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Circe

 

Circe

Written by Madeline Miller
Originally published in 2018
~390 pages
Rate 5/5
This is the second book I have read that was written by Madeline Miller. I think I like Circe a little bit more than The Song of Achilles, however, there is no need to compare; I only mention The Song of Achilles for acknowledgment sake.

I had never heard of Circe or really any characters within this story apart from what I had read in The Song of Achilles. So I started reading this book with little to no context or bias and I ended up really enjoying the story and Circe herself. 

Circe's narrative was astonishing; in my opinion, she lived a long and rich life. She persevered through many difficult events throughout her life and met an array of people along the way which made for an excellent story. Although some parts of the story felt like they dragged on for a little too long, she was on an island by herself for most of the story so having somethings drawn out made the story feel real. I felt a similar issues with The Song of Achilles during the Trojan War section of the book, so maybe I just need to be a little more patient.

Circe was a little bit of a romantic. Some of her relationships were a little questionable, but she is a goddess after all so I suppose she can make up her own rules. Fair warning, not that this has to do with her romantic life at all, but the first time some men came to her island and things turned sour I was with my boyfriend and I had to stop reading. I told him to let me know when things were over because I get triggered reading that sort of thing. However, almost as soon as I stopped reading Circe did her thing and everything was okay. It didn't get as graphic as I thought. 

"I had no right to claim him, I knew it. 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."
"Perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look we see only the mirror of our own faults."
"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."

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