Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Circe

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Circe by Madeline Miller

134 reviews

xvicesx's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

It wasn't horrible, but it was slow and I failed to see why everyone raves about this. Circe was, I guess, relatable to some degree, but she wasn't interesting and she really took forever to show any agency.

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olive_ia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This was a wonderful book full of stories from Greek Mythology from the perspective of the minor goddess Circe. Circe is a very likeable, powerful, and incredibly well written character, this book made me want to research more about Circe's story in Mythology. The book is fast paced and made me want to keep reading more, I very highly recommend Circe!

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singalana's review against another edition

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adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I thought giving both the Song of Achilles and Circe five stars was impossible, but I’m glad I was proven wrong!

Madeline Miller specialises in Greek mythology retellings. She takes her time writing her books, and it shows. In Miller’s hands, what might sound like a strange and simply outlandish children’s tale turns into something organic, like the laws of nature. Now, she tells the story of Circe - most people remember her as the witch who turned Odysseus’ men into swine. But she is so much more than that, as Miller shows.

The characters are familiar from Greek mythology. Gods and mortal men all turn into something extraordinary in Miller’s hands, each with distinctive personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. Circe’s story is full of scheming, hubris, vengeance, and love. Sometimes, I had to peek at the next chapter just to find out what happened and what to expect before continuing the story. Very few books have the power to do that.

I marvel at Miller’s writing style: every sentence is crafted beautifully. There are bits of dialogue I want to read over and over again because the words and the message behind them are so masterfully delivered.

But what decided the rating for me was the ending. So be warned, spoilers ahead!

Spoilers!

Madeline Miller knows when to follow the source material and when to divert from it. And I’m glad she did because the book ends on a sad yet hopeful note. In the original mythos, Odysseus and Circe have many children together, and Telemachus eventually kills Circe. But Miller’s ending gives Circe the ending she deserves.

And the cover art is gorgeous.

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juulolantern's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

5.0

this is the most challenging and beautiful experience ive ever had w a book. im so glad i got to be immersed in circe's world. i how character driven this was and that is the main reason i could complete it, weirdly enough bc i dont usually feel drawn to character examinations. also madeline's insane writing.

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