Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

Circe by Madeline Miller

36 reviews

gabriella_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I read most of this book on a round trip train ride and someone’s front lawn. My god this book was gripping. I preferred The Song of Achilles for the romantic overtures but I think Madeline Miller really comes into her own as an author writing prose in this piece. The depth of the way she characterizes has compounded exponentially in this book. It’s such a refreshing spin on Greek mythos that I couldn’t put the book down.

This book made me laugh and cry within mere lines. I love the way Madeline Miller writes structures of misogyny without relegating women to damsels, and while writing all her characters as multidimensional with their own agendas. She captures the essence of Greek mythos without letting it choke out her own artistic vision.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

marissasa's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Circe's journey of finding herself and learning to live for herself after centuries growing up abused, neglected, and forgotten was touching and told beautifully. I loved the feminist reframing of this character in Greek mythology and the way she was turned into a protagonist with her own agency and reasoning behind actions that were previously only known as plot devices in the tales of male heroes like Odysseus. Circe wasn't a huge name among the gods, being a minor goddess herself as one of many children of a Titan and a nymph. This made her situation all the more interesting as she had to use her wit and develop her witch abilities to overcome obstacles, as opposed to being able to set things on fire or turn people to stone with one look as some of the major gods could. Throughout the book you really feel for her and come to root for her, wanting her to find meaningful connections and a way to be truly happy despite her trauma and eternal punishment. She is fierce, determined, kindhearted, honest, and loving, and I loved Miller's beautiful writing style and masterful skill in conveying this lovely character's story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

kyra2004's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Good book! Really enjoyed it, I plan on rereading it again one day.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest and Rape

Moderate: Cursing, Murder, and War

Minor: Animal death

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Vomit, Gaslighting, and War

Minor: Ableism, Child death, Self harm, Sexual content, and Suicide

angeldevoursliterature's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Violence

Minor: Cursing

samantha365's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Excrement, Grief, and Pregnancy

_eleanorgreen8_'s review against another edition

inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I loved this book so much. Madeline Miller's rich retellings of Greek myths are so intruiging and feel so modern. I don't know anything about Greek mythology, but this book introduced a world of wonder and ideas that I loved reading about. I particularly loved the descriptions of nature and witchcraft throughout the book, which really brought the story to life. The overall plot was a bit slow, but since it was a retelling I could accept that. Overall just a really enchanting, meaningful read that left me feeling deeply moved. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Cursing, Incest, Rape, and Sexual content

luminifera's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved it. What a beautiful retelling of the myth. So many details!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Self harm, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

It's a heavy book. However, very much worth the read, and

it has a happy ending!

kaypringle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

It is my pleasure to say that I felt thoroughly sated by this novel, particularly it’s ending. The pace was definitely medium, more on the slower side, yet the character development and plot truly hooks readers in! It felt like I was burning with the passion of Helios and the Fates to get to the end of this wonderful tale! The imagery was superb and gave me that “I just finished greatness” feeling, almost as if I’ve just walked out of a great movie, yet better because it’s right in my hands!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

ajediprincess's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is a beautiful book. It is written in the first person perspective, from Circe’s point of view. It’s also written in a way that is so different to what I am used to, but it serves the tone and theme of the Greek myth well. The style seems almost like an encyclopedia entry or a biography at times. Circe rushes through many broken memories, spanning all the way back to her earliest days alive, and the narrative follows what she chooses to tell and what she thinks is most important to mention. For this reason, she does summarize things and she stops speaking of them when she feels they are no longer important. There are a lot of plain, practical statements, and there is a lot of telling of facts. But there are also beautiful analogies and uses of simile and even hyperbole.

The pace did strike me as a bit odd. Personally, the narrative feels best when it zooms in and focuses on moments and scenes with dialogue and emotion. More on this later. Everything else really feels so abridged, like dancing across the surface of a great iceberg. One knows there must be more there, but Circe chooses not to go into great depth about it.

This is a very good story, if not told rather strangely, in snapshots and summaries and anecdotes. It's almost as if Circe herself is trying to tell the reader her life story in the most succinct way possible. At no point was I aware of or able to discern how much time had passed from point to point in the narrative. I could make a guess, but I would never be certain. She tells the story in such a scattered, stream of consciousness manner that it is impossible to discern when all of the events of Circe's life happened, only that they did. That is not to say that it doesn't feel satisfying, it does, it's just different than most methods of storytelling.  I lost track of how many famous Greek myths made appearances in the tapestry of Circe's life, but suffice it to say she was involved in some manner in many of the very famous stories in Greek mythology, and it was very interesting to see how.

The overall structure of the narrative is very apropos for Greek mythology too. Circling all the way back to events from the very beginning of Circe’s life, there are peaks and valleys and bitter twists of fate. The way all of these threads come together is meticulous, masterful. There is so much literary symmetry that even when things happen that threaten to cause unspeakable anger and frustration in the reader, one cannot help but admire how brilliant and clever these events and their relationship to Circe are.

Circe herself is a strong, compelling protagonist. She has an almost unbelievable amount of compassion for mortals, and has even been told that she has a “mortal voice.” This is striking when contrasted with the reactions and opinions regarding mortals from all the other gods and even nymphs around her. She feels somehow different from them in so many ways, and one fateful decision she makes in her youth shows her just how different she really is. Thus begins the great story of her life—a life filled with discovery, magic, longing, exile, loneliness, invention, opportunity, vengeance, personal growth, empowerment, forgiveness, trust, love, and hope.

There was a period where I felt as though the book must be coming to a close, yet it marched on, in a good way, because Circe’s story was not yet done, even though all of the mythology with which I was familiar had ended. The last ten chapters of this book are the most gripping. Here the narrative seems to slow down and zooms in the focus. No longer a summary, it’s now the careful recounting of what has transpired most recently, all leading up to where the tense of the narration actually changes from past to present, active. We see what has happened, giving rise to what is happening now, just before the book ends with something of a cliffhanger. It’s beautifully done.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Greek myth and wants to hear an interesting and moving story of one minor figure from arguably the most famous tale of Greek Mythology and discover her life. It was an enjoyable read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing and Emotional abuse

Minor: Gore, Rape, and Sexual assault