Circe by Madeline Miller
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| Circe by Madeline Miller |
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Title: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Year published: 2018
Format: Physical book
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology
Review*:
Although I did really enjoy this book, there was a few issues I had as well. The over-all star rating could go between a 3 star and 4 star, but I pushed it more to a 4 because I love Greek mythology which made it more than just an average read for me.
Circe is a fairly well known figure in Greek mythology, but not nearly as popular as most of the gods or even some of the heros. I really enjoyed had Miller took the research she could find on Circe from different poets, epics, tragedies, and compiled it into a streamlined story that was strictly about Circe. I found myself looking up what I could find on the internet on various characters that I was either already familiar with or not at all and what Miller weaved into this book was like fact checking at some moments.
The writing wasn't as stagnant as I found within Song of Achilles, however it did have a rather steady pacing. I found myself relating the story pacing to Circe's own comments about how her immortality, which I think makes the way this story is written a little dull at times. There are obvious moments that stand out in history, such as Circe meeting Odysseus, however the dull parts around her cameos in others glory were definitely filled in.
I didn't feel any sort of personal connection to Circe, other than the very beginning when she seemed to be filled with hope. However a lot of her story within this book seemed like I was reading about the most naive person in Greek mythology, which was a little bit cringe-y. You kind of felt bad for her, which was a by product of her interacting with the more fast paced characters like her own sister, or Hermes.
I still enjoyed Miller's writing, which isn't very flower-y. There were times that the story felt a bit disjointed, for example Circe questioning about mortals and her almost genuine curiosity at the beginning and then transitioning to luring men in like a black widow. I would still read more of Miller's work if she continued to publish Greek re-tellings, however I think if they continue to read like this story, a bit of editing to shorten may make this a slightly more enjoyable read.
If you like consuming greek mythology, I'd recommend this book. If you really don't care either way, or are looking for something more light or up-beat I would not suggest this. It's a marathon of a story for only 380-something pages.
Circe is a fairly well known figure in Greek mythology, but not nearly as popular as most of the gods or even some of the heros. I really enjoyed had Miller took the research she could find on Circe from different poets, epics, tragedies, and compiled it into a streamlined story that was strictly about Circe. I found myself looking up what I could find on the internet on various characters that I was either already familiar with or not at all and what Miller weaved into this book was like fact checking at some moments.
The writing wasn't as stagnant as I found within Song of Achilles, however it did have a rather steady pacing. I found myself relating the story pacing to Circe's own comments about how her immortality, which I think makes the way this story is written a little dull at times. There are obvious moments that stand out in history, such as Circe meeting Odysseus, however the dull parts around her cameos in others glory were definitely filled in.
I didn't feel any sort of personal connection to Circe, other than the very beginning when she seemed to be filled with hope. However a lot of her story within this book seemed like I was reading about the most naive person in Greek mythology, which was a little bit cringe-y. You kind of felt bad for her, which was a by product of her interacting with the more fast paced characters like her own sister, or Hermes.
I still enjoyed Miller's writing, which isn't very flower-y. There were times that the story felt a bit disjointed, for example Circe questioning about mortals and her almost genuine curiosity at the beginning and then transitioning to luring men in like a black widow. I would still read more of Miller's work if she continued to publish Greek re-tellings, however I think if they continue to read like this story, a bit of editing to shorten may make this a slightly more enjoyable read.
If you like consuming greek mythology, I'd recommend this book. If you really don't care either way, or are looking for something more light or up-beat I would not suggest this. It's a marathon of a story for only 380-something pages.
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