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A review by kaitie_reads
Circe by Madeline Miller
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
"I was not surprised by the portrait of myself: the proud witch undone before the hero's sword, kneeling and begging for mercy. Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep."
I really enjoyed the story of Circe in this Greek mythology retelling. I love this trend of taking age-old stories but spinning them to focus on the female heroines who have traditionally been the lesser-known and discussed side characters within the formidable male hero journey.
We follow Circe as she grows from a curious and lonely child, who is basically cast out by her own family and ignored for being unique. She is not powerful, like her father or a beautiful temptress like her mother. The loneliness in this book hits hard. Circe has a very sad story, and once she is banished, I love her connection to the island Aiaia and her creatures, but her loneliness is still poignant throughout her story. Her desperation for connection or understanding comes through and is clear in each tragic interaction she has.
Circe's story is told quickly as it spans throughout centuries, but due to the slow nature of life in banishment, it feels like a slow burn. As someone who isn't super familiar with Greek mythology I had a bit of a difficult time with all of the names and connections at first but I found as I read it became easier to make those connections.
An excellent immersive read.
I really enjoyed the story of Circe in this Greek mythology retelling. I love this trend of taking age-old stories but spinning them to focus on the female heroines who have traditionally been the lesser-known and discussed side characters within the formidable male hero journey.
We follow Circe as she grows from a curious and lonely child, who is basically cast out by her own family and ignored for being unique. She is not powerful, like her father or a beautiful temptress like her mother. The loneliness in this book hits hard. Circe has a very sad story, and once she is banished, I love her connection to the island Aiaia and her creatures, but her loneliness is still poignant throughout her story. Her desperation for connection or understanding comes through and is clear in each tragic interaction she has.
Circe's story is told quickly as it spans throughout centuries, but due to the slow nature of life in banishment, it feels like a slow burn. As someone who isn't super familiar with Greek mythology I had a bit of a difficult time with all of the names and connections at first but I found as I read it became easier to make those connections.
An excellent immersive read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Death