SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2019
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
THE NEW YORK TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER
SELECTED AS BOOK OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, GUARDIAN, I PAPER, IRISH TIMES, REFINERY29, SCOTSMAN, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, TIME MAGAZINE, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, AND WASHINGTON POST
From the Orange Prize-winning, internationally bestselling author of The Song of Achilles comes the powerful story of the mythological witch Circe, inspired by Homer's Odyssey
Chosen as must-read book of 2018 by the Guardian, i, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Express and Stylist
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity, and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft.
When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe's place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home.
There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe's independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.
Breathing life into the ancient world, Madeline Miller weaves an intoxicating tale of gods and heroes, magic and monsters, survival and transformation.
Circe from The Odyssey gets her own story showing her rise into an empowering and powerful women in this adult fantasy.
Circe is one of those stories I wish I had read at a different time in my life. I usually love a Greek/Roman mythology retelling, especially when an author finds a new way to intertwine the stories together. However, a couple of things kept me from truly enjoying the novel:
- I got a new job! I struggled to keep my attention on this novel as I transitioned from my old position into my new position.
- I have a vague recollection of mythology. The life blood of this novel is the various myths incorporated into it. I recognized many elements of them, but the details were a blur. Details matter to me – I should have brushed up on the myths as they unfolded instead of waiting until I finished the novel.
- The audiobook didn’t hook me into the story. When the story starts, the narrator almost put me to sleep – her voice was too lyrical and soothing. By the end of the novel, her voice carried a lot more inflection. I think the narrator, by her voice, was showing how Circe grows to be more confident and passionate the more she becomes empowered. Any other time, I might have enjoyed the progression. But since I was already struggling to keep my attention on it, the voice change didn’t satisfy me.
I can see why many people read and loved Circe. It’s worth the read, but make sure you are in a better frame of mind than I when you start it.
tl;dr My new job, my murky knowledge of Greek mythology, and the audiobook narrator kept me from enjoying the novel to its potential.
