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*Trigger Warning: Rape, violence, loss, war and death*
Circe by Madeline Miller is what I needed to end my 2020. The perfect mix of beautiful writing and descriptions, well-developed characters which came to life and have an air of magic to them left me ready to read her first novel, The Song of Achilles.
Going into this book, I was a little worried, mainly because it is a very hyped-up book, but also because I’m a classics student. Having studied classics for 3 years now, with one more year to go, I had this underlying fear that the story wouldn’t feel authentic (because of the various telling’s of her story), or that the ending the author chose for Circe would underplay her character. I have never been so glad to be wrong.
This book isn’t just a story of Circe but a re-inventing, a re-telling of the goddess who has historically never been portrayed in the best of lights. Miller, a classis teacher for 15 years, created a feminist spin on the story, portraying Circe as an independent woman, able to defy her father, learn to find herself in a state of isolation and create meaningful relationships with those she encounters. Despite Circe being a goddess, Miller’s ability to make her relatable and human is phenomenal.
One of the greatest aspects of this book is how the readers are fully engulfed into the thoughts and experiences of Circe allowing us to discover the ins and outs of her character. In contemporary texts, Circe is a much lesser-known character compared to other figures in the Odyssey, usually used as a device to contrast the evil, witchy goddess to the hero that is Odysseus. This narrative has been retold hundreds of times, beginning with Homer, however Miller chose to build a whole world around Circe, and make her a character whose intentions aren’t simply evil, witchcraft and vengeance. There are few moments in Circe’s long and eternal life that we don’t know about, and the honesty of the character is on another level. The toxicity of her childhood to the abuse she receives from family members, to the innate fears of childbirth and motherhood jumps off the page – and leaves the reader surrounded by the overwhelming feelings that are much more human than her divine nature would suggest. Circe is more than just a human, but also more than a goddess in some instances, being able to transcend boundaries and the expectations of her, boundaries which are established and overcome beautifully, creating such a well-developed character, a feat that is amazing considering how little information she had to go on.
Miler’s writing is also so minimalist yet beautiful, rarely using over-ambitious words, but still creating luxurious sentences that have an air of magic to them. The quality of her descriptions of not only the scenery but of people and emotions is something I find rare in literature. The ability to succinctly describe what the reader needs whilst not having to spend pages writing flouncy words is extraordinary.
If you’re looking for magic in a simple story, about a woman who seeks hope, love, comfort and warmth in the world she lives in, then this book is for you. The balance between human and magic in this book is outstanding and I have a feeling I’ll be on the lookout for books like this for years to come.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5