Circe by Madeline Miller

Circe by Madeline Miller – Audio

Book Blurb:

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

My Review: 5 stars

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Circe may be one of the best audio books I’ve ever listened to. The narrator, Perdita Weeks, has a captivating voice, which allows you to get lost into Circe’s world of magic and madness. This literary novel is a take on Circe, from Homer’s The Odyssey. I read The Odyssey in high school, but had no recollection of Circe. The only Circe (Cersei) I was aware of is from Game of Thrones. In the audio book Circe is pronounced ‘Sir-see’, yet upon further research, it can be pronounced ‘Sirs’, ‘Sir-kee’ or even ‘Kir-kee.

Circe is a compelling, strong and magical character. She is the ultimate example of female resiliency and heroism. Through brilliant storytelling, we watch Circe, a young nymph, grow to be a revered and powerful witch-goddess. During this time, she suffered from loneliness and banishment. She was unloved and unwelcome in her own family, has loved and lost, loved and won and learned to ultimately love herself. She discovered her own magic, used magic for good and evil, sacrificed over and over again, protected herself, risked her life numerous times and sought forgiveness when necessary. She’s lived a thousand lives in her life of eternity.

The writing in this book is superb. The brilliance came through in her dialogue, rich vocabulary and how words could be used as weapons or enchantment. Author Kate Quinn, of The Alice Network, says, “The language is rich enough to bathe in”, which is exactly how I felt. I became a smarter and richer person after reading (listening) to this book. I could have doubled or even tripled the quotes that I liked at the bottom of this review. I pared the list down to just seven. 

Miller has a hefty repertoire of work, but I’m most excited to go back and read The Song of Achilles and her short story, Galatea. As you can tell, I highly recommend this audio book! Note: Don’t worry if you forgot every bit of Greek Mythology you ever learned, or even if you never learned it, Circe will guide you through her story, filling in whatever you need to know.

Quotes I liked:

But perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look we see only the mirror of our own faults.” 

“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.” 

“You can teach a viper to eat from your hands, but you cannot take away how much it likes to bite.” 

“That is one thing gods and mortals share: when we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world.”

“I asked her how she did it once, how she understood the world so clearly. She told me that it was a matter of keeping very still and showing no emotions, leaving room for others to reveal themselves.” 

“They do not care if you are good. They barely care if you are wicked. The only thing that makes them listen is power.”

“Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.”