“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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Best book of 2019 for me.
One of my favourite books of all time!
Circe is the oldest child of the Greek god Helios and the sea nymph Perse. Everyone, including Circe herself, believes that she and her siblings lack divine power. She spends her childhood creeping around the edges of godly feasts and trying to avoid the torments that her younger brother and sister devise for her. When her mother gives birth to another son, Circe bonds with him. Aeëtes eventually leads her to believe that maybe they aren’t quite as helpless as they appear. When Circe accomplishes a couple of dramatic transformations via magic, the other gods realize she and her siblings are witches. Circe bears the brunt of the gods’ punishment and they exile her to the island of Aiaia for all eternity.
I’ve read so many glowing reviews of this book but copies are never available at my library. I finally bought my own book to see what all the fuss is about and I’m so glad I did.
Circe is every woman who has been treated as “less than” because of her gender. As a child, she accepts that everyone overlooks her. She’s not as beautiful as the other nymphs, so why would anyone pay attention to her? She’s starved for attention though, and makes some terrible decisions. But those decisions lead her to discover that she has magic. Her exile gives her room to discover more about her powers and hone them. Watching her grow into her divinity and carve her own space in the world felt empowering to me.
But Circe also has more heart than other gods. Mortals fascinate her, even as a child. When some try to worship her, she rejects their adoration. While other gods view mortals as play things or simply don’t really notice them at all, she’s eager to learn more about their world and how their minds work. In addition, other gods never even realize that they’re capable of making mistakes. Circe not only acknowledges her errors but tries to make amends. A static life seems boring, but growing and changing and trying to improve? That’s the life Circe lives.
I also enjoyed reading about Greek heroes as regular people. Sure, they’re wilier and and stronger than most but at the end of the day, they’re just humans. Daedalus’s suffering began long before he tried to fly. Odysseus is impatient and quick-tempered and regrets some of his decisions in the war, although he would repeat them if he had to. I liked seeing them on a mortal scale.
I highly recommend this. In some ways, it’s a fairly quiet book; but I found Circe’s transformation from an unassuming girl to a powerful force both engrossing and satisfying.
I must admit I’ve read excerpts of Homer’s The Odyssey but not the whole epic. The author brings to life the tale of Circe, the sorceress who is the daughter of the sun god Helios and the ocean nymph Perse. She creates a detailed back story for Circe, including how she came to live on the island of Aeaea. The tale is alternately tragic and uplifting as Circe’s isolation and introspection lead her to know herself. As in Homer’s tale, Odysseus visits Aeaea and Circe has a son by him. The comings and goings of various gods and goddesses to Circe’s island have been imagined and skillfully interwoven with other well known tales from Greek mythology like that of the Minotaur and Daedalus and more. The story has stayed with me, the mark of a good book in my opinion.
The way Circe is written draws you into her story in ways I don’t usually feel with mythology. She is a fierce, strong, smart character who learns that she needs to let go of her control and to love herself. I feel like I learned about mythical characters from this book as well! So fun to read!
This book was not expected. I expected the same Greek stories I’d heard before but Madeline Miller added depth to characters and presented the flaws in heroes. It’s also interesting to see Circe’s complex relationship with her family and finding herself by being separated from them. The way the story ends is so beautiful that it left me satisfied and in awe.
such beautifully written book based on Circe from Greek mythology.
The author did an incredible job of bringing both the main character, Circe, and her ancient world to life.
भाई बहन का लव लेटर दिखाएं
When I read this book, the name for what it was did not exist in my mind.
People call it Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, or Retelling. I do not know how to call it.
Page after page, I found myself realizing I was not reading a book, but a diary, a lost summary of a life we have known for thousands of years but that we never truly understood.
Circe has never lived, yet she has been a living, breathing soul for the entirety of the time I spent reading her story, listening to her good and evil deeds. She was no less real than my sister, or than your brother. She was just another forgotten life Madeline made sure would never be forgotten again.
Few stories can stay with you after the last page. Fewer still can transform you. This one did both things, in ways I know I don’t fully grasp.
A story is just as powerful as the meaning we bind to it. I have mine. What is yours?
Read this book and find out.
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I love Greek mythology and was fascinated by the way Miller wove the stories together into a convincing, dramatic portrayal of gods, goddesses, monsters, and mortals, selecting versions of the myths that made a consistent, believable narrative. She portrays Circe‘s development so well as over the centuries she learns the nature of her god family members and mortal lovers, of motherhood and witchcraft. Miller’s portrayals of Daedalus, Ulysses, Telemachus, and Telegonus–and of course Circe– are totally convincing. Many scenes left me breathless. And her style is beautiful. I read the book twice and want to read it again.
Two amazing lines:
When Athena tells Telemachus, “You will live a life of obscurity. You will be without a name in history. You will be no one.” What bravery when he replies. “I choose that fate.”
Circe’s son Telegonus. after his great fights with and putting down of his mother at times, at last acknowledges her power and even elevates her above his father, Odysseus, when he introduces himself to Athena’s crew taking him to his new life: “I am Telegonus of Aiaia…son of a great hero, and a greater goddess.” 356.
Lovely, poetic voice and original character who kept me turning pages until the end.
I actually listened to this book on Audible, and the narrator had a voice like honey that made the words on the page flow. It was like listening to poetry. I enjoyed this re-imagining of the Greek Goddess Circe because it not only plunges the reader into Circe’s story but gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of who is who in Greek Mythology a the while being entertaining. I highly recommend.
Madeline Miller is an excellent writer. I love this book.
I love books written by people who know their world, and this classics teacher gets in Circe’s head. If you want escape, go to her island and turn some men into pigs.
Name: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Genre: Mythology, Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Supernatural, Adventure, Self-discovery, Love
Rating: 4.8/5
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Review:
Circe, the daughter of the Sun god, Helios and a nymph, was born with no beauty or special power of her own. Mocked for having no power of her own, Circe grew up in the shadows of her brother and sister, finding solace in the company of her infant brother, Aeetes.
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Betrayed by her lover, abandoned by her dear brother, and full of vengeance, she discovered she has something special. Something unique, she wasn’t powerless as she was supposed to be. She was one of firsts among her kind, a sorceress.
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Upon being discovered of her unique power of sorcery, Zeus exiled her to the island of Aiaia. On the island of Aiaia, Circe discovered her full potential, discovering the use of different plants and taming wild animals for her purpose. And where she truly becomes The Witch of Aiaia.
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Madeline Miller is a master storyteller with an intriguing and mesmerizing writing style. Circe is an unique and interesting retelling of a mythological character, of whom we know very little about.
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Circe was first introduced in Homer’s Odyssey, where we meet the Witch of Aiaia, who turn men into pigs for fun and seduces the mighty hero, Odysseus. But there was so much more about her, and this book accounts all of it.
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Circe is a delightful read mixed with magic, gods, herbs, heroes and potions. If you are a fan of mythology, this book is perfect for you.
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For Further Reading:
1. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
2. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I enjoyed revisiting my childhood love for mythology in a creative new way as an adult reader. Fun read.
Utterly enchanting. From the prose to the central character to the retelling of the story of Circe, if you enjoy myths, strong women, and powerful forces, this is a book you need to read.
Madeline Miller is a breath of fresh air to the genre—whatever genre this is. Is it fantasy? Historical fiction? “Literary” fiction? Something in between? This blend of ancient myth, magic, history, and, above all, in-depth character study defies easy categorization, which is, in part, just what I love about it. I’ve seen a few books in my day that take a familiar story and try to add a new twist on it (think Wicked as compared to the Wizard of Oz) but can’t quite think of any other author that does it with quite the grace, insight, and poetry that Miller does. Miller’s book carries a powerful undercurrent of feminism, but never feels the need to overtly shove her message of empowerment in your face in the shallow, self-congratulatory way that a bad Hollywood screenwriter might.
Circe is a unique heroine, filled with a quiet inner strength that isn’t flashy, or even readily apparent, but is all the more compelling for it. Sometimes a hero doesn’t have the chance to take up a sword or gun or whatever and cut down the oppressive powers that be and make right the world; sometimes, the powers are as abstract and untouchable as gods, and the best we can do is soldier on and hold on to our humanity in the face of the world’s inhumanity. And that–this book eloquently posits–is a surprisingly inspirational victory in and of itself.
Well written.