“A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess’s story,” this #1 New York Times bestseller is “both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right” (Alexandra Alter, The New York Times). In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child — not powerful, like … strange child — not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power — the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.
With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man’s world.
#1 New York Times Bestseller — named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, the Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor, Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self, Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider.
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A new way to look at old myths.
I’ve always loved myths, even if they are about the gods and goddesses, they actually are in the end about how it is to be human. In this retelling or finally, the telling of Circe’s story (most people would know about the story of Odysseus) we encounter a deity who doesn’t necessarily fit the mold.
The way it explores what it is to be a woman and finally founding your own power is beautiful without being preachy. Definite must-read
Great book. Perfect summer read.
Love it. Truly takes you into another world.
I admit that I purchased this book solely on the cover which is amazing and the first edition print run has the most amazing embossing on the hard cover itself – like Helios himself the sun is luminescent when it shines upon it!
This was my first foray into ancient mythology and I had not read the Song of Achilles first, which I don’t think really matters but it’s likely there will be parity between the tales at some point. I did however, find that this book was really accessible for those who had a little knowledge. Most people know Zeus and Athena and many will know the stories of Icarus and Deadalus, and Theseus and the Minotaur, and by having just that little bit of understanding made the book all the more joyful to read.
Circe is a tale told in retrospect, a tale of a goddess in exile. Throughout her hundreds of years she is tested and put through trials, often lonely, but not always – and taking the time to learn all that she can about what she truly is, not just a goddess but a witch with a great power. I found it it was a story which ebbed and flowed, much like her life on her island of Aiaia. There was often a great deal to love, I enjoyed her interactions and reactions to what she learns and also the calmness about her time alone and the knowledge that she has committed wrongs that will endure as a result of her vanity. I hate to use the Journey word but that it what this story comes down to – as an immortal however, she is a lot more stubborn and has many hundreds of years longer to learn from what has come before, but there is learning and catharsis.
However there was just a little bit too much time spent getting to the place she gets to. I devoured the first 250 pages, I loved that it was a new genre to me and I was enjoying what I was reading, however, I found the last section lagged and it felt that it was a little repetitive. She’s stuck on an island so I get that there wasn’t much else to do but sit and wait for people to come to her but I felt that the final section, which was the most poignant could have been wrapped up a little better and without the slight ick factor that I felt about a certain turn of events.
I give this 4* the first 250 pages were 5* all the way but I felt it just stumbled at the last section which was a shame.
I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about CIRCE, so I had no qualms about grabbing it when I received my latest Audible credit. As a Greek culture and mythology geek, I knew this book would be right up my alley. I wasn’t disappointed.
I enjoyed reliving the stories of ancient Greek heroes and gods through the lens of Circe’s razor-sharp point of view, and I quite liked that the author chose to portray her as the heroine while many of the traditional heroes came across more as villains than history and myth tend to remember them. The story of Odysseus was perhaps the best example of Miller’s penchant for making good guys look bad.
Circe was very likable. I rooted for her from her humble beginnings as Helios’s estranged daughter and as a sister to “better” goddesses and gods who despised and demeaned her. By the end, I rooted some more for the life she chose for herself and her victories over those who’d hurt her. There were many surprises, most notably the arrival of Penelope and Telemachus, which I did not remember from my studies of ancient Greek myths. That part was unexpected, but I loved it.
I didn’t feel this tale was as epic as the Homeric poems from which Circe’s back story was plucked, but it had a quality of greatness and a certain timelessness that people of today can easily relate to. Some of the leaders, gods, and royals in this book could slip straight into similar positions in modern society without so much as a blink, which speaks to the eternal struggles of human societies and mankind’s search to better itself. Change a few names here and there, and it’s basically the same people running things into the ground and making things worse for those they consider their “lessers.”
It’s clear the author put a lot of time into researching the story behind Circe and the gods and heroes of ancient Greece. Miller’s style of writing was easy to follow. I loved the epithets and the figurative language she used—all of it reflective of nature, which is how the ancient Greeks spoke.
As I mentioned above, I listened to the book on Audible. My only beef with it was the narrator. I’m certain most listeners will disagree with me on this point. She had a nice enough voice and spoke precisely with the kind of cadence one might expect from a Greek epic poem, retold by a talented bard from the days of yore, but I didn’t like the softness of it. The drawn out Ss and the gently plucking Ts and Ds at the ends of words got under my skin.
I also wanted the narrator to come off stronger, surer of herself, because that’s how I picture Circe. Female strength is a trait I respect and expect in all aspects of the art I consume. The character of Circe herself did come across as strong to me, so that part was not lacking, but the narrator’s voice was just not for me. (FYI, Resident Geek listened to the book too—we were driving home from a long trip—and he loved her voice and style. Just goes to show narration is very much a matter of personal taste.)
Overall, CIRCE was a good read. Not as epic as the hype that had me nearly breaking my one-click finger to snap up the audio version, but definitely worth the time.
Breathed new life and perspective into a familiar mythology. Haven’t read any of the others from this author, but would recommend!
The only Greek mythology book that had me on the edge of my seat!
It was a bit slow in places, and I did some skimming. Overall, though, I was delighted with this portrayal of Circe. She felt more real than in the old writings.
Circe is one of the Greek mythological characters that never gets much development by the ancients–Madeline Miller brings her to life and weaves in many of the other mythical characters to create a fascinating profile and story of the child of Zeus, rescuer and jailer of Odysseus.
Audiobook is wonderful.
I forgot how much I enjoyed Greek mythology
I loved The Song Of Achilles and wanted to read more by Madeline Miller. I just finished Circe and loved it as well. Both books pulled you right in and kept you engaged. Very emotional. Will look forward to more by this author.
A great take on the character Circe from The Odyssey! It was interesting to read from her point of view and see her take on Odysseus, his men, and his travels. I could hardly put the book down!
Madeline Miller’s new novel Circe was mesmerizing. I did not want to stop reading! It was unexpected, this absorption in a book about a Greek mythic figure.
I had read the Greek Myths (Robert Graves’s two volumes!) and Homer and Virgil–all the classics– long ago in high school and college. I knew Circe from these tales.
But Miller’s book is more than a retelling of the myths. Circe comes alive in these pages. And if, yes, the characters are Titans and Olympians and heroes, it took no trouble for my suspension of belief to accept them. Perhaps due to the prevalence of magic and witches and superhuman power in literature and film today. But I credit Miller’s amazing writing.
Circe’s world holds to a tenuous peace between the powerful Titans and the upstart Olympians. These gods are vengeful and imperious, all-powerful and eternal. She is the daughter of Helios, a golden-eyed child overlooked and dismissed, her very voice offensive to the gods.
She has been fascinated by mortal humans ever since Prometheus gave them fire, earning the punishment of eternal torment. Secretly, she brings the bound Prometheus a cup of nectar. Circe the dejected is also a girl of will and defiance.
She also makes many mistakes.
She discovers her gift for witchcraft, the use of herbs and will to cause transformation. She employs her power to transform the mortal man she loves. But he loves another and Circe transforms her rival Scylla into her true form–a man-eating multi-armed monster. The gods punish Circle by exiling her to a deserted island.
On her island, Circe spends centuries perfecting her craft with herbs, her friends the wild beasts and the occasional exiled nymph. She is visited by the gossip Hermes who becomes her lover, and the inventive Daedalus who gifts her a magnificent loom. Later, Daedalus needs her to help him entrap her sister’s monstrous child, the Minotaur.
Sailors sometimes land on her shore; she learned not to trust them and turns them into swine. Then arrives the weary Odysseus; his enemy Athena has beset his journey home from the Trojan War with cruel trials. He stays with Circe for a year, changing her life forever.
I need to read Miller’s previous book The Song of Achilles! I already have it on my Kindle. She is a marvelous story teller.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Really nifty take on everyone’s favorite Homeric witch.
Excellent book. Nice to see Odysseus voyage from a f emale’s point of view. The ending was a twister from the woman who hated being a Demi-god.
A well crafted and told story.
One of the best books I have read in years. Well written and a very original story.