Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Circe by Madeline Miller

23 reviews

juliaaaaaa's review against another edition

adventurous reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

the writing style is beautiful. Love circe's story, how she longed to be mortal and saw beauty in it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Infidelity, Rape, Blood, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, and Alcohol

lindyloureads's review

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Torture, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Incest, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

anindistinctaccountant's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Incest, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Body shaming, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

dmteralie's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious 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

4.5

It was a slowish start but it grew into a great book and I found the ending pleasantly surprising. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Body horror and Body shaming

crybabybea's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

3.25

The best part about this book is that it turned Greek mythology on its head, which is clever and creative. Madeline Miller took the character Circe, often relegated to the sideline as a plot device for famous heroes such as Odysseus, and made her the main character. In Circe, the titular witch becomes our hero, and all other characters serve her narrative as plot devices. Because of this, the novel becomes more of a character study, and we spend most of our time in Circe's experience and thoughts.

I should mention that I know very little about Greek mythology; it's never been a huge interest for me, and I wasn't a Percy Jackson child. That being said, the parallels to The Odyssey are very clear, and we even get a visit from Odysseus himself (which serves as a turning point in the novel for Circe's character). The prose itself is very clearly inspired by classic Greek literature. Descriptive and poetic at times, it also became the novel's biggest drawback for me as it became sluggish and even pretentious at times. But. I can't deny I felt incredibly immersed in Circe's journey, the island of Aiaia especially, and the witchiness of it all.

As for the character Circe herself, I did enjoy her. I enjoyed her journey, seeing how she changes and grows as she is influenced by the people and experiences she has throughout the story. Like I said, the other characters are merely plot devices; if you are looking for a unique cast of highly developed characters, this is not it. There is no overarching plot with intense action, no big baddie that needs defeated, and no moral lesson that needs to be learned. It is simply about the human experience of loneliness and connection, finding our way in life, making peace with our mistakes, and ultimately living a life of fulfillment. 

As a literary character study, Circe (the character) is done very well. She is complicated, full of rage, grief, jealousy, love, and remorse. I think her story is relatable to a lot of different people, women and femmes especially, as they experience heartache after heartache in their search for love and acceptance. The mistakes we make as human beings, as well as the ways we try to right ourselves in a chaotic world are universal and Circe is an excellent mirror for that experience. I really enjoyed her development and how her story ended. Greek mythology was a great setting for this experience, as Circe grappled with her life as a lesser god -- surrounded by tricksters and remorseless cruelty, Circe redefines her own nature as she chooses love, both for herself and for the few people that become important in her life. 

Because of the slow pacing and sluggish prose, this is on the lower end of the 3.25 star rating for me. The character study was great, but I think it dragged on a bit too long for little reward.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Rape, Sexism, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War

vvabecca's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

peachmoni's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

miilk's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

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.

---

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

passionatereader78's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.0

I enjoyed this story. I love the Odyssey, so this was such a treat to read. The book was written well and I feel like anyone could read and enjoy it. It has all the ingredients to a great story, adventure, romance, war of good and evil.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Child abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Murder