Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Circe by Madeline Miller

25 reviews

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

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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

kwichris's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Circe is a cleverly written novel about the goddess herself and the experiences she endured from her perspective. This novel spans centuries in time with both well-known and new mythological events and experiences Circe must navigate. Circe is shown as a more fully-developed person than in the minor roles she's played in other grand masterworks of classical literature. She perseveres through more hardships than can be imagined and her shere ingenuity and life-experience guides her actions through each trial and tribulation. Through it all, Circe demonstrates how many of us feel at different points in our lives despite never being bestowed with divinity as she has. Just as Circe is more fully realized in this novel, so too are her accompanying characters often the focus of the story when they encounter Circe. All in all, Madeline Miller has crafted a wonderfully detailed novel encompassing more mythology and the human experience than one might expect. If you're a fan of Greek mythology, history, and novels that really flesh out their characters, then I would highly recommend this book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Incest, Mental illness, Torture, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Classism

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

kirstemma's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring relaxing medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

issyd23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-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

Welcome to Αἰαία, see the pigs transform from humans. Welcome to Αἰαία, hope you like Circe you ain’t leaving. Caroline Polachek would love it here 4🏝️

I love how intricate names in Greek mythology are: Helios, Pasiphaë, Minos, Aeëtes & then there’s literally Jason!💀

NB Fuck, marry, kill: Odysseus, Achilles, Paris (in that order) 🏛️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

romancebookslover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment

maren_hemsath's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol and War

olia_k21'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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

horizonous's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Rape, Blood, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Torture, Grief, and War

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

◦ Death = incl. father, husband, lover
◦ Mental illness = Depression
◦ Pregnancy = Child birth
◦ Sexual content = incl. zoophilia

sonlight21's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

3.75

This book was full of beautiful prose and written in a way that is unusual and I have not seen before but enjoyed immensely!!!! 

I really enjoyed the retelling of a classic character from a different view point. It showed the horror and injustice of the original tale. Warning if you are interested in reading this book there are many content warnings and triggers that you should take the time to look into. It is not a lighthearted book and deals with some very heavy topics.
It also has a strong feminist voice.

It was a very interesting, enjoyable and much needed retelling but do not jump in without doing the research and making sure it is something you can read :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, and Abandonment

Minor: Rape