Circe, Madeline Miller
Summary
Circe played an assisting role to many of Greek mythology's most famous heroes; Jason and Odysseus being examples. However, in Madeline Millers most recent novel, she plays second fiddle to no one- finally telling her own story as she lived it. The novel weaves her role in many of the most well known myths together: the Odyssey, Scylla, Prometheus, and Jason and the golden fleece.
Review
As you can probably tell from past books I have reviewed, Circe seems a bit out of my genre. However, I chose to read this book because Miller's first novel, The Song of Achilles, is my favorite of all time. I think that is what made this piece so frustrating for me. I want to preface this review by saying I did not hate it, but I would not read it again. I think the reason Circle was a flop for me was because the character it followed simply was not intriguing enough. From interviews I have read, Miller's main purpose in writing her books is to put a different perspective on Greek mythology that has been whitewashed through generations. Her goal with Circe, I imagine, was to retell her story from a feminist perspective- to reclaim the story of a woman who has become known to many as a witch who turned men into pigs. I applaud the idea, and her writing itself is very beautiful. I just feel she had to reach a lot throughout the entire novel because the subject of her work had no overarching plot of her own. Circe has several smaller roles in Greek mythology- the creation of Scylla, the assistance of Odysseus, the assistance of Jason, the making of Telegonus, and her relationship with Telemachus and Penelope. In order to make a substantial story line, Miller had to string all of these assisting roles together. For me personally, the effect was that the story dragged, it was at parts choppy, lacked climax, and was far too long. I do not fault Miller at all for my not enjoying this book, her writing was as eloquent as always, I just feel the subject matter did not lend to her strengths. I think the one problem I want to nitpick is the quotability. Song of Achilles had such effortless and gorgeous prose that resulted from it being so emotionally attaching. Everything in that book can be quoted! I think she tried hard to recreate that here, but at times it felt like she was grasping for emotional height that was simply absent. The novel was not as demanding and, as a result, some of the prose she used just felt too strong and not fitting for the situation. In short, it just read more like a Rick Riordan book or a Young Adult novel, which course is not an insult as it is a lot of peoples preferred genre, but it is not what I expected having read past works of hers. Rating: 2/5.
Themes
Feminism: Probably the most important theme of the novel is Circe being a beacon of female empowerment. The novel begins with her being the ugly-duckling of, and lightening-rod to, her divine family, held in such low regard that she is actually exiled as a scapegoat to uphold peace between her father and Zeus. But, throughout the course of the novel, she truly comes into her own as real boss. Unlike her nymph relatives, Circe is not reduced to relying on her looks and favors from more powerful Gods to get through life. She hones herself into the greatest witch of all her siblings- even though they were born with more godly blood than she. Other notable things in this retelling of her story: she does not swoon after Hermes as an exile desperate for any attention from a man, she turns men to pigs for good reason, she is not tricked by Odysseus but rather loves him, and she single-handedly thwarts Gods to protect her son. Penelope also receives feminist lauding in this novel, though I already thought her to be a force to be reckoned with when I read the Odyssey. But this novel made sure to push her not as someone who simply waited for Odysseus to return, but who matched him. Furthermore, she was someone who had life after Odysseus as well.
Mortality: I think another interesting theme peppered throughout the novel is this idea of immortality being Circe's greatest punishment. Several mortals imprint on Circe: Daedalus, Odysseus, Telegonus and Telemachus. Each time there is a bitterness- she knows she will outlive them, she knows she will not meet them in the afterlife. There is this great line where Circe says people to her are like constellations, they only stay in her life for a season. I think this is the first novel I've read where becoming famous or becoming a God was not the goal- Circe rejected both of these ideals and eventually willed herself mortal. As she said, you are not your blood. And as Odysseus responded, no one hated their divinity more than Circe.
Circe played an assisting role to many of Greek mythology's most famous heroes; Jason and Odysseus being examples. However, in Madeline Millers most recent novel, she plays second fiddle to no one- finally telling her own story as she lived it. The novel weaves her role in many of the most well known myths together: the Odyssey, Scylla, Prometheus, and Jason and the golden fleece.
Review
As you can probably tell from past books I have reviewed, Circe seems a bit out of my genre. However, I chose to read this book because Miller's first novel, The Song of Achilles, is my favorite of all time. I think that is what made this piece so frustrating for me. I want to preface this review by saying I did not hate it, but I would not read it again. I think the reason Circle was a flop for me was because the character it followed simply was not intriguing enough. From interviews I have read, Miller's main purpose in writing her books is to put a different perspective on Greek mythology that has been whitewashed through generations. Her goal with Circe, I imagine, was to retell her story from a feminist perspective- to reclaim the story of a woman who has become known to many as a witch who turned men into pigs. I applaud the idea, and her writing itself is very beautiful. I just feel she had to reach a lot throughout the entire novel because the subject of her work had no overarching plot of her own. Circe has several smaller roles in Greek mythology- the creation of Scylla, the assistance of Odysseus, the assistance of Jason, the making of Telegonus, and her relationship with Telemachus and Penelope. In order to make a substantial story line, Miller had to string all of these assisting roles together. For me personally, the effect was that the story dragged, it was at parts choppy, lacked climax, and was far too long. I do not fault Miller at all for my not enjoying this book, her writing was as eloquent as always, I just feel the subject matter did not lend to her strengths. I think the one problem I want to nitpick is the quotability. Song of Achilles had such effortless and gorgeous prose that resulted from it being so emotionally attaching. Everything in that book can be quoted! I think she tried hard to recreate that here, but at times it felt like she was grasping for emotional height that was simply absent. The novel was not as demanding and, as a result, some of the prose she used just felt too strong and not fitting for the situation. In short, it just read more like a Rick Riordan book or a Young Adult novel, which course is not an insult as it is a lot of peoples preferred genre, but it is not what I expected having read past works of hers. Rating: 2/5.
Themes
Feminism: Probably the most important theme of the novel is Circe being a beacon of female empowerment. The novel begins with her being the ugly-duckling of, and lightening-rod to, her divine family, held in such low regard that she is actually exiled as a scapegoat to uphold peace between her father and Zeus. But, throughout the course of the novel, she truly comes into her own as real boss. Unlike her nymph relatives, Circe is not reduced to relying on her looks and favors from more powerful Gods to get through life. She hones herself into the greatest witch of all her siblings- even though they were born with more godly blood than she. Other notable things in this retelling of her story: she does not swoon after Hermes as an exile desperate for any attention from a man, she turns men to pigs for good reason, she is not tricked by Odysseus but rather loves him, and she single-handedly thwarts Gods to protect her son. Penelope also receives feminist lauding in this novel, though I already thought her to be a force to be reckoned with when I read the Odyssey. But this novel made sure to push her not as someone who simply waited for Odysseus to return, but who matched him. Furthermore, she was someone who had life after Odysseus as well.
It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment's carelessness. If I had ever believed it, I no longer did.
Mortality: I think another interesting theme peppered throughout the novel is this idea of immortality being Circe's greatest punishment. Several mortals imprint on Circe: Daedalus, Odysseus, Telegonus and Telemachus. Each time there is a bitterness- she knows she will outlive them, she knows she will not meet them in the afterlife. There is this great line where Circe says people to her are like constellations, they only stay in her life for a season. I think this is the first novel I've read where becoming famous or becoming a God was not the goal- Circe rejected both of these ideals and eventually willed herself mortal. As she said, you are not your blood. And as Odysseus responded, no one hated their divinity more than Circe.
I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands.
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