Circe

Author: Madeline Miller 

Rating: 4.5/5 

Recommend: I would recommend all of Madeline Miller’s mesmerizing retelling of heroes and gods, in a heartbeat. Circe is no different – it is a novel which you will read time and time again, will take strength in and seek lessons from, and will remain in your memory for generations more to come. 

Circe is the tale of a woman. A woman, who from the minute she was born, was cast aside by both mother and father, deemed unworthy, plain and insignificant. Circe was a goddess, born from the blood of the sun titan himself – but, goddess or no are not all us women like her? Considered by society only for our beauty, little in much else, who men see fit to do as they will, treat as they will, just another object for them to take as they will… Circe is every woman in the world who has had to face the ugliness of men and society and fight them all alone. 

Circe, as mortals imagine her

As with The Song Of Achilles, I had neither read nor heard of this tale before I came across Madeline Miller’s gem of a book. I’m glad of it: I was swept along on a journey with the greatest sorceress the world has ever seen and I loved every single minute of it. 

So, what did I like most about this book? 

The voice. The protagonist, Circe daughter of Helios’ voice. Madeline Miller writes in a way that gives a distinct voice and life to her characters, something that never fails to spellbind me. You may notice that my tone changes throughout my different reviews, and the difference is especially noticeable when I review books by Miller. There is just something in her prose which changes my way of writing too; there is nothing else like it. 

Circe will always hold a special place in my heart for its story. They tale has been told a million different times, each version slightly different from the last; but, this is the one that will stay with me. I feel as if all the strong women in our world, were always a hopeful, innocent and foolish child as Circe once. When people tell you that you are not good enough, pretty enough, useful enough, all your life, then what else do you have to believe? I relished Circe’s transformation as she gradually realized that it was not she who was ugly, but it was actually the people around her. Foolish gods and jealous immortals who could not see her for the magnificent creature she was. 

Odysseus

I will admit that among the two books of Miller’s I’ve read, I still prefer The Song of Achilles more. Circe, however, is beautiful in a different away. Prepare to be conflicted over the characters, to both admire and detest Odysseus, to like and then loathe Hermes in the span of a few chapters (millennia). The first few chapters might seem a bit slow at first; have patience. Once you reach the island of Aiaia, there is absolutely no turning back :)

If you are looking for a book to lift you out of bad spirits, read Circe. Read it if you are looking for something to help you gain strength, if all you find around are ill-wishers and you desperately seek some light in your life. Read it if you wish to heal. A Madeline Miller novel never, ever disappoints.