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A review by vexasaurus_rex
Circe by Madeline Miller
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5/5 Rating
"This is what it means to swim in the tide, to walk the earth and feel it touch your feet. This is what it means to be alive."
Circe was the second book I have read from this author. The Song of Achilles knocked me down and killed me (in a good way), but this book did the same and revived me afterwards. I have never read such an author that has the ability to tell ancient tales and make the reader feel ancient themselves by doing so. Yet, while reading Circe, I felt like I aged a thousand lifetimes alongside the main character. The ending felt like a great relief to me, like a completeness I've never felt the likes of before. I'd walked all that way with Circe, and here we were, at the end of the story, and I felt content to let her go, to let her live off the pages. This book gave me such an eternal sense of wonder and dread and pain and joy. Madeline Miller performed the rite of κάθαρσις, of "katharsis," on me—and that's the true witchcraft of it all.
"This is what it means to swim in the tide, to walk the earth and feel it touch your feet. This is what it means to be alive."
Circe was the second book I have read from this author. The Song of Achilles knocked me down and killed me (in a good way), but this book did the same and revived me afterwards. I have never read such an author that has the ability to tell ancient tales and make the reader feel ancient themselves by doing so. Yet, while reading Circe, I felt like I aged a thousand lifetimes alongside the main character. The ending felt like a great relief to me, like a completeness I've never felt the likes of before. I'd walked all that way with Circe, and here we were, at the end of the story, and I felt content to let her go, to let her live off the pages. This book gave me such an eternal sense of wonder and dread and pain and joy. Madeline Miller performed the rite of κάθαρσις, of "katharsis," on me—and that's the true witchcraft of it all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape