Book Review: Circe

Circe by Madeline Miller

I loved the premise of Madeline Miller’s second novel, Circe. In this book, Miller gives air time to a lesser-known female figure from Greek mythology. Circe, a goddess and sorceress who appears briefly in The Odyssey, finally gets her moment in the spotlight.

There’s nothing I love more than a book by a woman about a woman, so Circe certainly fits the bill. The novel begins with Circe’s difficult childhood as the seemingly ordinary (albeit immortal) daughter of the sun god Helios and the naiad Perse. Overshadowed by her more beautiful and spiteful siblings, Circe is scorned and ignored by her family. Until, finally, one day, extreme jealousy drives her to perform an unprecedented and unexpected act of magic — resulting in her eternal expulsion to an isolated island.

This is where Circe’s life really begins. On this island, away from her rather horrible family, Circe comes into her own. She hones her ability to do magic and turns the island into a home. Over a period spanning decades, many familiar figures appear on her doorstep — Odysseus, Daedalus and Icarus, the Minotaur. Through Circe’s interaction with these men, readers realize that while this sorceress had such a minor part in the Odyssey, she actually played a crucial role in shaping Greek mythology.

Of course, Circe is fiction, and so is Greek mythology, for that matter. But it’s revelations like these — that a relatively unknown woman helped containt he Minotaur and enabled Odysseus to finish his famous journey — that make me love this book so much. Because isn’t that a pattern that has existed throughout almost all of history? Our textbooks and canonical literature detail the great male leaders who embarked on remarkable treks and guided us through pivotal moments of history. How many women, like Circe, were working hard behind the scenes to make those moments happen?

You can buy Circe here.

Rating: 4 stars

Rating Scale:
5 Stars: I love this book!!!
4 Stars: Pretty good
3 Stars: Good
2 Stars: Not for me
1 Star: Truly dislike