Circe by Madeline Miller was published in 2018 and is a retelling of the life of the enchantress Circe from Homer’s Odyssey.
The novel explores her journey of self-discovery, power, and transformation as she interacts with gods, mortals, and mythical creatures on her island of Aiaia.
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I LOVED this book! It had me hooked from the beginning. The story is a brilliant one but it’s also so exquisitely written. There are some gorgeous turns of phrase, it almost felt like poetry at times. The descriptions were so vivid, I could almost feel the heat of Helios’ gaze and taste the salt of the ocean.
I loved the strength of Circe’s character. While she’s strong and formidable at times, we also get to see her vulnerabilities. When I read Ariadne, I questioned whether it was a feminist read as others had claimed. Circe definitely is! It’s brimming with strong female characters. I loved Penelope, Odysessus’ wife. It would have been so easy to make the two strong women rivals but I really enjoyed the friendship that blossomed.
Having read Ariadne first, it was interesting to read about some of the characters from a different perspective. Each book has its own interpretation of events and I found that fascinating.
We see a different side to Odyseuss as well as Pasiphaë, Circe’s sister and Ariadne’s mother. In Jennifer Saint’s novel, you could easily sympathise with Pasiphaë and what she had to endure. Madeline Miller portrayed her in a completely different way as Circe’s scheming, malicious sister.
We also read about Scylla, Daedalus, Medea and the Minotaur. It’s all weaved into the story seamlessly. Madeline Miller clearly knows her Greek mythology inside out and that passion translates well onto the page.
All in all, I absolutely loved it. I already know this is going to be one of my favourite books of the whole year.
Award and Accolades
Circe by Madeline Miller has racked up several awards and accolades since it hit the shelves. It won the Athenaeum Literary Award and the Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy, showing just how much both critics and readers love it.
The book also took home The Kitschies’ Red Tentacle for the best novel and was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Plus, it also made the shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
What to read next
I’d definitely recommend reading all of Madeline Miller’s books. I absolutely adored The Song of Achilles. If you’re looking for different authors that write about Greek Mythology, I’d recommend reading books by Jennifer Saint and Natalie Haynes.
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