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loxeletters'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? Yes
4.0
I feel this is a superb kind of retelling: it really captures the feeling of reading the Odyssey and Iliad while conforming, at least in the later chapters, more to our modern taste in storytelling. The beginning certainly had strong narrative resemblance to the old classics.
My main gripe with this book is that, for being marketed as a feminist retelling, it really focuses so much on men and Circe's relationship with them. There's no female friendship or relationship in this book that is given as much space or development as her relationships to her lovers, her father, Telegonus, and her brother.
That being said, I did really enjoy exploring her complex relationship with Telegonus, and even shed a few tears there. She went through so much and still would give everything for him. That really touched something in me.
Important ideas explored here are immortality and divinity, needless cruelty, motherhood, loneliness, and death. Regardless of my complaints, this was a lovely read.
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual violence, War, Pregnancy, Grief, and Misogyny
marinajonesreads's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Confinement
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Rape, War, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Abandonment, and Animal death
drewg's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Violence and War
moond4ncer's review
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Rape, Animal death, Classism, Grief, Pregnancy, Violence, War, Blood, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Forced institutionalization
spookyaz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, War, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Bullying, Gore, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
slefebvre95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: War, Sexual violence, Body horror, Infidelity, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Rape, Pregnancy, Murder, Gore, Torture, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Confinement, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
rjbedell's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Torture, Toxic relationship, Rape, Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Animal death, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: War, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide, Incest, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Child death
erinjade_3's review
- 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
Madeline Miller's writing is so heartbreakingly beautiful, with rich descriptions and fully-fleshed characters. I love how she reclaims the character of Circe and depicts her journey from girlhood through to womanhood. I am definitely one to prefer a character-driven book over a plot-driven book, and that is exactly what this is. We see centuries unfold through the eyes of an unsuspecting witness in Circe. As someone who has always loved Greek myths, the coinciding stories/ characters drove excitement for me when it came to plot (so I could see how this could be a potential downfall for some). But I think the richness of the characters and themes make up for that, personally.
I just adore this book.
Moderate: Child death, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, and War
swanuponsleda's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Rape, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Violence, and Pregnancy
Moderate: War, Torture, Grief, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent and Animal death
coreym9's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Slavery, War, Torture, Confinement, Incest, Rape, Blood, Sexual violence, Violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Pregnancy