[Book Review] Circe by Madeline Miller
Born of a Titan god father and a beguiling nymph, Circe is a strange child. Not revered like gods or alluring like the other nymphs. From the very beginning she’s an outcast. Circe will spend eternity proving her worth only to find it within herself all along. For Circe finds witchcraft — a labour of dedication and grown from a passion to find her rightful place. Her skills flourish, as do the plants and herbs she cultivates for her craft.
On Aiaia, the island she is banished too, Circe turns punishment to her advantage, finding peace in solitude and learning. If the Gods will fear her skill, Circe must find out what she is truly capable of alone. If creating monsters and transforming mortals are her first acts of witchcraft, what is she capable of with a lifetime of crafting?
Yet somehow that solitude never lasts for long. Visitors come and go on the island — some looking to take, others to join. But when mortal Odysseus sets foot on her land, everything and yet nothing is instantaneously changed. Life as Circe knows it will never be the same again. The book takes the reader through a complex tale of a woman’s struggle in a mans world, with Greek mythology woven throughout the pages. Meet famous characters such as the Minotaur, Daedalus, Icarus, Medea, Jason and more.
Despite the darkness Circe’s fiery spirit never falters and each challenge allows her to grow. She must protect everything she loves from one of the most formidable Olympians. There’s only so long her witchcraft can keep her in the shadows. Soon Circe must shine forth and fight for her place in a world between the mortals and the Gods.
Themes
The most striking themes hone in on feminism and the power dynamics between men and women. The palace of the Gods where Circe grows up is predominantly a man’s world. Here women are seen only to please the men, particularly the daughters of nymphs. These beautiful beings seem solely present in Circe’s world to entertain and bear children. There is no role model who strikes out or seeks knowledge. There is no one who stands up and protects those wronged at the hands of the Gods. Even her own father is cruel and callous — his attention divided between children, lovers and fellow men of power.
Circe must find her own way to exert her feminism. This power comes with age and maturity and her banishment to the island of Aiaia. On this island she refuses to put up with the whims of men, finding comfort in her own space and with the creatures she transforms. She soon learns to strike a balance between the power of men and women. Sometimes it tilts too far in her direction as she turns men into pigs, other times it falls to the men as she suffers at their hands.
Following in the footsteps of more traditional classics, Circe also boasts themes of mortality, maturity and the precarious balance between fate and free will.
We see Circe battle over the centuries with her mortality. At times she is curious. Curious about pain and sensation, curious about how her body will heal. Once her curiosity is satiated her immortality dulls as she watches those she cares about grow old, wither and die. Time becomes a curse. Isolated on her island, each day is the same and she struggles to continue this never-ending cycle. Immortality brings many things and many experiences. The one experience it does not bring, death, becomes a source of great pain. What will become of her when her mortal son passes on to the underworld? How will Circe, a goddess mother with mortal son, stand the pain of life without him?
Maturity is clearly evident in the character ark we see Circe take. Her young, foolish self in the palace of the Gods is soon replaced by a sharp and darker women on Aiaia. In time that jaded witch matures once again and is able to see the light in the world and the wrongs of her past.
As the daughter of a Titan and a nymph Circe never had much free-will. She’s bound to the palace of the Gods, then exiled to Aiaia. Throughout the novel we see her fight to find her own way, to exert what free-will she has whenever there is opportunity. As her witchcraft develops she finds her own tricks and games to take back control. But the ultimate fight for free-will is written within the last pages of the book. The culmination of her life: the struggles, her work, the people that she cares for all comes down to one last spell. It’s the same spell that began her adventures with witchery, that showed she had the power to transform others. Now she would transform herself.
Why read Circe by Madeline Miller?
Circe is an entertaining read and a twist on the familiar Greek classics. It’s a tale of overcoming centuries worth of strife; finding yourself in amongst it all, and then fighting for what is truly important. After her formative years in the palace of the Gods Circe grows into a confident and assertive woman who refuses to be walked all over. She learns to trust in herself, her skill and her ability to withstand it all. But she also learns to love and trust in others, allowing herself to soften and be at peace in life.
Read this if you’re looking to get to know a character — witching warts an all. Read Circe if you watch to watch a character unfold before you in a world of gods, heroes and monsters.
Want to read more book reviews, join in with my monthly book club here.
Originally posted on Sage Adventures travel & wellness lifestyle blog: www.sageadventres.co.uk.
