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A review by queer_bookwyrm
Circe by Madeline Miller
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, whipping, slavery, rape, bullying, emotional abuse by parents, descriptions of blood and gore, descriptions of childbirth and c-sections, beastiality, swearing
"I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging and can hold nothing in their hands."
Circe by Madeline Miller is a Greek mythology retelling of Circe, the Witch of Aiaia, with whom Odysseus spent time in The Odyssey. This book was so beautiful. Miller writes dazzling prose and imagery that makes you feel like you are there.
We follow Circe, daughter of Helios, who is not much loved by her parents or her siblings. We see her as a naive, powerless nymph yearning for companionship. We get see the Greek gods and Titans through her eyes, but get her story. She eventually gets exiled to the island Aiaia, because of her witchcraft of turning a mortal to God and the nymph Scylla into the monster she is known for.
This was very much a story about Circe's relentless loneliness and neglect and her feelings of powerlessness. We get to see her come into her own and find her strength and power. We see her more than just a pit stop that delayed heroes like Odysseus. She is not the evil witch she is painted to be by the bards.
The common themes seem to be themes of femininity and how women are put into two boxes: a cold harpy or the perfect, loyal woman. Circe defies this dichotomy and is wonderfully multifaceted and flawed. The bards think women only belong in stories if they are damsels in distress, crawling a s crying, but Circe is resolute, and chooses to be something different. Ultimately this is a novel about choice.
We also see classic themes of never being free if the gods' will or whims, and the pride of mortal men will be their downfall. We also see the thankless nature of motherhood and how that also contributed to her loneliness instead of ending it.
In the end, all Circe wanted was a simple life of freedom with a companion to keep the loneliness at bay. I also think that Circe might be at least Demiromantic, DM me if you want to know my reasoning. I will definitely be looking forward to more of Miller's work.
"I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging and can hold nothing in their hands."
Circe by Madeline Miller is a Greek mythology retelling of Circe, the Witch of Aiaia, with whom Odysseus spent time in The Odyssey. This book was so beautiful. Miller writes dazzling prose and imagery that makes you feel like you are there.
We follow Circe, daughter of Helios, who is not much loved by her parents or her siblings. We see her as a naive, powerless nymph yearning for companionship. We get see the Greek gods and Titans through her eyes, but get her story. She eventually gets exiled to the island Aiaia, because of her witchcraft of turning a mortal to God and the nymph Scylla into the monster she is known for.
This was very much a story about Circe's relentless loneliness and neglect and her feelings of powerlessness. We get to see her come into her own and find her strength and power. We see her more than just a pit stop that delayed heroes like Odysseus. She is not the evil witch she is painted to be by the bards.
The common themes seem to be themes of femininity and how women are put into two boxes: a cold harpy or the perfect, loyal woman. Circe defies this dichotomy and is wonderfully multifaceted and flawed. The bards think women only belong in stories if they are damsels in distress, crawling a s crying, but Circe is resolute, and chooses to be something different. Ultimately this is a novel about choice.
We also see classic themes of never being free if the gods' will or whims, and the pride of mortal men will be their downfall. We also see the thankless nature of motherhood and how that also contributed to her loneliness instead of ending it.
In the end, all Circe wanted was a simple life of freedom with a companion to keep the loneliness at bay. I also think that Circe might be at least Demiromantic, DM me if you want to know my reasoning. I will definitely be looking forward to more of Miller's work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Bullying, Child abuse, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Slavery