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A review by virg0r3ader
Circe by Madeline Miller
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-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
I love Madeline Miller’s work, she writes so beautifully. This book was an incredible experience, i enjoyed the theme of womanhood and the understanding of how men have historically looked down upon women, even goddesses. I can see there is a feminist undertone and i genuinely support it. In a lot of instances in this story the Gods and Godesses are the villains or the wrong doers in the narrative, which i think is very interesting because they are often portrayed as almighty heroes.
<<<SPOILERS>>>I love that we see Odysseus from Circes POV but then we see Telemachus’ POV that really paints him in a different and truer light. We were able to recognize Odysseus’ heroic acts while also being able to hold him accountable for not being a good father or husband. When we heard Odysseus talk about Telemachus as a child we saw a father who loved his son so much. When we finally hear Telemachus’ view of things we can see things more clearly, not saying that Odysseus didn’t love his son, he just was a completely different kind of father than he portrayed himself to be.
I found it extremely fascinating watching Circes journey with finding her power and stepping into her craft. Her whole life she was told she was inferior and less powerful than those around her, which may have been true at the time. Her exile shaped her into a completely different person. Her exile is the reason she was able to step into witchcraft and really explore it. I love that witchcraft isn’t portrayed as just some wand waving magic. We see that witchcraft takes work and dedication, and that the journey isn’t linear. Circe spent months failing over and over and over again until she was able to find what works for her. I also love that Circes craft is completely her own and is unlike any other, it is unlike Penelope’s and it is unlike medea’s. Also seeing her become a mother was a beautiful story line. I love how it wasn’t glamorized, we saw that motherhood was hell for Circe for those first years. We saw how hard and difficult it can be to raise a child on your own. Circe blossomed into a truly badass witch. <<<SPOILERS>>>
5/5 stars for me!!!
<<<SPOILERS>>>I love that we see Odysseus from Circes POV but then we see Telemachus’ POV that really paints him in a different and truer light. We were able to recognize Odysseus’ heroic acts while also being able to hold him accountable for not being a good father or husband. When we heard Odysseus talk about Telemachus as a child we saw a father who loved his son so much. When we finally hear Telemachus’ view of things we can see things more clearly, not saying that Odysseus didn’t love his son, he just was a completely different kind of father than he portrayed himself to be.
I found it extremely fascinating watching Circes journey with finding her power and stepping into her craft. Her whole life she was told she was inferior and less powerful than those around her, which may have been true at the time. Her exile shaped her into a completely different person. Her exile is the reason she was able to step into witchcraft and really explore it. I love that witchcraft isn’t portrayed as just some wand waving magic. We see that witchcraft takes work and dedication, and that the journey isn’t linear. Circe spent months failing over and over and over again until she was able to find what works for her. I also love that Circes craft is completely her own and is unlike any other, it is unlike Penelope’s and it is unlike medea’s. Also seeing her become a mother was a beautiful story line. I love how it wasn’t glamorized, we saw that motherhood was hell for Circe for those first years. We saw how hard and difficult it can be to raise a child on your own. Circe blossomed into a truly badass witch. <<<SPOILERS>>>
5/5 stars for me!!!