Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Circe by Madeline Miller

316 reviews

ghulsona's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Alcohol

jessiereads98's review against another edition

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

Circe is truly an epic. I loved how Madeline Miller created an Odyssey-style story following a woman throughout major events in her life along with the mundane details of daily life at various points. Madeline Miller’s prose is so gorgeous that moments which would traditionally be considered dull feel more like a natural ebb in the story. Comparatively, the ending felt a bit abrupt. Things seemed to rush to a close, compared to the ebb and flow, and slowed pacing of the rest of the book. Overall, characterization is at times weak as the focus is more on overall themes and the more universal storytelling of Greek mythology. Circe is told through a highly introspective narrative. This, combined with the storytelling structure Miller employs, at times leads to side characters feeling flat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

galexy_brain's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, War, and Classism

Minor: Slavery and Alcohol

enimiestolovers_13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content

gabriella_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

I read most of this book on a round trip train ride and someone’s front lawn. My god this book was gripping. I preferred The Song of Achilles for the romantic overtures but I think Madeline Miller really comes into her own as an author writing prose in this piece. The depth of the way she characterizes has compounded exponentially in this book. It’s such a refreshing spin on Greek mythos that I couldn’t put the book down.

This book made me laugh and cry within mere lines. I love the way Madeline Miller writes structures of misogyny without relegating women to damsels, and while writing all her characters as multidimensional with their own agendas. She captures the essence of Greek mythos without letting it choke out her own artistic vision.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

aneebunnee's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.25

A beautiful book retelling the story of a popular greek character from a female perspective. It was heartbreaking, but also powerful. The strength of the character and her perseverance amid the trials thrown at her and the loneliness she suffered from made her so incredibly likeable, despite her mistakes and flaws. The other characters were also fleshed out in a way that you usually don't see in other Greek mythology retellings, making them seem so... human. The prose was such that I could almost see the scenes playing out before my eyes, but it was never too descriptive or dry.
Highly recommend reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Violence and War

agooding's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Slavery and Suicidal thoughts

momma_needs_to_read's review against another edition

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

4.0

This was such a good book. I absolutely love Madeline Miller’s writing. She is able to perfectly describe settings and characters to a point that I was really able to picture it in my head. This book made me want to live on a deserted island with the animals and my own little garden outside a cottage.

I love Greek mythology and I’ve been wanting to read this for so long and I’m glad that I finally did. The book starts with Circe’s younger days and continues on as she explores and finds her true self. Anyone familiar with Greek Mythology will recognize most of the characters and their stories. This is such a great retelling. However, there were a few parts that kind of crept by and felt less interesting than others. Other parts had me completely enthralled, but then it would get to a slow part and start to lose me a bit.

Overall, I loved this book. I definitely recommend it to all Greek Mythology lovers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

helena_stell's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.0

I like the way that Circe is humanized and the way the story goes into detail abouth these gods. You get a different insight into these lifes and myths of these beings. It just makes it that much more enjoyable. I never knew hoe the story would end until we got there and it was so fitting for the character. I would definitely recommend this to someone in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Grief

Moderate: Rape and War

fengari's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape