Animal death, Blood, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Rape, and Sexual content

vvabecca's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, War, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Bullying, Incest, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Torture