carlycormier_'s review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Miller has a lot of potential which is what excites me the most after reading this. Her mastery and deep knowledge of classical history and mythology truly shines, but that’s also the downfall of Circe. This could have been a contemporary masterpiece, a new mythological epic in its own right, but it just sort of fell flat to this. Arguably, a lot of fat could have been trimmed off this book and it would have been more intriguing and enjoyable. I expected Circe to be this wild ride of a story, but in the end it was too much of a hyper-slow burn for me. I did , however, really enjoy how Circe is a complicated character. She is multi-faceted and flawed. This is the big success with this retelling.
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault
paulawind's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Spoiler
Her final act, the act of “becoming herself” being becoming human and a mortal is so powerful. She never sat well with the other gods, her heart was too big for that. Drinking her potion was an act of defiance, taking her own destiny into her hands, I felt so happy for her when I read the last words. Perfect ending to a nearly perfect bookI am a Greek mythology hoe so of course I loved this book. Feminist story set in the canon which diminished women mostly to tools for heroes to chase their glory. Miller doesn’t strip away achievements of men but rather shines light on the women who were always in the background of these stories, giving them the centre of the stage. At last.
Circe is written with such an intense amount of compassion to women in general, not only the ones from myths. Circe starts off as an innocent soul, with heart of her sleeve - life is beating that out of her but never fully succeeds. She learns to guard her heart and those she loves, seizing power for herself and you can’t help but think “good for her”.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Animal death, Death of parent, Rape, Violence, Blood, Infidelity, Torture, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Misogyny
kwichris's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Rape, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Torture, and Incest
Minor: Physical abuse, Infidelity, Classism, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Slavery
pjdotcom's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child death, Pregnancy, Body horror, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Death of parent, Abandonment, Animal death, Grief, Sexual content, and War
ghulsona's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Violence, Bullying, Abandonment, Grief, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Death, Alcohol, and Sexual content
jessiereads98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexism
Minor: Blood, Confinement, Animal death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Murder, Grief, and War
galexy_brain's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Abandonment, War, Violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcohol and Slavery
passivewax's review
- 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
“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.
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
enimiestolovers_opal's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, Death, Gore, War, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
gabriella_'s review
- 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
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.
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