Circe is a 2018 novel by American writer Madeline Miller. Set during the Greek Heroic Age, it is an adaptation of various Greek myths, most notably the Odyssey, as told from the perspective of the witch Circe. The novel explores Circe's origin story and narrates Circe's encounters with mythological figures such as Hermes, the Minotaur, Jason, and Medea, and ultimately her romance with Odysseus and her son by him, Telegonus.
Read this just when it came out and was front and centre at every bookshop. I'm about to leave an almost identical review to the one I left Achilles: absolutely flawless writing. Miller could write about watching paint dry and I'd devour it.
Another re-read. Following Circe's account from beginning to bittersweet end, Miller's reimagining tells the tale that might have, but never would or could have, been told by Homer.
While the prose is pleasing and lush, this retelling of a small part of the Odyssey offers a vastly different perspective than the original. An angle I like a lot as I am an incorrigible pushover for redemptive reframing of historically (or mythologically) maligned women.
I first read this about six years ago, and though I'm unsure whether I enjoyed it quite as much the second time, it was still a lovely read.
3 stars: enjoyed this book, you might like it too
It was cool, it was a fun read, I feel like I've read enough like feminist takes on mythology at this point that it didn't feel incredibly new. I do like the fact that it showed a lot of Circe's life and how she changed over the course of the story, as well as her perception of events.
I never found this book a page turner, but I loved it from start to finish. Miller's writing is beautiful, and the character she turns Circe into is a wonderfully biting commentator on the affairs of gods and men alike. What she does with this story feels at once very true to the Homeric tradition--in that everything she adds is woven into the mesh of stories that previously existed--and a clearly intentional addressing of the most frustrating things about the old stories. She isn't kind to the macho man heroes of old, but does make them much more interesting, believable characters. In particular the "here's what happened after" she does to the Odyssey deals with everything I find frustrating about that story in a very effective way.
This was a lovely, amazing book with a story that gave me that cozy feeling. I honestly think I would have given it a full 5 stars if I had read this before Song of Achilles, but the story in that one was a little more compelling for me so it dulled this one a little in comparison. Absolutely one that I would love to read again and will be getting a physical copy to hold onto as well.
I really enjoyed this book.
I picked it up to read during a week holiday in Greece, I thought it would be fun to learn about some Greek mythology while I was there.
It was - but this book was fun so far beyond just learning about ancient mythology, this was a well-drawn portrait of a deep and complex evolving character.
This book doesn't just tell us about Circe, it takes us along with her on her journey.
It was generally good, although not as great as I expected it to be. It tended to drone on a bit in places.
But good for those who want a quick overview of some parts of Greek mythology, especially about Odysseus.
3,5 estrellas. Si te gusta la mitología, encontrarás interesante está forma de volver a contar acontecimientos desde el punto de vista interno de Circe, un personaje femenino. Engancha, sobre todo la primera parte, pero luego pierde fuerza y se vuelve un poco aburrido para acabar con un buen final. PEEEERO: Ojo con las expectativas. No busques un replanteamiento feminista de los mitos griegos. Aunque probablemente sea la aproximación que más lo hace hasta la fecha, pero porque partimos de algo de una época con un sesgo completamente machista, y ya sólo que la prota sea una mujer cambia todo. Pero de ahí a situarlo como revisión feminista (he visto que hay gente que lo trata así)... creo que el problema puede ser el verse atada a lo ya contado (aunque no tengo yo mucha idea mitológica), porque la verdad creo que podría haber sido mucho más valiente despegándose del canon.
Good retelling, very enjoyable. Makes me want to reread all the Greek myths.
5/5
What an amazing read filled with such beautiful prose. I loved every second of the book and the journey that Madeline was able to capture on page made for one of the best books I’ve read in a while.
Circe has made a lot of mistakes on her life but also a lot of good at the same time. She had always followed her own path regardless of who she was born to and who she was with. I loved to see all her successes and failures, her strengths and her faults. It felt very real despite being about a goddess with supernatural abilities. I really loved how she was captured and how the retelling of her story really made her seem so human.
This was a beautiful book and I am glad to have read it. Definitely one of my favorites!
A modo de memorias, una deidad menor del enorme panteón griego nos cuenta su vida y aventuras, conflictos con su padre, con los dioses poderosos de verdad, con los hombres; cómo llegó a ser una hechicera temible y de dónde le vino esa afición de convertir a los hombres en gochos.
La idea de recorrer buena parte de los mitos y leyendas de la Grecia clásica dando voz a un personaje secundario me parece maravillosa; la ejecución está a la altura, siendo difícil soltar el libro una vez empezado. Hermes, Atenea, Odiseo, Prometeo, Dédalo… se convierten en personajes mucho más cercanos que las listas que tuvimos que estudiar en la escuela, demostrando una vez más que la buena ficción es la mejor forma de aprender.
... but it was still really good! (obviously all ya standard trigger warnings for greek mythology that i probably should have considered before reading it but yk)
Heck yes!
This book is SPECTACULAR - it's hard to put down. Mythology/Greek literature has always been a bit daunting to me, but Miller is able to create a readable epic. Greek lit tends to be so male-centric, so this narration is so novel and exciting. Super vivid imagery and powerful characterizations!
After Song of Achilles, this one disappointed me. It felt like a collection of short stories and oh my, so many characters and names to remember.
