Circe

My Review (Spoiler Free)

Madeline Miller's Circe is an epic and intimate retelling of the Witch of Aiaia. Circe, on first glance, is an interesting character from Greek mythology to choose to center a book on. For most people, if they recognize the name, Circe is only recognizable from a few books in Homer's Odyssey. What on first glance might seem to be the drawn out story of a secondary character from the story of Odysseus, instead proves to be the story of a central and connecting character between several Ancient Greek myths and stories. In the book, Circe is a woman caught between two worlds -- she is a goddess with a mortal voice. Gods hate to be around her "eagle-like screeching" while humans may cower from her divinity. Life for Circe is further complicated as the unwanted daughter of the sun god, Helios, leader of the Titans. As a child, it seems that Circe can never make the right decision or fit in the role she is expected to fill.

As she grows older, Circe finds herself living in isolation on the island of Aiaia. She has awakened the power of her witchcraft, alongside her siblings Perses, Pasiphaë, and Aeëtes, siblings who would be famous and powerful in their own rights. Living on Aiaia proves to be extremely beneficial for Circe. She has several visitors over her time at the island, including her most famous one, Odysseus, and each of her interactions and experiences with theses visitors changes her perspective, identity, and outlook tremendously. All of her experiences culminate in her finally realizing her ability. Circe begins to understand that she is not constrained by the whims of the Olympians or the expectations of the Titans, that she can determine her own fate in life, despite the Fates, and that she does have a place and a true home in this world, if only she takes it.

Circe is an inspiring and uplifting tale about a woman who finds that she is capable of much more than society leads her to believe. As a powerful witch and a goddess, besides, she inspires fear and mistrust in nearly everyone she meets. This flies in the face of Circe's own outlook of trust and belief in the genuine good of all people. Madeline Miller crafts a story that is similar in nature to The Song of Achilles, but remains distinctly its own. Here is an epic story told solely from a female perspective that features many of the most important and most powerful women in Ancient Greek Mythology. Miller's deft hands tie the strings between sometimes disparate stories into one cohesive tale. Truly, Circe is connected to many more people than just Odysseus, and it is refreshing to hear her version of the tales.