Circe

What a precious story. Best read of the year for me.

Highly recommend this book. My favorite read this year so far.

I’m so excited to read this. After reading the Song Of Achilles, I have yet to read Madeline Miller’s Circe!! Madeline’s writing is divine and I never get bored. The paperback still has the beautiful cover with the designs so, so far so good. I’ve already read a few pages and I’m in love!!

The tale of Circe is fascinating and this was one book hard to put down. 10/10 recommended to mythology lovers.

Reading this book reminded me of the Illiad and Mythology books I read in my childhood.

A magical story filled with heartbreak, realizations and the journey to find oneself.

Font size is too small. Hard to read in medium light.

If you enjoy romance novels and mythology, you might like this book. If you're not equally a fan of both, it's just... meh. I hoped for a more substantial story and it just wasn't there. As light reading, it's ok.

{My Thoughts} What Worked For Me A Classic Tale Reimagined – Taking a classic story and reinventing it with a modern twist is nothing new. We see it time after time, but the usual reimagining places the characters and plot in a contemporary setting as the story plays out. With Circe, Madeline Miller kept the characters and the setting, and instead shifted the focus, placing it solely on Circe. Those of you with a background in mythology will see many, many elements from classic Greek mythology (especially The Odyssey) popping up in this book. However, if you’ve lived under a rock and never even knew there was such a thing as mythology it won’t matter. Miller gives you everything you need to know and she does it seamlessly. A Woman with Attitude – If you’re anything like me, you will come to adore Circe, the book and the woman. Born into one of the two most powerful families of gods, Circe adored her father, Helios, but never quite measured up. Where her siblings were gorgeous and powerful from an early age, Circe was plain and seemingly powerless. Tormented by her own family, Circe grew more and more fascinated with mortals. Falling in love with one, brought out her previously unknown powers of witchcraft. “I was too wild to feel shame. It was true. I would not just uproot the world, but tear it, burn it, do any evil I could to keep Glaucos by my side. But what stayed most in my mind was the look on my grandmother’s face when I’d said that word, pharmaka. It was not a look I know well among the gods.” This girl had gumption and she used her new power to punish her rival, creating a monster all came to feared. But, she paid a price for going too far. Circe was banished to the small island of Aiaia for eternity. This is where the book Circe really took off for me. On the island, I found it impossible not to admire and root for this woman who year after year, century after century, faced her fears, honed her powers, and learned to stand up for herself. “She was gone. But I said it anyway, to that great empty room and my son’s dreaming ears: “You do not know what I can do.” Soap Opera of the Gods – You might think a story of a woman alone on an island could get dull, but you would be wrong. Circe lived a lonely life, but was not without the occasional visitor, many bringing adventure and challenges to her life. Hermes flitted in and out with news and gossip from the worlds of gods and mortals. Her sister, Pasiphae, granted Circe temporary exile to help deal with her little Minotaur problem. Shipwrecked sailors soon discovered the wrath of Circe. And then came Odysseus, perhaps her most well known visitor, bringing to Circe a lasting love she was willing to die for. The level of drama never failed! That House – I really can’t say any more, but for those who have read Circe: I want that house! What Didn’t Absolutely EVERYTHING worked for me in Circe! {The Final Assessment} Madeline Miller is definitely a writer to admire. Reinventing the life of a minor goddess into a remarkable woman while remaining faithful to the original mythology can be no small feat. Miller did it in the best way possible, by knowing her star character and sticking to her story. From start to finish Circe was all about Circe, no long tangents, no veering off into some other god’s story. Just Circe: her life, her feelings, her mistakes, her heart, her choices. I haven’t yet read Millers’s debut, Song of Achilles, but I will. I’m already looking forward to that next trip to ancient Greece. If it’s anything like Circe, I’m sure to find the journey immersive, entertaining, exciting, everything! Just incase I haven’t been clear, I loved Circe. She will be one of my top ten books this year. Grade: A

A great story but a slow buildup

The print is tiny. The one star is not for the content. The print is too tiny to read comfortably, even with reading glasses. I bought the gold paperback version.

I love this author & after reading "The song of Achilles," this didn't disappoint! Very beautiful connection between the two books in a very different story line. Entertaining from beginning to end. As a single woman in her late 30s, I felt somehow seen in Circe. Working on the witchcraft ;) Heads up!—The pocket book has the tiniest font size.

Wanted to have an English copy for so long, it came in great condition with a very reasonable price