Circe: The stunning new anniversary edition from the author of international bestseller The Song of Achilles

by Madeline Miller

The international Number One bestseller from the author of The Song of Achilles, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction

Woman. Witch. Myth. Mortal. Outcast. Lover. Destroyer. Survivor. CIRCE.

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is a strange child – not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. Scorned and rejected, Circe grows up in the shadows, at home in neither the world of gods or mortals. But Circe has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When her gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts. Yet a woman who stands alone will never be left in peace for long – and among her island’s guests is an unexpected visitor: the mortal Odysseus, for whom Circe will risk everything.

So Circe sets forth her tale, a vivid, mesmerizing epic of family rivalry, love and loss – the defiant, inextinguishable song of woman burning hot and bright through the darkness of a man’s world.

THE NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, I PAPER, SUNDAY EXPRESS, IRISH TIMES, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, AMAZON, AUDIBLE, BUZZFEED, REFINERY 29, WASHINGTON POST, BOSTON GLOBE, SEATTLE TIMES, TIME MAGAZINE, NEWSWEEK, PEOPLE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, KIRKUS, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AND GOODREADS

• ISBN10: 1408890046
• ISBN13: 9781408890042
• Publish Date: 1 April 2019 (first published 1 April 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nessa Luna]

Yeah, I have to admit I liked this a tad bit more than the Song of Achilles. I didn't know very much about Circe aside from the fact she was a sorcerer and was banished to live on an island, but I loved finding out more about her in this book.

[mrs_mander_reads]

One of the two best books I’ve read this year. Simply impeccable.

[kiracanread]

After all the hype this book has received, I really wanted to love it. But it just wasn't the book for me unfortunately. I thought it was a good book, very well written but I just couldn't get with the pacing. I found that I lost interest in this book somewhere between the 25% and 50% marks and I just couldn't get back into it properly. I completely see why people love this book so much, It's just a shame I couldn't be one of them (sorry Brooke)

[ambiancereads]

Beautiful and fresh take on Greek Mythology. I loved it. Cannot wait to see what else Madeline comes out with.

[Katie King]

3.5 stars. hmm.

[littleread1]

I love Miller's writing style and the way she turns the somewhat aloof Greek mythology into a narrative that includes all the good and bad and the somewhat lesser known deities.

[Veronica 🦦]

C+ | Disappointing read. While I had to force myself to slow down with “The Song of Achilles”, with this book I had to force myself to FINISH it at all. Again, while the writing itself is stunning and relatively easy to read, unfortunately the plot and characters themselves were just a snore.

[brokentune]

4.5*

[ibeforem]

I normally do not gravitate towards books that are centered around mythology or folklore, but my book club was reading this and I'd heard such great things about it that I decided to give it a fair shake.

Circe is the daughter of a god (Helios) and a nymph. She is often scored by her family and others in her home because she's just a little too plain, a little too uninteresting. Until the day she gets everyone's attention by unleashing her magic against another nymph that she sees as her romantic rival. This act earns her banishment, and she is sent to live out eternity on a deserted island.

The story follows Circe's life as she builds herself a home and an existence on her island among the flora and fauna and occasional visitors that those knowledgeable in mythology will easily recognize. Even I recognized more than a few, though some of the finer points of their stories were not known to me. I did get a little lost in all the names in the first part of the book, especially when it came to Circe's numerous siblings.

One of the highlights of the book for me was the depiction of Circe as a mother. Despite this story being about a goddess, I thought it contained one of the most accurate and harrowing depictions of mothering an infant and toddler that I've ever read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, particularly in audiobook format. I will have to circle around and read Song of Achilles now.

[inlibrisveritas]

Fantastic read, full review to come.