Cover Image: Circe

Circe

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Member Reviews

I never thought about Circe outside of her role in the Odyssey. The men deserved it, good for her. The end.

But this was better. It’s another reminder that the women in Greek mythology matter more than the male storytellers allowed them to.

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I'm not a fan of Greek mythology. Let's be honest, I can hardly remember it from my high school days! However, I wasn't excited about Circe, but it was picked for book club and so I read it and I'm so thankful I did. This is an epic and beautiful story. I was hooked from the first page and didn't want it to end. There are adventures, magic, and monsters. This story would make for a great movie!

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You join Circe’s life by following her adventures. Through the good, the bad and the ugly, you’ll find yourself invested in the story. Highly recommend this adventure.

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Although many of my friends recommended this author, I did not find that this book grabbed me and made me want to continue reading, in spite of repeated starts.

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A stunning work of fiction building on well-known tales and characters from ancient Greek mythology.

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Miller has done it again! I love her retellings of classic stories. I was able to buy copies of Circe for my student book club (of 30) and for the English department (to supplement our study of The Odyssey)

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Wow. After reading Circe, I immediately read Madeline Miller’s first novel. I loved the weirdness of the social world of the gods, as well as novel’s close.

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Absolutely stunning. I couldn't read it fast enough. This has everything I love-myth, magic, feminism. I've recommended it dozens of times now. I can't wait for more from this author.

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An excellent, fresh take on Homer’s mythology. Precisely told, with lovely writing, and new lenses with which to view not only the sorceress Circe but also the hero Odysseus. ★★★★½

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Although this was a long book with many characters, the story continuously moved along and I cared about what happened to Circe. The characters were introduced well enough that I didn't have trouble keeping them straight. I enjoyed that this was based on Greek mythology, since I love learning about mythology. I would recommend this book.

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I loved this book - beautifully written book. It follows the life of Circe and her development as a individual through her trials. I strongly recommend this book!

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After loving the song of Achilles, I was expecting to feel the same way about Circe. And I was definitely right, but I think I loved it more. Madeline Miller’s books aren’t about the action. They’re a slow burn that is totally immersive into the lives of the richly fleshed out characters that she writes. I became totally enamored with Circe’s life story and wanting to know her journey. You can see how much love and research went into creating this book and her last one. She really makes Homer’s stories come alive. If you’re looking for a fast-paced, action packed read, this book isn’t for you. But if you want a window into the world of Greek mythology from a unique perspective, pick this book up now. You won’t regret it.

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This book was engaging. Although I don't enjoy mythology, I found myself thinking about Circe as a woman and reflecting on her place in the world. Highly recommend.

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Such an incredible story written in such a beautiful way. I enjoyed every part of this book and have recommended it to so many friends.

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I was worried I wouldn’t connect with this book, but Circe was more about motherhood and mortality than I would have ever imagined and I very much enjoyed it! Is it weird to call a book about a Greek Goddess relatable?

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I was immediately pulled into this book. It was so different from what I normally read, and I fell into the world of mythology with abandon.

And then…the fizzle.

Let’s back up here for a minute, though. Circe is a child in the beginning of the book, and I loved her story. She lives in the house of Helios (her dad, whose chariot pulls the sun across the sky every day), and is generally unliked by all the other gods, including her own family. It’s strange, but pulled me in.

However, even in the beginning, the sheer number of characters in Circe is super overwhelming. I had to keep pausing when names were mentioned to remember who it was, or try to wrap my head around him/her if it was a new character. Mythology is like that, so it makes sense, but man, it made for a difficult read when I was more interested in the story arc than the characters.

This book fizzled a little for me as it went on. I expected more of a story arc, but what I got was more like mythology itself – shorter stories that make a whole. Sure, it was chronological about Circe’s life, but for me, there wasn’t really a peak of any kind – it just kind of rumbled on. Of course, it’s based off of the existing story of Circe, so I don’t think Miller could have done a whole lot to remedy this.

Circe was compelling enough throughout to keep me reading and mostly enjoying, but I do have to say that I was happy to get to the end and put it behind me. Although it was a bit of a slog for me at times, I would recommend it to someone with more of an interest in mythology. I thought the writing was great and it was well done overall, so I gave it 4 stars.

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Loved this book featuring a strong and powerful woman. Read it for an excellent retelling of a story from Greek Mythology.

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Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I absolutely loved this book. It tells the story of a Greek goddess by the name of Circe. We follow her over centuries of her life, and see how she changes and grows over time.

If I had to select a genre, I would call this fantasy. It is a delve into Greek mythology. To be honest, I'm generally not into fantasy and tried hard not to roll my eyes as I began reading this book, as they mentioned nymphs and Gods, but quickly it turned into a beautiful story woven with details from the myths and characters that you've likely heard of before.

Not only were the characters (there were MANY) lovely to imagine, but Miller does a great job creating a vivid image of the settings. I can't imagine the amount of research that must have gone into this.

Having visited Greece, I wish I had read this before, I feel like I would have had an even greater appreciation of all the beautiful history, islands and ruins that we saw. I would love to see this as a movie; I think it would be an absolute delight.

Highly recommend this book!

I received this book free of charge for being a host of the Girly Book Club.

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This book was easy to read and well written. I appreciated the effort in taking Greek mythology and creating a novel. It was very creative and innovative. It isn’t a genre I love and didn’t come away wanting more.

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No one writes a story quite like Madeline Miller. I had previously read and loved The Song of Achilles, and as a huge lover of Greek mythology I was just as excited to read Circe. I loved watching Circe grow and develop her powers. I loved imagining this strong witch create this world around her. Miller's prose are beyond lovely and the entire book was beautiful and atmospheric. I had the opportunity to listen to Miller speak about Circe after I had read the book and It made me fall in love with the character and the book even more!

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