peonyreading 's review for:

Circe by Madeline Miller

3.5

adventurous reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Circe was a beautifully written novel, yet in comparison to The Song of Achilles this novel was much less impactful for me, in parts I believe due to the expanded timeframe of the novel. After the first third of the novel the pacing became a bit slower, and ultimately the novel fell into a predictable rhythm. If you're just looking for a well-written retelling of Greek mythology then this will definitely scratch that itch; but if you are looking for a character driven drama akin to Song of Achilles then you'll probably be a little disappointed. I debated what to give Circe, but ultimately I think it's a 3.5/5 for me due to slowness and the lack of impactful moments, which is likely not a fault of the novel but rather the story being told.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Sexism, Violence, Grief, War

Minor: Child death, Incest