Will I love Circe?

For millennia, we’ve heard the stories in Greek mythology about gods who come down to earth to rape women (Zeus got around), women as seductive sirens who lure sailors to their doom, or goddesses and mortal women alike being exiled.

Because of that, I was intrigued to read this book, a retelling of the familiar narrative, but from the perspective of a woman. I found this book to be very empowering.

I identified with the main character, a woman named Circe (in actuality a goddess) who is exiled because of her powers of witchcraft. However, in her exile, she finds… show more.

The myth of "Circe" haunts the ancient world. This novel was a new beginning to a wonderful tale well told and written. I would recommend it.

I love fairy tale or myth retellings, and Circe was very compelling. Miller turned this character usually relegated to the sidelines into a full-fleshed, complex character that I cared about. Circe's tale is in equal turns tragic and hopeful, and I love watching this immortal creature grow into herself.

Miller's story of Circe was wonderful, rich, totally immersing me into the ancient myth. Her knowledge of classical Greek myth woven into an imaginative narrative and character study of Circe, Helios, Odysseus, and Telemachus is a triumph.

I thought it was great to have Circe herself narrate her love affair with Odysseus.

The first half of the novel interestingly shares her tribulations growing up as a child in a family of gods. I found that this establishes a theme of immortality vs. mortality that the book explores in profound ways. Especially fascinating was Circe’s personal story of her love affair with Odysseus.

I was surprised and delighted that Miller included the resulting child, Telegonus, who is not in Homer but is in ancient myth. Even more surprising to me was Circe falling in love with Telemachus, Odysseus’… show more.

Unlike any of the other protagonists in this chronological list, Circe is a goddess—and a unique one. Because of her powers of witchcraft, Zeus exiles her from Mount Olympus, and this novel explores her adventures and emotions on her island of Aiaia and, briefly, in Crete.

The popularity of this book stems in large part from its unique angle not only on Circe but on Greek gods and stories, from Hermes and Daedalus to Jason and Medea—and the most familiar to land on her island: Odysseus on his homeward journey from Troy.

Miller freely draws on varied sources, but to… show more.

The feminist retelling bandwagon has been getting rather full of late, but Madeline Miller firmly holds her own amongst the growing throng. We enter a richly imagined world of Classical supernaturals, who are as bizarre, petty, outrageous, ireful, nasty and magnanimous as one could wish for. Miller has meticulously researched her source material, but she weaves it together into a fantasy realm that is playful and inventive, and brings the character of Circe to life in a profound way. This is not a hollow humanisation for the sake of humanisation, the character of Circe adds depths to the mythic messages,… show more.

From start to finish I was in there deep, lost in the ancient Greek mythology and getting more and more attached to Circe herself. It's been 6 months since I finished the book and yet I still think about Circe and wonder about how she is managing in her life! Her personal strength was of particular note, and I found details of her heroic and frightening encounters to be riveting.

This was the book I asked for for last Christmas, I have a tradition of after cooking the dinner, the rest of the day is mine to read my present - and reader, I finished it before the Day was out. I adored Circe, her independence, the idea that you could go your own way, even in the world of Zeus.
Books I read have to take me away from where I am - and this one certainly did that (and it got me out of the washing up!)

A witch, mythological beings, sea monsters, lovers, and pigs—what’s not to like? Circe resonates with the power of the feminine, in both her vulnerability and in her anger. Madeline Miller depicts a societal hierarchy of lesser Greek gods in her novel, all of them wrangling for some favor or ascendance from Zeus or another of the great gods. Exiled to an island, Circe adheres her own rules and way of living and ignores what is over the sea. Yet the gods cannot be escaped, and she must play the game that they have demanded of her, while trying to avoid… show more.