My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Circe

Author: Madeline Miller

Format: Hardcover (owned)

Pages: 391

Categories: Greek Mythology, Adult Fiction

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 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.

I saw this book everywhere and was intrigued, so I finally bought it. I can see why so many people fell in love with this book!

I am not a hard-core greek mythology fan. I remember learning about them in school thinking the Gods were just so wild. The way Athena was born was pretty crazy, straight from Zeus head, kinda cool, kinda weird. Also there was nothing relatable to me about the greek Gods. They were all too powerful, their epic battles and adventures were pretty awesome, but I couldn’t relate since I was not a god.

But this book Circe, is relatable. Obviously I am a mere mortal, but Circe is so unlike the Titans and gods in her family or those on Mount Olympus that she almost felt human. How can that be?

The writing is exquisite, the story-telling just sucked me in, much like Charybdis and her whirlpool! I felt like I was there with Circe. Now one of the reasons reading greek mythology challenged me was the family tree. Because they are pretty much related to one another. There is the incest – then again, they are Gods – what is the meaning of sex or sexuality to them? Not the way we mortals perceive sex that’s for sure. But yes, I usually need a visual family tree to follow greek mythology. The author, Madeline Miller, did such a good job telling this story, I didn’t get lost or confused. I mean Circe lives forever – so keeping her story linear through centuries, without boring me or losing me, was impressive. Also there is a helpful Cast of Characters list in the back of the book in case I forgot who was who, but I didn’t. Yay!

Circe is so unwanted. She is not goddess material, or so everyone tells her. She’s not tricky enough, not smart enough, not hard and vicious enough, she was not pretty enough. All her life she is told she is not enough. And it takes her awhile to learn some hard lessons but soon she learns who she is and accepts her strengths.

Just knowing what Circe had been through for centuries, at one point in the story, I agreed with her sister Pasiphaë, Circe was just being walked all over and she didn’t fight enough. But when she does fight back, it is glorious.

What touched me most about this story is Circe is a survivor. Through centuries of not being wanted, of losing her family, her home, her lovers and child even, she comes through. She is quiet and strong and always want to do the right thing. And when she becomes a mother I laughed because Circe is a goddess and even she was tired taking care of a mortal child! Same, I could relate, though I am just a mortal mom! Telegonus, her son, sounded like my son who was colicky as a baby. 😂 Watching their relationship grow, is so bittersweet. Okay wait, I didn’t laugh though, when she gave herself a c-section 😫, I had two c-sections myself and oh hell no would I want to perform that on my own.

This story is truly epic, in story-telling, scope and emotion. It doesn’t shy away from the violence of the gods or that they were incestuous, and had a thing about mating with magical bulls or cows. 👀 These gods and goddesses were often blood thirsty or just cold alien beings. At times I thought, is this story about Circe because she seems to have no power or is it about everyone else who has more power than her? In this book we read about the glorious stories of Daedalus, Odysseus, Helios, Scylla, Perses, Pasiphaë, Achilles, Athena and everyone under the sun and ocean it seems. I enjoyed it because I didn’t know half the stories. But what of Circe? Is she just there to be witness to all their greatness and nothing more?! I was so frustrated for her. Because let’s be honest, they all seemed more fascinating than Circe.

But it was the fine line she walked, wondering if she was a worthy goddess or more like a mortal, that was the most interesting thing about her. She may have seemed weak against goddesses like Athena, but her true voice was brave and strong. She stood up for what she believed in, no matter how they tried to suppress and threaten her. Her love for her child knew no bounds and she took care of herself and the both of them all by herself! You go, woman!

As for immortality and power, would you leave it all behind to become mortal? I ended that book wondering what I would do in her place. In the end, her choice was brave, it made me tear up. It takes courage to chose a life knowing it will be short but filled with love, despair, joy, pain and happiness. And death will be waiting in the end. Brave, that is what Circe is. The goddess and the book.

All my life I have been moving forward, and now I am here.”

Circe, Madeline Miller