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A review by lavenderbluestories
Circe by Madeline Miller
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was an EXPERIENCE. At first, I was a bit skeptical because I could tell it was going to be very dramatic, and I was afraid the characters wouldn’t be relatable enough for me. But as I read on, I become fully enraptured with Circe’s world.
The titular character turned out to be someone who I sympathized with a lot, and she was such a strong, independent character despite her repressive position and all the powerful men who came into her life trying to subdue her.
I often find powerful women in books are portrayed as unlikeable and ruthless, and although Circe is certainly ruthless, her inner monologue offered a fascinating perspective that made me root for her throughout the whole book.
The progression of the story was super unique- it didn’t follow one plot line, but instead told many different stories of people who drifted in and out of Circe’s life. It was an refreshing take on the concept of immortality. So often, immortal characters mention one or two defining events over hundreds of years, and it leaves you wondering what the rest of it was filled with. Circe dictated what it was like to watch entire generations born and gone over and over again, intertwined with stories of people who touched her life in a matter of days. The timeline was twisting and turning, and I think that was what made me absolutely smitten with this book. Definitely worth a read!
The titular character turned out to be someone who I sympathized with a lot, and she was such a strong, independent character despite her repressive position and all the powerful men who came into her life trying to subdue her.
I often find powerful women in books are portrayed as unlikeable and ruthless, and although Circe is certainly ruthless, her inner monologue offered a fascinating perspective that made me root for her throughout the whole book.
The progression of the story was super unique- it didn’t follow one plot line, but instead told many different stories of people who drifted in and out of Circe’s life. It was an refreshing take on the concept of immortality. So often, immortal characters mention one or two defining events over hundreds of years, and it leaves you wondering what the rest of it was filled with. Circe dictated what it was like to watch entire generations born and gone over and over again, intertwined with stories of people who touched her life in a matter of days. The timeline was twisting and turning, and I think that was what made me absolutely smitten with this book. Definitely worth a read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Rape, and Sexual content