Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Circe

I always love the feeling of when you see how a name or story you heard of long ago fits into the greek mythos.

Like all Miller books, it took me a while to get into and Circe did not hit me as hard as Song of Achilles did. (Which is mostly because the Illiad is one of my favourite parts of Greek mythology.) However, the nuance in which Circe evolves as a character and takes back control of her own story is brilliant. It was a great read.

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larzi's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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sami_not_sammi's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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noooootalie's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

given all the hype surrounding this book, I found myself really struggling to enjoy it and stay invested. it had a reeeeally slow build up and I just felt sooo sad for Circe for so long. I also was disappointed by the lack of women empowerment themes... all the advertisements, reviews, and synopses I'd seen praised the book for that, and I don't think I really felt that until the last chapter.

I think the ending did partially redeem the book, by showing how these experiences truly had formed her into a stronger woman who stood up for what she wanted. but realistically speaking, if I knew how this book was going to end, I don't know if I would choose to read it again.

with all that being said though, I still love Greek mythology, and I loved Miller's poetic and artistic writing style, so it still rings in at a 3.75/5 stars for me.

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e_claire_b's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

I very much enjoyed Song of Achilles (Miller's previous work) and I enjoyed Circe. Circe as a character is one I wish to explore and learn more about in the original myths. I found her story as an overlooked, neglected, and abused child turning into a powerful witch very poignant. I love the exploration of war and violence, hubris, ambition, gods, and the soft redemptive power of love. The way Miller tells the story of Odysseus is very interesting and at moments uncomfortable (especially in comparison to the songs I've been jamming to on the EPIC soundtrack lol) and it's interesting to compare the themes featured in this book and how it expands on some of the themes explored in Song of Achilles (I love reading multiple books by the same author for this reason)

However, I struggled with this writing. I'm not sure if it's because it's stretched over such a long period of time but despite enjoying the novel I had a hard time finishing it. Particularly on the last 150ish pages. This might be a matter more of personal taste than anything else. Miller does write some very beautiful passages but sometimes I have a hard time following what exactly is going on. This was something I noticed in Song of Achilles, but I think it was more amplified in this novel for some reason.

Still recommend! I'm glad i read it. Circe was such a personally resonant character to read about. And there are many lines and moments from this work that will stick with me. Just this probably isn't the sort of book I will reread. At least not anytime soon.

(Also loved the little "easter egg" with Medea. God I love the play by Euripedes so much & I love the use of dramatic irony when she meets Circe. What is this a crossover episode???)

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lanna2000's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow. This one took a while for me to finish but I am so glad to have read it. Even tho it felt intimidating to start the story elegantly flows for a span of centuries. I am very interested in Greek mythology but admittedly don’t know that many stories but reading this gave an interesting twist and context to the existing stories of Circe and Odysseus, as well as the other characters. While there were those painful, sad moments Circes triumphs had me rooting for her happy ending. Def gonna read more on Greek mythology and not just fiction books like this but actual lore intrigues me now, although I read the odyssey in high school. I loved the growth and depth of the characters and how they mimicked much of today’s reality as well with war, bloodlust, and lust for power. Even gods have their faults I guess. Will be reading songs of Achilles now! Also kinda a dope pick for Halloween season! I mean, witches right?? Circe highkey THAT girl and I love it for spooky season!

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