Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm sad to say that this book was a bit of a disappointment for me. In the beginning, I quite liked Circe's characterization and I enjoyed how she was able to find peace and happiness upon her island. I liked that she felt an indomitable spirit, determined to make the best of her situation and find joy for herself. When she experienced violence at the hands of men, I understood her reaction and didn't entirely find it wrong how she turned the men into pigs. I was enjoying reading about her experiences with different people that came to her island. However, the more I kept reading, the more I felt the book was dragging on. There were certainly moments of emotional intensity, but they began to feel less and less significant and impactful. When Telegonus leaves the island and returns with Penelope and his half brother, I was excited to see how things might unfold. To be honest, I found it hard to swallow that Circe developed a relationship with her son's half-sibling. I couldn't help but feel that this development was inappropriate and couldn't possibly be the resolution for all of this characterization that I had witnessed Circe through. I think the decision for her to lose her immortality was amazing and made a lot of sense for her, but it was barely glossed over at the end. I just feel like this ending was really off-putting to me and it feels like Madeline Miller is trying to portray Circe's relationship with Telemachus as a happily ever after for her. I simply don't feel that this is a happily ever after and I'm left pretty unsatisfied with the outcome of this story. That's not to say that I hated it or thought most of it was bad. There were many great and even excellent parts of this book, but overall I feel disappointed.
