Book Review: Circe by Madeline Miller

I loved this. Magic, mythology, love, grief, madness and the pride of Gods. All wrapped up in adventure in the wonderful setting of a Greek island. It’s the perfect story for the summer months. Madeline Miller weaves a story steeped in lush island life, described so vividly, and inhabits it with characters so wonderfully colourful that I could truly imagine myself walking alongside Circe.

Circe is a Goddess ahead of her times. She’s shunned from childhood as the lesser God, the most unruly and weak compared to her brothers and sister. She has none of the grace or slyness of Pasiphae, or skills of Perse. She’s meek and unsure of herself, desperate only for any affection she can find. And she finds it in the unlikely source of mortals. Youthful jealousy sees Circe banished from her fathers hall, but this only works to allow Circe to flourish and reach a potential she never knew she had. We see her flirt with Gods and men, always there in the shadows of great adventures and stories, offering guidance and support. All the heroes of the Golden age of men end up on her shores, and she’s there to listen and help - surrounded by her animals and magic.

The island of Aiaiai serves as a base throughout all this, both to Circe’s fragile nature and her need for reassurance and solitude, and later her need to nurture and heal her wounded heroes. This allows the story to spread out like tendrils from the island, taking us to Crete and other islands, before returning to the safe haven of home. It’s grounding influence soon begins to mirror Circe herself, and is a reflection of her personality and nature. Changing with the seasons but always there, bound and unwavering.

The depictions of the Gods we see are also well done. Hermes, trickster and messenger, is always there to manipulate and tease Circe. I could image him with a rakish smile, standing by her door night after night. Athena, logical and cruel, unable to comprehend being told ‘no’. And Apollo, beautiful and lyrical, master to prophecies yet unemotional. Their presence is felt throughout, but rarely seen, making their appearances as they should be - short yet with devastating consequences.

This has been my favourite read of the year so far, no question. I fell completely in love with the story telling, the settings and the characters. Wonderful.

 - 5 stars