Circe

Circe
By Madeline Miller
Little, Brown & Co, 2018, 393 pages, General Fiction

Circe, the daughter of Helios the sun god, chafes at life in the palace of her father, where everyone sees her as someone who is not worth their attention. When she acts out in a spectacular way and is banished to the island of Aeaea, she spends her days honing her powers and becoming comfortable with who she is. But Aeaea isn’t as solitary as it seems, and soon others, gods and mortals alike, come to Circe’s shores. While some of these ask for Circe’s help, others mean her harm, and Circe must eventually choose between the worlds of the gods and mortals.

All I knew about Circe before I read this book was the little I knew of her from The Odyssey. I didn't know that she appears in other Greek tales! Miller compiles these tales, and uses a bit of poetic license, to make Circe a fully fleshed-out character with interesting, relatable motivations. This made the parts of Circe's story I knew feel new and fresh, and it made me look at her story with new eyes.  The Greek tales of Circe have an interesting outcome that would be seen as strange in today’s world, yet Miller helped the ending make some sense. Those who like mythology, tales of the ancient world, and strong women will really enjoy this book.

I also highly recommend the audiobook version of this story, which is expertly read by Perdita Weeks.

MB