Circe

Hardcover, 393 pages

English language

Published April 10, 2018 by Little, Brown and Company.

ISBN:
978-0-316-55634-7
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OCLC Number:
1029608347
Goodreads:
35959740

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4 stars (16 reviews)

The daring, dazzling, and highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller The Song Of Achilles that briliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of the Odyssey.

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 obviously 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 …

7 editions

Stunning!

5 stars

I didn't know quite what to expect when I started this book, but the narrator, Perdita Weeks, drew me into the unfolding story of a nymph who cannot find her place with her divine family. She breaks a rule, and the gods banish her to an island alone. There she must become everything for herself. The story is touching, at times violent, and ultimately heartwarming. Along the way we meet Hermes, Odysseus, Telemachus, and Penelope, as well as others. 

Weeks is a masterful narrator, bringing all the vulnerability and power to create complexity and depth in Circe. This is critical as we see the story through Circe's point of view. And what a point of view! She grew up the daughter of Helios, the sun God, whom she reverenced though he barely noticed her. It is only when she is banished that she learns who she is and what she …

Review of 'Circe' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This was a constantly intriguing read, never a dull moment. The way Madeline Miller breathes life into this mythology, fleshing out Circe to be a character I came to understand and sympathize with, is impressive. Of course, Circe is not the only mythological character to be transformed from figment to reality in this creative, enjoyable read.

In school, I had a Latin teacher who regaled us with ancient myths, something we all enjoyed, and not just because it was time away from translating. This novel brought some of that pleasure back to me, plus more.

Bravo!

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Subjects

  • Circe (Mythological character)--Fiction.
  • Mythology, Greek--Fiction.
  • Goddesses--Fiction.
  • Magic--Fiction.

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