Reviews with content warning for Self harm - Circe Excerpt: The First 3 Chapters

This book was full of beautiful prose and written in a way that is unusual and I have not seen before but enjoyed immensely!!!!

I really enjoyed the retelling of a classic character from a different view point. It showed the horror and injustice of the original tale. Warning if you are interested in reading this book there are many content warnings and triggers that you should take the time to look into. It is not a lighthearted book and deals with some very heavy topics.
It also has a strong feminist voice.

It was a very interesting, enjoyable and much needed retelling but do not jump in without doing the research and making sure it is something you can read :)

Content Warnings

jfield351's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.0

The story was good but at some times I found it boring. It was really good to read about Greek mythology though even though some of the things they did were very gory. I prefer books with a plot and this was more character based but the writing was very nice.

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onceuponabookcase's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

I have been intrigued by Madeline Miller's novels and the buzz around them for quite a while now, and even more so since Circe was released. The only reason I hadn't picked them up already was because I thought they might be quite literary, which isn't normally my bag. But when an author I love tweeted about Circe with a quote from the book, I knew it was time. And I absolutely loved it!

As regular readers will know, I'm a big fan of retellings, but I hadn't read many Greek myth retellings prior to Circe, and those I have were reimagined quite a fair bit. I've always loved Greek myths, and certain stories. But I don't know them well, and what I do know comes from my love of art. I'll discover a painting of a particular myth, and then end up down an online rabbit hole reading about the painting but also the myth that inspired it. So I didn't know a huge amount about Circe before starting the book beyond what I learnt through reading up on Circe Invidiosa, Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses, and The Sorceress, all by John William Waterhouse. I knew she was a witch who transformed Scylla into a monster, though I had forgotten why, and I knew she transformed men into pigs, but that was pretty much it. But I was fascinated by the idea of her being one of the goddesses who are also witches, what that meant, how she is viewed as a villian, a femme fatale, and the feminist aspects I was hearing about this book.

Circe is beautifully written. It's enchanting, and has that same quality as fairy tales; the cadence puts you under it's spell and lulls you, pulling you in as you float through Circe's story. I loved what Miller did with Circe; giving her a voice for her own story, and reimagining the reasons behind the myths we know. She has a whole history. Her standing as a daughter of Apollo and Perse, the way they saw her and treated her. The arrogance of the gods and how self-centered they are; how everything relates to one's own honour and dignity; the women who are cruel, but discovering that women must connive and have a certain backbone to get any power - even amongst gods, society is patriarchal. And then we have Circe, who at first, is young and naive, who is emotional and yearns for love and care, and makes mistakes because of it. The experimentation of transforming the mortal she loves into a god, only for him to then prefer another. Another who is cruel to her, and so transforms her to show her true shelf. And in doing so, is exiled.

It's then her true story begins. As in the myths, women are treated terribly, but Circe is not a character who just accepts this as the lot of women. She's not surprised, and there's not much she can do, but there is acknowledgement over how disgusting it is, and her fear for herself. But away from those who only hurt her, she discovers herself, her power, what she is capable of. It's a story about her coming into her own, of realising who she is, what she can do, and what she has is good enough. But it's also a story of loneliness, love, and one of hope.

I loved the various myths Miller was able to include in Circe. There are a few myths she has a minor and/or brief role in, and Miller was able to elaborate and expand on those elements to bring more to her story, to aid her growth as a character. It led at times to me researching those myths in more detail, until I realised I wanted to discover them as I read. It's such a rich and full story, and it was wonderful to see Circe grow and evolve, given everything she experiences.

I absolutely adored Circe, and it's definitely a story I will be revisiting in the future. It's heartbreaking and beautiful and hopeful, with such a powerful ending! I loved it so much, I immediately dived into The Song of Achilles, which I'm still reading as I write, and has had me buying more Greek myth retellings that focus on women. Miller has me wanting so much more, and I'm looking forward to what she writes in future.

Content Warnings

skudiklier's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was amazing. It was a bit slow to start, but I had heard such good things and loved SOA so much--and wow am I glad I kept going. This book made me feel every possible emotion. Everything I knew about Circe came from reading the Percy Jackson series as a kid, so I knew nothing of what to expect with the plot. It was just incredible. Miller is a fantastic writer, and I copied so many beautiful quotes and passages into my notes. I love the whole concept of this book, of telling the story of Circe's life, of making the epic about her and the stories that never get told. I'd recommend this book to anyone I could convince to read it.

Content Warnings

bkjoap's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Going into this book, I didn’t realize how much it would have me reflect of my own life. What it means to give a mother’s love, to have multiple lovers at the perfect point in your life, and what it would mean to be immortal.

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necrologist's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

Content Warnings

ldorina's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.5

Greek mythology, Madeline Miller's writing, female main character, Hermes appears. Just perfect.
Favourite quotes:

"That is one thing gods and mortals share. When we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world."

"This was how mortals found fame, I thought. Through practise and diligence, tending their skills like gardens until they glowed beneath the sun. But gods are born of ichor and nectar, their excellences already bursting from their fingertips. So they find their fame by proving what they can mar: destroying cities, starting wars, breeding plagues and monsters. All that smoke and savour rising so delicately from our altars. It leaves only ash behind."

Content Warnings

tabbybabbles's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.25

Was really well written, but felt slow. Redeemed by the fact that I still couldn’t put it down.

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