I really enjoyed this book when I read it, however I did not get to submit full review in time as unfortunately I lost my devices when my house was burgled and it took me a long time to replace my belongings and just get back on track. I have an ereader again (and a laptop, although I am not reactivating my blog and have started a bookstagram instead) and I hope to review again in the future.

I find myself disappointed that I didn't really enjoy, Circe. I don't know what it is. I keep picking up books of mythology and just feeling utterly lost. Perhaps I don't know how to read them. The problems I had were all of my making.

Another wonderful book by Madeline Miller. A great reimagining of a classic tale. I didnt know this story well before hand but now have a good knowledge. The story has stayed with me. I can't wait for her next novel.

In drawing up my Greek Mythology Challenge list, I felt that I needed to choose something by Madeline Miller. Her 2011 novel The Song of Achilles won the Orange Prize but in the end I just could not face another representation of Achilles. Particularly as I had the vague notion that her portrayal was likely to be sympathetic. After this many retellings, I can't see him as a hero any more. So instead I turned to Circe, oddly enough the first character from Greek mythology who I ever heard about. She featured in an audiobook on the car radio during a day out with a friend's family when I was very little. It was some kind of children's version of The Odyssey so the more gruesome aspects had been presumably excised but yet still I remember feeling frightened of this lady sorceress, casually turning men to swine. All these years and years later, I was intrigued to see if she could still cast a spell.

Eldest child of god of the sun Helios and the naiad Perse, yet Circe is the least loved of her four siblings and a lowly nymph to boot. Circe is an outsider among the immortals, mocked and ignored. She secretly shows kindness to Prometheus when he is punished for giving humanity fire and she later falls in love with Glaucus, a moral fisherman. As Circe discovers her powers, she makes Glaucus immortal but at that point, he spurns her and chooses another nymph Scylla to be his bride. Devastated, Circe turns Scylla into a monster who plagues sailors and the seas for generations. But then Circe is filled with guilt, confesses all and is exiled for her crimes to the isle of Aiaia.

I've posted before about the varying depictions of witches in literature and mythology. Circe is a particularly interesting example, best known as the enchantress who imprisons Odysseus and takes him as her lover. For an ancient audience, Circe is an example of what can happen if women aren't kept in their place. For a modern one, her story sparkles with possibilities. The risk that any writer runs when seeking to write a figure from antiquity (or indeed from any point of history) is that one can all too easily stumble into anachronism. All too often I have begun a piece of historical fiction that I thought looked promising only to find that lo and behold another heroine who speaks her mind and gosh darn the consequences. The lens of feminism can obscure our understanding of the realities of their situation. In making her protagonist a shy and awkward young woman with a good heart, does Miller bring us closer or further away to the real Circe?

Miller's mission seems to be to make Circe relatable. Her indignities are those of humanity. She is insulted, mocked, bullied, betrayed, exiled. She lives alone, she grows her crops, her space is invaded and she is assaulted. Take out the mythic element and Circe is really just one woman's emotional journey. Is she believably of her own time though? I'm not sure but I think that Miller has managed her set-up to sidestep the issue. Circe is an outsider. Miller noted that Homer described Circe as speaking like a mortal. What Homer meant by that is unclear so Miller fleshes it out to rendering Circe neither fish nor fowl; she is an immortal who speaks like a human. If she seems unusual, it is because that is what she is.

I loved how Miller's narrative takes its reader on a voyage through the highlights of Greek mythology. We visit her malicious sister Pasiphaë as Circe is called upon to assist in the birth of the Minotaur. Miller even manages to make this savage little beastie seem rather sweet. While there, Circe gets to meet Daedalus and we can see how his paternal love has left him utterly doomed. Even on her island, Circe receives visitors. Hermes is her occasional lover, as long as Circe never shows him any weakness or ever dares to be dull. Her niece Medea arrives one dark night, along with Jason and the Argonauts. Shipwrecked sailors stop on her island and when their minds turn to rape, she turns them into pigs. Until one day Odysseus arrives at her door.

We are used to thinking of Circe as a sexy sorceress. Emma Hamilton famously posed as such for George Romney. Miller's vision of her is more nuanced. Homer described Circe as having beautiful braids but Miller notes that she chooses this hairstyle as most practical while tending her herbs. When I think back on Circe, it seems to be a story about love rather than a love story. It's about how loving someone does not mean that you know them, or that you have rights over them or that they will ever love you. Circe loves her youngest brother from the moment of his birth. Yet he casts her off and she witnesses him become a monster. Circe shares a moment of understanding with Daedalus and mourns his sorrows but yet she recognises that she has no claim over him, '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.' There is such a quiet and exquisite pain to those connections. I suppose in that respect, Circe is a study of loneliness. You can be lonely in the midst of your family if you are not valued. You can definitely be lonely locked up tight in your bond with your new baby. And then there is Odysseus. Beloved by Circe, the father of her child - yet does she know his true nature? It's dubious. The trouble with Odysseus is that from his synopsis, you think he is a hero. And then you read the actual story.

Circe observes to the reader that she has heard how her tale has been told and that 'Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets'. Listening to the most recent series of Natalie Haynes Stands Up For The Classics, I was struck by Haynes' observation that in the original sources, women have speeches but that these are lost as the stories are adapted over time. Circe is incredibly rare in her role as a female character in classical mythology existing without male authority and Miller takes full advantage of this. Hermes jokes that nymphs are really only good for hunting and Circe glares. When sailors arrive at her island, at first they call her goddess as they are so grateful to see another human face. Then they ask where her husband is. Her father? Her brothers? An uncle? And when they realise that there are none such, they decide to take possession. No wonder she turned them into pigs. She was just revealing their true nature. Every so often, one breaks free of the pen and hurls itself off the cliffs. Their little pig faces squeal 'sorry' but Circe observes that they are just sorry that they got caught, 'Sorry that you thought that I was weak but you were wrong'. In Miller's retelling, Circe does not kneel for Odysseus. She is never less than his equal.

Still, the aspect of the novel which resonated the most strongly for me was its depiction of Circe as a mother. Reading this a little over a year after becoming one myself, I recognised the way that she 'did not go easy to motherhood. I faced it as soldiers face their enemies, girded and braced, sword up for the coming blows. Yet all my preparations were not enough'. Circe only knows the ways of immortal infants. She makes twenty swaddling cloths for her coming child and thinks herself ready. These do not even get her through the first day of her son's life. Ah Circe, no number would have ever been enough. The claustrophobia of colic, the way that you miss your pre-motherhood self even as you fall ever deeper in love with your child. It is rare to find the chaos of the newborn phase presented so vividly in fiction.

The centuries pass as Circe serves out her exile on Aeaea but while her immortality gives her an unbeatable vantage point to observe classical mythology's major events, it also proves a heavy burden for her to carry. I was impressed at how Miller has created a story from a wide variety of sources which is both her own and also still has contemporary relevance. Circe has been one of the undoubted highlights of my Greek Mythology Challenge, granting a voice to the forgotten females of classical mythology and managing to do so without being incredibly depressing. Vibrant, uplifting and celebrating what it means to be truly human, Circe is a magical read.

Oh wow!! This packs a punch! To start with, I found it a little hard to get into, but once I got used to the ebb and flow of the book, the tide took me away!
Miller has created well fleshed out and interesting characters, set on a backdrop of Greek myth and her own fantastic imagination. I enjoyed the authentic feel of the myth elements, combined with the new story the author has weaved it in with.
I felt sucked into this world, and the fates of the characters. I was a bit reluctant to start it as the book was so hyped up on social media, but it deserves every good review it gets.

There is not much to say about Circe that hasn't already been said! I really enjoyed this, especially once Circe was exiled and out on her own. Miller's storytelling brought Circe's story to life for me, and I am looking forward to reading The Song of Achilles soon

I thought I knew the story of Circe, but it turns out I only knew part of it! Seeing how so many figures and stories in Greek mythology were tied together was fascinating, and the great writing and snappy pace mean I never felt the story was getting bogged down in exposition. Madeline Miller writes some of the best classics retellings out there.

Beautiful writing from Madeline Miller. She takes Greek mythology and turns ut to gold. I love Circe and I am so glad I picked this book up. Amazing writing.

This was brilliant, only lacking in that it wasn't as strong as Song of Achilles. I loved the origin story of Scylla, the glorious and much quoted exchange over the Minotaur's conception (how much Miller must have wrestled as to how to rationalise that!) The pacing was wonderful and the tone literary, informative and entirely readable. I'll read it again.

I loved this, it'll probably be my favourite read of 2019.

I've never studied classics, just always had a vague interest in mythology, so I was only aware of the Circe character from 'The Odyssey' and from the paintings by John William Waterhouse. Miller expertly melds numerous myths into a fabulous story that is completely Circe's own, and she's such a great relatable character with all the rage, perseverance and empathy you could wish for. Plus, I learnt so much without realising it, I actually have a much better understanding of who's who in the Titan pantheon now and how many of them, the Olympians and other notable lesser known deities are all related!

Definitely up there with my other recent favourite reads such as Katherine Arden's 'Winternight' trilogy and Naomi Novik's 'Uprooted' - I'll have to check out Miller's first novel now as well, 'The Song of Achilles'.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Miller had my heart the day I read THE SONG OF ACHILLES, and CIRCE is no different. Empowering, beautifully written and incredibly sorrowful, CIRCE is the novel to read if you are a fan of Greek mythology and complex characters.

An amazing book!!! It is great how she incorporates gods and godess in this book. Also have you seen the cover? Circe is beautiful
Madeline Miller is an amazing author! I want to read more books written by her

Great concept, well executed. But really what actually happens? No real sense of pace until the last chapters.

My knowledge of Greek mythology is not great. I know who Icarus, Odysseus, Hermes etc are but that is as far as it goes.
So who was Circe? Circe is a goddess, daughter of Helios and Perse. Circe is not quite like other goddesses, she is not traditionally beautiful or willing to conform to the expected role of a Goddess. She stomps around the halls of her Father's palace bored and aloof, until a day spent roaming the beach she meets a fisherman, Glaucus, a mortal. Circe falls in love and using her skills of witchcraft turns him into a God, hoping they can marry.
Glaucus has other ideas falling head over heels in love with nymph Scylla. Circe is aghast, angry and hurt using her witching powers to turn Scylla into a sea monster destined to terrorise the whirlpool of Charybdis.
Her actions anger the gods, and she is exiled to the island Aiaia. Making good use of her exile Circe hones her skills and knowledge of potions and herbs, knowledge that bode her well as she encounters danger and joy on her island home.
Miller has written what can only be described as a tour de force of Greek Mythology. We meet Odysseus, Hermes, and other less well know greek gods.
The characters are magnificent, Odysseus, strong, handsome, stealing the heart of Circe. There is Telegonus, son of Circe, a wild uncontrollable baby, who becomes a thoughtful, courageous young man and then there is Circe.
Circe is the wilful child, the naive young adult, the Jekyll and Hyde character, who will stop at nothing to protect herself, her island and her child.
I loved that Miller decided to tell Circe's story as so often Greek Mythology portrays the male Gods. I loved that she was so multi dimensional, Miller expert at highlighting her deep seated flaws as well as her good traits.
The writing itself is powerful, full of fantastic imagery. My favourite has to be Scylla rising from a stormy sea with her multiple heads, determined to feast on the sailors attempting to escape her powerful jaws.
Miller has added her won twist to Circe's story without losing its true origins making it extremely accessible to those who might not relish or indeed want to plough through the original Greek texts.
My only slight criticism is that it can be a little slow, especially at the beginning, and I wasn't overly enamoured with the ending.
Don't let this put you off as this is a wonderfully written and highly engaging literary novel.

As delightful to read as The Song of Achilles was - something to savour for classics fans, and a great introduction for those dipping a toe into mythology.

Since I was a big fan of Madeline Miller’s “Song of Achilles” I’ve been so eager to read her latest novel that reimagines the life of another Greek mythological figure. It did not disappoint. Circe’s most famous role in the myths (and my only prior knowledge of her) was as a magical goddess/sorceress who hosts Odysseus amidst The Odyssey and transforms some of his sailors into swine. Miller tells Circe’s story from her origins as the nymph daughter of the Titan sun god Helios and the Oceanid nymph Perse, a vain and negligent mother. She has a lonely early life as her appearance and voice are scorned by the immortals surrounding her. Her natural propensity for kindness and compassion is tempered by the darker cruelties and vanity of the gods as well as the shallowness and relentless ambition of humans. After being banished and experiencing so much heartache it’s understandable that Circe becomes hotly bitter, intensely lonely and decides to foster her own innate power to fight for what she wants and what she feels is right. In a sense, Miller does for Circe what Gregory Maguire did to the Wicked Witch of the West. Their stories take a figure who is scorned and branded a witch in popular culture and gives them back their humanity. “Circe” is also a finely crafted story that’s truly romantic and thrilling in its many adventures.

One important thing I’d stress is that if you aren’t already familiar with the many Greek myths Miller touches on throughout the novel, don’t look them up before you finish it. Otherwise, it will spoil the plot. At a few points I became curious about some details of a mythological figure I wasn’t aware of so I looked on Wikipedia to find out more and inadvertently spoiled the story for myself. Of course, plot isn’t the most important aspect of a novel and I know its somewhat silly to claim a tale that’s thousands of years old can be spoiled but take this caution if you want to remain in suspense about how a particular storyline will play out. It did feel at some points that there wasn’t a need for Miller to reference quite so many mythological stories. It was as if she tried to cram them all in or that Circe was bragging about having a connection to famous figures. But this is my only light criticism of this novel and the unique interpretations and relationships formed between all these stories is always compelling.

It’s so interesting how Miller writes about the way the gods and adventurous humans are very cognizant that their actions will lead to stories being told about them. It’s analogous to the way some people today only do certain things in order to post a picture or vlog about it on social media. Although the deities are immortal and can recall these stories, the humans need bards to capture their tales and relate them in a way that many future generations on will still be impressed by their accomplishments and dramatic clashes. Miller highlights how these bards and poets often have a misogynistic point of view: “Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.” It’s so refreshing to see a range of women from these myths given a fuller complexity in both their heroism and villainy. Figures like her relentlessly cruel sister Pasiphae or the hot-tempered Madea are vividly realised. One thing I found particularly striking is the relationship that develops between Circe and Penelope as their encounter would typically be portrayed as one of rivalry, but instead what we get is a hard-won and sympathetic bond between them.

Something that makes Circe stand out as remarkable for her time is that she’s incredibly passionate and desires to have love in her life, but not if she’s just going to be seen as a commodity. She ominously notes “Brides, nymphs were called, but that is not really how the world saw us. We were an endless feast laid out upon a table, beautiful and renewing. And so very bad at getting away.” Circe refuses to be used and she's prepared to fight. When men sexually attack her she uses her magic to defend herself. As a consequence she’s labelled as difficult and a witch. But Miller also shows a really heartrending psychological complexity to Circe’s reaction to being raped. For sailors she meets after she states “I might take him to my bed. It was not desire, not even its barest scrapings. It was a sort of rage, a knife I used upon myself. I did it to prove my skin was still my own. And did I like the answer I found?”

However, as Miller demonstrated in her previous novel, she can also beautifully capture the heights of romance. The text is infused with such a striking intensity of feeling when Circe finds love and the vulnerability this raises for a lonely individual: “in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth.” She is so good at capturing all the great adventure and drama of these classic tales but infusing them with emotions which are immediate and real. Unsurprisingly, when references are made to Achilles it feels like the author treats him with particular affection. But Circe is such a compelling figure in her own right that I wanted to spend even more time reading about the centuries she spends living in the paradise and prison that is her island of Aiaia.

What can I say about this book?

It was beautifully written (what else have I expected), it made me want to climb into it and live with Circe on Aiaia as a witch, and I pleaded for a happy end like a maniac. As a big fan of „The Song of Achilles“, I expected to like this book, but it was a statement of Feminism and selflove, understanding and motherhood and I LOVED it.

We all were introduced to greek mythology in our life, one way or another. But never as devastatingly beautiful and enchanting like Madeline Miller does.

All begins with the childhood of Circe, how everyone in her life betrayed and shaped her, an how she found her true self - in herself. I don’t want to tell you too much about the story, because you should let yourself get bewitched without my story telling ;)

But expect nymphs, thunderbolts, Odysseus and the Minotaur to be there - just as you will expect, or not? I thought I knew the story of Circe, of Odysseus and Daedalus, but Madeline Miller reshaped the storylines I knew and weaved them to a fantastical journey of witchdom and hate, love and betrayal, power and beauty and I loved what she did to it. Circe is one of the strongest and most wonderful characters I've ever met in a book and has the power to be a role model for all the girls and mothers on earth!

Also spoiler warning: You’ll get to see some glimpses of Achilles again ;) I loved all the characters with their flaws and how self reflective and calm Circe was. Maust read - modern writing with an ancient feeling - and one of the best books I’ve ever read. Count me in for the next book !!!

I enjoyed this immensely. I love reading about Greek myths and legends and this really brought them to life - the gods were not a nice lot! I liked Circe and was glad she chose the ending she did.

Circe was one of my most anticipated releases for 2018, because Miller's debut The Song of Achilles is one of my all time favourite books. Circe includes a lot of Ancient Greek myths; the tension between Titans and Olympians, feuds and dalliances between gods, Daedalus, Ariadne and the birth of Minotaur, Jason and Medea, and even Achilles and Patroclus get a mention, and of course, Odysseys and his involvement with Circe. I liked reading these myths as retellings through Circe's immortal eyes.

Maybe it was just me, because so many seems to love Circe, but I couldn't connect with Circe as a main character. First she's so naive and a little bit spineless when it comes to her family and the Olympians; it was almost impossible to connect that Circe to the legendary witch of Aiaia. Then there's a twist when Circe snaps and becomes ruthless witch who cares nothing for men, gods and sea nymphs. It's abrupt change and while the naive Circe frustrated me at times, I could barely stand her after she becomes the legend I knew. However, there's few times when I liked Circe and rooted for her; when she meets Prometheus at the beginning, and when she spends time with Daedalus and Ariadne.

What kept me going was curiosity. Miller is a good writer and she can bring myths and legends alive. Circe might not have awoken such emotional response from me that The Song of Achilles did, but it was a solid retelling that included many well known myths from Ancient Greek. I admit that I had high expectations and I was prepared for similar emotional rollercoaster that The Song of Achilles put me through, even when I knew I've always been more invested in Ancient Greek tales of adventure, romance and war than tales of Circe and witchcraft.

Anyway, there was both moments that captivated me and moments when I was bored and disconnected from the story. This is mostly case it's me and not the book, because so many have embraced and loved Circe. If you find the premise interesting and you love myths and legends, I highly recommend Circe.

So, I was really scared to read this book. I LOVED Song of Achilles and was worried about this having the ever-so-common trouble of second-novel-itis. Plus, it's got to be hard to follow a prize-winning and beloved book. I put it off and off and then off some more.

I absolutely need not have worried. Whether you read this as a standalone or a companion book to SOA, whether you have knowledge of Greek mythology or not; there will definitely be things to like about this book. Or even love, as in my case.

This novel takes a character who has a minor role in the Odyssey - Circe - and runs with it. Someone who could be seen to be a plot device in the original myth becomes a truly fleshed out character - we get to see things from her point of view, understand her and root for her.

Speaking as someone who read and loved both the Odyssey and Illiad whilst at school, it was great to see the female perspective on tales that were told with such a strong male-led narrative; much like in Margaret Atwood's 'The Penelopiad'. Essentially, this is the story of a woman fighting for her right to be heard - and even exist - in a patriarchal society that wants to silence her. But, even if you don't want to read something that could feasibly be described as 'feminist' literature, there's a great story at the heart of this novel; backed by the ripping yarns that were and are Greek myth.

Though it starts off slowly, establishing Circe's character and - for want of another term - backstory; you'll soon find yourself pulled into the rich and exquisitely-written world that Madeline Miller has woven...finding yourself wanting to just read another page, chapter and so on, until you have finished the book, sated but desperately wanting more.

This was also a recent pick for a book group I attend, read by people with a variety of reading tastes, speeds and of different ages and this was enjoyed by everyone. If you're on the fence with this one, give it a shot - with witchcraft, mythology, drama and a dash of romance and family struggles, you're unlikely to regret it!