Circe by Madeline Miller
Posted Thu Jul 18 2024
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--neither 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 with the mortals she has come to love.
I picked up Circe after reading Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, which I adored. Circe is a unique retelling of the sorceress Circe's life through her point of view.
Circe is incredibly character-driven. The book does an excellent job of developing Circe's backstory and character change. Reading about Circe's life before her exile on the island Aeaea helped me understand her personality, family, and motivations. Contrary to common Greek myths, this story has you rooting for Circe.
I also enjoyed how Circe gave the Olympians personalities, especially Hermes and Athena. It was interesting seeing the gods as characters with unique attitudes and not just forces of nature, like in The Song of Achilles. For instance, in Circe we see how Hermes is shallow, untrustworthy, and entertaining. It gave me deeper knowledge about the ancient Greece that Miller created in The Song of Achilles and Circe.
One of the book's central themes is gender power dynamics. It's clear that men have more authority than women and that they're more respected. Circe's father, Helios, has numerous lovers, whereas her mom, Perse, vies for any attention from Helios. Additionally, mortals try to take advantage of Circe after seeing she doesn't have a man to protect her.
I wished that Circe was more feminist. On one hand, Circe doesn't want to live her life as a subservient sea nymph but instead wants to experience the world for herself. By utilizing her witchcraft, she's able to protect herself from exploitative men. On the other hand, Circe is always more invested in her romantic partners than the partners themselves, excluding one relationship. For example, at one point, Hermes is the only person she can talk to, and she relies on him for entertainment and all of her news about the world. Hermes sees Circe as a novelty and a story to tell other people. In addition, she sleeps with a married man.
I also wasn't that invested in the characters besides Circe. Many side characters like Penelope and Telemachus didn't receive much character development, so I wasn't emotionally attached to them. I also thought Penelope, Telemachus, and Telegonus were bland and two-dimensional.
The lack of side character development and complexity made the story less compelling and emotional than The Song of Achilles.
Overall, if you are a fan of The Song of Achilles, I recommend you read Circe. While not as captivating as the former book, Circe is still entertaining and expands the world of The Song of Achilles.
Circe isn't a sequel, but I highly recommend reading The Song of Achilles before it, as some characters from The Song of Achilles appear in Circe.