In this novel, Circe, the author tells the story of a minor goddess, Circe, the book’s namesake. Circe, the daughter of the mighty Helios, the god of the sun (Titan), was the least impressive daughter of the Titans.
This is my second book by Madeline Miller, and while I absolutely adore her first book, “The Song of Achilles,” I must admit that I enjoyed it more than this one. That being said, I did thoroughly enjoy “Circe” and found it to be a captivating read.
Circe is such a kind and lovable character. Her siblings’ hatred towards her made me feel for her even more. However, the only thing I didn’t like about her was that she was too naive and trusting, causing people to take advantage of her. Sadly, this is something that happens frequently in real life, where kindness is taken as a weakness.
The book addresses feminist issues that women face in the modern world but are not talked about often. For instance, when Circe was exiled and living alone on the island, she would receive male visitors who she would be kind to, but once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they would ask if there was a male figure in the house, like a husband, brother, father, or uncle, to thank for the hospitality.
When Circe told them that there was no male figure, these men would change and become violent, which is something we see all too often in our society when men realize that there is no male figure in a woman’s life, and they think they can do anything to her as if she is their property.
Circe’s love for plants and gardening made me feel connected to her, and reading this book made me want to go live in the countryside and own a big farm with a beautiful garden, even if I can’t turn people into swine as Circe did – I’m kidding, of course, but having such power would be delightful, wouldn’t it?
Despite facing challenges in a world dominated by men, Circe lived her life fully and navigated it with grace while staying true to herself. She was smart, kind, and brilliant.
This book is a well-written piece of art, with poetic language and well-developed characters, and the transitions throughout the book made perfect sense. Madeline Miller is making me fall in love with Greek mythology, and I can’t wait to read more of her books.
Favourite quotes:
We are here. This is what it means to swim in the tide, to walk the earth and feel it touch your feet. This is what it means to be alive.
Bold action and bold manner are not the same.
It was as if we had found the still heart of the universe. Nothing moved except for us.
Someone will come, I thought. All the ships in the world, all the men. Someone must.
Sometimes, you must be content with ignorance.
Tomorrow I will do better.
There is no must to the life of an immortal, except death.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a comforting, relatable, and poetic read.
Happy reading!
Jane 🙂
