Name: Circe
Rating: 4.240180798004988 (3208 reviews)
ISBN: 9788491814122

Celia Recarey Rendo

Jorge Cano Cuenca

Madeline Miller

Circe

Alli

But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me. 

Emilia Vulliamy

Gertrud Sofie

Ausrine Blazyte

Norie

Ronya

But perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look we see only the mirror of our own faults.

jana 

clara

Mackenzie Shah

Rina

𝑂𝑑𝑖𝑙𝑒

naia 🎐

Tija

You threw me to the crows, but it turns out I prefer them to you.

Lily

Amalie Elisabeth

Alexis Prowell

It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment’s carelessness. If I had ever believed it, I no longer did. 

Ashlyn Barrett

Srijita Sarkar 

giuli

He does not mean that it does not hurt. He does not mean that we are not frightened. Only that: 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.

Yet because I knew nothing, nothing was beneath me. 

Reagan

I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands.

Victoria ♡

Paula

Elise Rosa Cornelis

Leesa Montgomery 

You can teach a viper to eat from your hands, but you cannot take away how much it likes to bite.

   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 have been moving forward, but now I am here &lt;3

“I remembered what Odysseus had said about her once. That she never went astray, never made an error. I had been jealous then. Now I thought: what a burden. What an ugly weight upon your back.” - Circe | Page 286, Chapter 22

Lotika

“I remembered what Odysseus had said about her once. That she never went astray, never made an error. I had been jealous then. Now I thought: what a burden. What an ugly weight upon your back.” - Circe | Page 286, Chapter 22

Wow.

Elda Mengisto

"When I did my magics, I felt that same span and heft. I tracked my father's burning chariot across the sky. Well? What do you have to say to me? You threw me to the crows, but it turns out I prefer them to you? (88-89) I remember really wanting to read this book when it was first released. It not only delved into Greek mythology, but also gave a retelling of the sorceress Circe, who becomes a legend through her own merits. When I finally got around to reading it, I heard the name Circe in pop culture, but never really knew why she was significant in context. I knew she was a sorceress, but nothing else. The story begins with Circe's birth, and then follows her through as she is exiled from the court of Helios to the island of Aiaia, because of her magic and stubborn attitude. There's she realizes the full extent of her powers--not only in the art of transformation, but also in healing and defense. However, Circe is not alone on her island; she meets with a variety of mortals, including Odysseus, whom she turns his men into pigs. All along, she has to stand up for herself and defend her own space. This lack of familiarity with Circe's story in mythology probably impacted how I felt about the book as a whole. This isn't unlike when I read The Silence of the Girls, another book based on Greek mythology, but with an amount of fantasy towards it. This, combined with Circe being an immortal, didn't help with how I could relate to her, especially with her struggles. Her connections with humanity, along with the struggle to become somebody, ended up resonating with me. One of the earliest scenes featured Circe sneaking some nectar the convicted Prometheus, though she does also note "If I had been a proper daughter, he would not have had to ask" (21). There was a certain tenderness to the scene that moved me, even though I already knew what would happen next. When she meets Glaucos and gets to know the mortal world, she is caught in a wave curiosity, as "No one had ever confided so in me. I drank down every story like a whirlpool sucks down waves, though I could hardly understand half of what they meant, poverty and frail and human terror" (39). His transformation into a god leads to an interesting route; it demonstrates how Circe's power tempers with her goals. While I felt like her connections with Odysseus was a bit blurry, I really connected with her when she had her son, Telegonus, quite ironically. How she struggled to give birth and raise him and makes sure he learns the right lessons. The scenes building up to her confrontation with Athena are really compelling, though I only appreciated it after reading the book. Miller has a way with words when writing about Circe's life, though I don't always catch onto them. Circe is a solid book, though sometimes I don't think it's as great as people make of it. Like with The Silence of the Girls, I grew to like it more by the end, but both have re-reading potential, in my opinion (7/10).

M. Sosotris

I adored this book! Beautifully written and such a great character arc. I raced through the final sixty pages in one sitting. Such a stunning read!

Nadine MacDonald

a new fave; saw someone else say this felt like it was written from heaven, have to agree. A book for the girls

Allie Escobedo

Not a Greek mythology fanatic, so didn't know what to expect but this was a very fun and well-written literary fantasy. Lots of complex characters and storylines, but it all came together like pieces of a puzzle. I was drawn in from start to finish! Looking forward to reading other books by this author.

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity, and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft.

When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe's place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home.

There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe's independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

emka

<spoiler>oh my god did she kill herself at the end</spoiler>

A little bias since I love reading retelling stories in the female’s perspective.

Cristina S

A lot of beautiful imagery and world building but can be endlessly slow at times, even if that is the point to show her isolation and captivity on the island. A lot of actual truth from the myths are glossed over to make it more digestible. It just felt very watered down and poorly portrayed in an attempt to make her likeable and the story a ‘feminist tale’ while ripping into every other female character in the story (Athena mainly). In the Odyssey, Circe is a powerful character, a Witch to be feared as she turns men into animals, however in this book she just seems weakened in an attempt to make her more likeable to audiences. Although I did like some changes, after all this is being told through a modern lens, it is only fair that changes would be made to make Circe a more ‘modern woman’ for audiences to relate to. Removing original myth from the plot though, it truly is a beautiful tale of isolation and someones psyche as she goes through her days after being wronged by so many people around her — you could even argue that the fact she can be so vulnerable at times is her true strength which I would agree with. I do believe that Miller has a habit of infantilising her characters which can be jarring to read sometimes but I can really appreciate the beautiful and introspective writing and the relatable dialogue from Circe herself.

Lotuskisus

Jacob Atchison

Vincent Osvald

I picked up Circe almost by accident. Greek mythology has never been my usual genre, and tbh I didn't expect much, not that I'd finish the entire book in a week. :] 

There’s something in the way Circe lives, maybe it’s her loneliness, or the kindness she keeps offering despite being met with betrayal. She is flawed, stubborn, and painfully self-aware, which makes her feel less like a myth and more like someone you could meet or maybe already know. By the time I reached the ending, I felt suspended between satisfaction and longing. Her bond with Telemachus made perfect sense, he's steady, patient, and grounded in a way she deserves after everything she endured.

I picked up Circe almost by accident. Greek mythology has never been my usual genre, and tbh I didn't expect much, not that I'd finish the entire book in a week. :] 

There’s something in the way Circe lives, maybe it’s her loneliness, or the kindness she keeps offering despite being met with betrayal. She is flawed, stubborn, and painfully self-aware, which makes her feel less like a myth and more like someone you could meet or maybe already know. By the time I reached the ending, I felt suspended between satisfaction and longing. Her bond with Telemachus made perfect sense, he's steady, patient, and grounded in a way she deserves after everything she endured.

Honestly, i could read more about her adventures with Telemachus 😔

Agnese

Buku ini menceritakan kisah yang sangat panjang— berabad-abad— hampir tidak bisa dihitung oleh waktu. Secara keseluruhan, buku ini sangat menakjubkan karena selain menampilkan kehidupan Circe yang penuh lika-liku, juga menceritakan berbagai kisah yang ada dalam mitologi Yunani, seperti kisah Dandelaus dan anaknya— Icarus, Ariadne dan Minotaurus, serta kisah perjalanan Odysseus yang berakhir dengan ironis. Walaupun aku berpikir bahwa akhir buku ini membuat perasaan campur aduk dan merasa sedikit 'aneh', tetapi aku cukup menikmati masa-masa membaca kisah yang menakjubkan dan terasa amat panjang ini.

Seka.

I normally eat up Greek mythology /retellings but I feel like it was so glossed over / missed opportunity for beautiful nature imagery etc

maddy rowley

This was fine 

I normally eat up Greek mythology /retellings but I feel like it was so glossed over / missed opportunity for beautiful nature imagery etc

The storyline that spanned a thousand years. The adventures of Circe, both conquests and tragedies summed to a beautiful tale of grief and gain. The effects her life had throughout time were inspire persistence and patience. I loved the character development and writing style. If you enjoyed The Song of Achilles then I would highly recommend.

Anna

A very easy read, and even when the story was slow it was entertaining. 14 year old me would go wild. 

Madeline’s writing is wonderful and it was a lovely story.

Denisse Garcia Ramírez 

A very easy read, and even when the story was slow it was entertaining. 14 year old me would go wild. 

Madeline’s writing is wonderful and it was a lovely story.

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is strange — not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. But she has a dark power of her own : witchcraft. When Circe's gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts. Yet a woman who stands alone cannot live in peace for long — and among her island's guests is an unexpected visitor : the mortal Odysseus, for whom Circe will risk everything.

How can I even start this review? This took me sometime to read because I just read one chapter and I wasn't really into it, and it was one of the least that got my attention, but bro getting back to it, and being able to sit and go through Circe's journey which features cameos of other famous Greek myths, was a delight and heartbreak in almost equal manner. 

I must say  it is impressive how the secondary and minor characters, despite their small roles in it, are so dynamic and whole and even if we only get a small summary of what happens to them, when you have them present in a scene you can later understand and imagine how they end up they way they did, although if you know a lot about myths you will know their fate already. 

Circe being the sole focus of the book, and the roles she played throughout these different stories is so compelling. How hers is built, how she grows and change through it is mostly a grim and tragic story, however, you cannot help but cheer for her to be triumphant through all her challenges and desires. Moreover, whenever she was content, you couldn't help but being overjoyed for her too.

How can I even start this review? This took me sometime to read because I just read one chapter and I wasn't really into it, and it was one of the least that got my attention, but bro getting back to it, and being able to sit and go through Circe's journey which features cameos of other famous Greek myths, was a delight and heartbreak in almost equal manner. 

I must say  it is impressive how the secondary and minor characters, despite their small roles in it, are so dynamic and whole and even if we only get a small summary of what happens to them, when you have them present in a scene you can later understand and imagine how they end up they way they did, although if you know a lot about myths you will know their fate already. 

Circe being the sole focus of the book, and the roles she played throughout these different stories is so compelling. How hers is built, how she grows and change through it is mostly a grim and tragic story, however, you cannot help but cheer for her to be triumphant through all her challenges and desires. Moreover, whenever she was content, you couldn't help but being overjoyed for her too.

Further confirms that my favorite genre is traumatized witch women who fight for their own freedoms and happiness 

Chelsea

vincent osvald

girlhood!!! the riordan inspired love for greek mythology will never end

felicity hu

madeline miller's circe was a magical read. while i expected it to be a 5 star read for the way circe's character was written, captivating plot, and miller's ability to write the most beautiful sentences. however, parts of the story were dragged out for chapters that felt unnecessary. otherwise, circe's story was a tale of passion, heartbreak and strength, and it added colour to the more mundane and mortal parts of life.

Circe

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