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A review by studyinroses
Circé by Madeline Miller
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
What an incredible book. I've read The Song of Achilles before reading Circe and I thought that it couldn't get better than this. I think that the most important quality of Circe is character development. I couldn't explain what it is about her but she is so human, she is flawed, the worst of her is never hidden and never without consequences. This really makes a good book a great book : everything has an outcome, and it will not always play in the favour of the gods (literally).
The feeling of loneliness is so well described, and, as always with Madeline Miller, there is so much poetry in every page without ever being too much. She makes poetry out of simple words and short phrases and it is beautiful. There is also the major theme of womanhood and everything that can come with it, i.e. being rejected because of the independence that we claim, being manipulated by men that only love us when we are weak and at their feet, having to find happiness and wholeness even alone, even without the approval of the men that are supposed to be the figures of power. We feel so close to Circe, because even if she spends an eternity living alone and seems to find herself in the process, even if she is powerful and decided about how she would never make compromises again, she's still so vulnerable without ever being weak. The beauty of this reading was found in the subtle way in which Circe is written, as a complex being, and a loveable and understandable one. One of my favourite books of all time.
The feeling of loneliness is so well described, and, as always with Madeline Miller, there is so much poetry in every page without ever being too much. She makes poetry out of simple words and short phrases and it is beautiful. There is also the major theme of womanhood and everything that can come with it, i.e. being rejected because of the independence that we claim, being manipulated by men that only love us when we are weak and at their feet, having to find happiness and wholeness even alone, even without the approval of the men that are supposed to be the figures of power. We feel so close to Circe, because even if she spends an eternity living alone and seems to find herself in the process, even if she is powerful and decided about how she would never make compromises again, she's still so vulnerable without ever being weak. The beauty of this reading was found in the subtle way in which Circe is written, as a complex being, and a loveable and understandable one. One of my favourite books of all time.