Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Circe by Madeline Miller

88 reviews

passivewax's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.75

WOW! Blown away. Beautiful and dark and the best testimony I’ve seen to the worthwhile flaws of being human. 

“I had walked the earth for a hundred generations, yet I was still a child to myself.”

Something else I want to add is that often I have trouble being able to envision scenery when reading, like following along with an author’s depictions is usually pointless for me and something I will read twice and then skip over because the description just doesn’t do it for me. Miller’s writing never once stumped me or had me reread, even in complex visual scenes. And also - it was so beautiful! The world she created and the imagery of nature and feelings was so extremely vivid. Was a nice change for sure. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Medical trauma, Slavery, War, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Incest, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

gabriella_'s review

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

hannahbevil's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, Vomit, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abandonment

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

malinxzoe's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse

74laura74's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

stvalentine's review

adventurous inspiring reflective fast-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

a total masterwork of introspection and the importance of balancing self-reliance and community!! follows ancient greece's favourite witch-goddess as she navigates godly narcissism, isolation, love, trauma, and motherhood armed with endless spells and crackling determination. a closer examination of one of the most mysterious and under-discussed figured in mythology. so good!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Animal death, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Misogyny, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Gore, and Incest

madibowyer's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Rape

abookwormspov's review

adventurous emotional sad slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Child death, Physical abuse, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Confinement, Blood, and Animal death

ellaford's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

As someone with a limited knowledge of Greek mythology I think it is a different experience to read this book, but not necessarily a worse one. The twists and turn were all the more intriguing and exciting. I listened to this book and the narrator did such a fantastic job of bringing circe alive as she had such a majestic way of reading. I enjoyed it more as it went on for certain and by the end was completely captivated by the world. I loved how nature and animals are described, and the complicated nature of good and bad. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Confinement, and Abandonment

Moderate: Incest, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Body horror, and Animal death

Minor: Adult/minor relationship