Circle by Madeline Miller

[ezekielsdaughter]

Circe by Madeline Miller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A delightful read. I expected something like Le Guin's "Lavinia", but that book in retrospect feels more gritty than this one.

Circe is a fantasy because its central conceit is that the Greek Gods were real personalities. Circe is a minor god-ling. She's the child of one of the original Titans and a nymph. Her family life is as chaotic as you might imagine if you remember the rages, loves, and petty wars of greek mythology. Circe is the child who questions why and she is quickly punished for her temerity. The novel follows her through Greek history. She is exiled to an island but she is occasionally called to interface in the story of the Minotaur, and the story of Odysseus. As she is the hero of this story, we quickly learn exactly why she turns men into pigs and we have sympathy for her. Like many undying literary creations, she yearns for release because every mortal thing she loves dies.

I enjoyed following Circe through her travails. I raged against her caustic and careless relatives. I was pleased to see her reach a peaceful and thoughtful resolution.



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