Circe Book Review

Circe by Madeline Miller

2018

Historical and Fantasy Fiction

**Spoiler-free**

Normally, when I’m buying a book, I take the time to research the story and read reviews. I hate buying books on impulse, disliking them, and then having them sit on my shelf to collect dust. For some reason, I went against my normal book buying routine and bought Circe on an impulse. There was something about the cover that drew me in. When I went to read the summary on my local bookstore’s website, the site indicated they only had one copy left. I took this as a sign from the Gods that Circe must be a good book. And....

Circe was one of my favorite books I read this year. I think it may even be one of my favorite books of all time.

To preface this, I should mention that I am not overly familiar with Greek mythology. I never read Percy Jackson growing up (although I hope to read it someday.) The only part of Greek lore I am familiar with is Circe's chapter in The Odyssey, which I happened to have read in an English Lit course. My background allowed me to see how well Miller immerses her reader into Circe’s world. The vast Greek myth isn’t confusing or isolating, instead Miller does well to portray the intricacies within the tale. After finishing the book, I want to learn more about ancient Greece myth.

While reading the novel, I never felt like the plot was taking place in a world now old, dusty and irrelevant. Miller obviously put a lot of thought and research into the writing, which made the book feel even more like a masterpiece. Circe’s tale is now thousands of years old, yet felt timeless and new. 

I think that the perspective of the novel is part of its charm. I’ve always felt that some mythologies are uber male, so hearing the myths from a different perspective of someone in the background was really interesting. Circe may not be the biggest name in Greek mythology, but she certainly has had a large role in many events that I was not aware of.

I absolutely loved the scope of the novel. I am a sucker for books that take place over a lifetime. If they are done well, the narrative shows the growth of a character through experiences and how they affect them later in life. Circe was so beautifully developed. Her naive perspective from being a young child and teenager is different than that of her wizened self isolated on her island. Even though Circe is a mythical God, she always felt real and relatable as a protagonist. I’m sure that many readers will find a part of themselves in Circe, and many parts of her that they wished they embodied.

I went into this book with few expectations, not knowing much about the story, Greek mythology or even if the book has good reviews. I feel so happy that I took the risk because of how much this book blew me away in every aspect!

My rating: 5/5 Circe is a fun and deep read that I highly recommend.