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Circe
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In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child - not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power - the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods them
...more
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Hardcover, 393 pages
Published
April 10th 2018
by Little, Brown and Company
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Judy Lindow
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Start your review of Circe
Men, can’t live with ‘em, can’t turn ‘em all into swine.
What do you mean turn them into swine? From her earliest application of her new found transformative skills it is suggested that what Circe turns her unfortunate guests into has more to do with their innermost nature than Circe’s selection of a target form. (The strength of those flowers lay in their sap, which could transform any creature to its truest self.) Clearly her sty residents had an oinky predisposition. And I am sure that there ...more
What do you mean turn them into swine? From her earliest application of her new found transformative skills it is suggested that what Circe turns her unfortunate guests into has more to do with their innermost nature than Circe’s selection of a target form. (The strength of those flowers lay in their sap, which could transform any creature to its truest self.) Clearly her sty residents had an oinky predisposition. And I am sure that there ...more
Jan 11, 2018
Melanie
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
historical,
arc,
retellings,
magic,
buddy-reads,
signed,
fantasy,
read-in-2018,
favorites,
witches
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
✨ Signed and personalized copies are available through Main Point Books! (They can ship anywhere in the US, anywhere in the UK, and also to some other international locations)
“When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist.”
This is the pièce de résistance I’ve been searching for my entire life. Not only did I fall in love with this story, I predict that this will be the best book I’ll read all year. ...more
It is with immense regret and massive trepidation that I must say...
I don’t really get the hype.
I really and truly don’t. Why do you guys like this book so much? I am going to go through one potentially good thing by one ultimately disappointing thing and see if any of them click.
1) Because it’s a cool retelling?
This is why I was excited for this, as someone who loves retellings. Recycled plots? Old-timey magic and Revenge and mean dads and royalty and dashed love stories that make women turn wi ...more
I don’t really get the hype.
I really and truly don’t. Why do you guys like this book so much? I am going to go through one potentially good thing by one ultimately disappointing thing and see if any of them click.
1) Because it’s a cool retelling?
This is why I was excited for this, as someone who loves retellings. Recycled plots? Old-timey magic and Revenge and mean dads and royalty and dashed love stories that make women turn wi ...more
4.45/5 ⭐
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
”Witches are not so delicate”.
Witches are raw power. And raw power through its definition is not delicate.
Being honest right now, I have never been a huge fan of Greek mythology. I used to be obsessed with Egyptian mythology and fascinated by the Celtic one. But Greek mythology seemed all Greek to me (pun intended!). Not because it was unattractive, but just because I never understood it properly. I felt like it was a never-ending tale, too el ...more
Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺
”Witches are not so delicate”.
Witches are raw power. And raw power through its definition is not delicate.
Being honest right now, I have never been a huge fan of Greek mythology. I used to be obsessed with Egyptian mythology and fascinated by the Celtic one. But Greek mythology seemed all Greek to me (pun intended!). Not because it was unattractive, but just because I never understood it properly. I felt like it was a never-ending tale, too el ...more
You threw me to the crows, but it turns out I prefer them to you.
My words are not as good as the ones in this book. Circe is a book about... finding yourself. But god, it stands out so far from just that.
Okay, to get started, I’m just going to say it: Madeline Miller is one of the best writers of our time. She has such a way with words that it is absolutely impossible not to be engaged in her storytelling.
The thing that brings this whole novel together is Circe’s character. She ...more
“Witches are not so delicate,” I said.
I absolutely loved this. If you enjoy Greek mythology, complex heroines, and a generous serving of adventure, bloodshed, betrayal, magic, and monsters - both literal and figurative - then hell, READ THIS BOOK.
To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of Miller's The Song of Achilles when I read it a few years back. I'm not sure if that's because my tastes were different back then, or if it was just because the plot had more of a romantic focus than Circe. But, w ...more
This is a beautiful book; it is flawless and intelligent. I do not have a single criticism for this fantastic piece of writing. I loved it!
Circe chronicles the life of a lesser god. She is the daughter of the mighty God Helios, the living embodiment of the sun. She is born without any particular talents or powers. She exists in the shadows of her more developed brothers and sisters. She does not shine in such spectacular company.
However, gifts come in many different forms and those with hidden ...more
Circe chronicles the life of a lesser god. She is the daughter of the mighty God Helios, the living embodiment of the sun. She is born without any particular talents or powers. She exists in the shadows of her more developed brothers and sisters. She does not shine in such spectacular company.
However, gifts come in many different forms and those with hidden ...more
*Spoilers*...more
How I wish Miller's Circe was a reimagining as opposed to a retelling and I say this because there's little else about Greek mythology that isn't readily available online or at the library.
A reinterpretation, on the other hand, gives an author creative license to weave a uniquely extravagant and fantastical story ( Now I Rise did it perfectly) and perhaps one in which a lowly nymph attains great powers, transforms into a formidable sorceress who then proceeds to defy and defeat gods.
"Next time you're going to defy the gods, do it for a better reason."Circe has always known that she does not belong. Though she is a goddess born to the almighty sun god Helios, she has never desired power nor indulged in vanity and cruelty the way her family does. They, in turn, have never ceased to remind her that she is the lesser daughter of greater sires. So when she displays an affinity for witchcraft and is exiled to a remote island, she jumps at the chance. Here finally is the oppor ...more
OH.MY. GOODNESS. WHY? WHY? And WHYYYYY did I wait too long to read this! BIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP(Right now I’m calling myself so nasty names! If I write them down, I’m sure my goodreads page will be closed So after the bippp tone I’m coming back!)
I came back. Still pissed off myself. So what do we have? I don’t want to fill this page to describe how I devoured each page of it and how I literally fell in love with this book because words are not enough for me! Anything I write here will not be eno ...more
I came back. Still pissed off myself. So what do we have? I don’t want to fill this page to describe how I devoured each page of it and how I literally fell in love with this book because words are not enough for me! Anything I write here will not be eno ...more
Do you ever just get mad because you’re spending your life paying rent and wishing you could take a break from the linear flow of time when you could have been a goddess living in an enchanted island that is only seen every ten years and is unreachable by men? You live with ancient queens of myth and you're so much a part of each other it was like a second soul inside your skin. You sing hymns, burn incenses, and make fragrant oils. You call birds to sing at your windows, fall asleep in patches
...more
Spellbinding.
Absolutely beautiful!
Bruh my girl Circe really snapped. I can't believe she ended Helios in 3 sentences. Your fave could never.
...more
![destiny ♡⚔♡ [howling libraries]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1627172939p2/15335689.jpg)
When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist.
Where do I even begin? This was one of the most amazing, beautiful, intricate, captivating books I have had the pleasure of reading in my entire life. I have been a bookworm since I was barely walking, and yet this book, this gorgeous retelling, has impacted me so profoundly that I genuinely do not know if I will ever be entirely the same.
It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures—flowers, eggs, anything that may be crus...more
im in the process of writing a whole ass final paper (*cough* glorified book report *cough*) surrounding this book, so ur all gonna have to forgive the overwhelming chaos of this review let's gooo
- second time's the charm bb!! this is why i will never say no to rereading a book i did not previously enjoy (unless i had, like, a reason that i didn't enjoy it obvs). i read circe last summer and was less than enthused, but after choosing it to reread for this mythology course i am happy to inform th ...more
- second time's the charm bb!! this is why i will never say no to rereading a book i did not previously enjoy (unless i had, like, a reason that i didn't enjoy it obvs). i read circe last summer and was less than enthused, but after choosing it to reread for this mythology course i am happy to inform th ...more
”It was true what Hermes said. Every moment mortals died, by shipwreck and sword, by wild beasts and wild men, by illness, neglect, and age. It was their fate, as Prometheus had told me, the story that they all shared. No matter how vivid they were in life, no matter how brilliant, no matter the wonders they made, they came to dust and smoke. Meanwhile every petty and useless god would go on sucking down the bright air until the stars went dark.”
Sculpture by Nicolas-Sébastien Adam in the Lou ...more
Sculpture by Nicolas-Sébastien Adam in the Lou ...more
3.5 stars
Madeline Miller’s Circe is an epic that’s sweeping the nation today. Everywhere you turn, you see that magnificent cover (honestly, that cover work is DIVINE and I’ve had the MOST fun photographing it for the Bookstagram). Twitter and Instagram are as we speak packed with Circe references and Miller interviews and, within all of that, Circe has found itself wrapped in all of the fluff and buildup and publicity of a typical ultra-hyped, big-named publisher release. Let’s be serious—m ...more
Madeline Miller’s Circe is an epic that’s sweeping the nation today. Everywhere you turn, you see that magnificent cover (honestly, that cover work is DIVINE and I’ve had the MOST fun photographing it for the Bookstagram). Twitter and Instagram are as we speak packed with Circe references and Miller interviews and, within all of that, Circe has found itself wrapped in all of the fluff and buildup and publicity of a typical ultra-hyped, big-named publisher release. Let’s be serious—m ...more
Mar 14, 2021
Tharindu Dissanayake
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Tharindu by:
☾Sabrina♡༄
Shelves:
favorites-fiction,
favorites
"Hail, mortal."
"Day upon patient day, you must throw out your errors and begin again."
'PERFECT' is the word I would've used if I had to say how I felt about Circe in one word. As luck would have it, I'm fortunate to share a little more than that. Still, I find myself being overly cautious when reviewing a Madeline Miller's book, as I can't bring myself to spoil this captivating book in the tiniest possible way for future readers.
"Watching Zeus and Helios negotiate is always good entertainment. L ...more
"Day upon patient day, you must throw out your errors and begin again."
'PERFECT' is the word I would've used if I had to say how I felt about Circe in one word. As luck would have it, I'm fortunate to share a little more than that. Still, I find myself being overly cautious when reviewing a Madeline Miller's book, as I can't bring myself to spoil this captivating book in the tiniest possible way for future readers.
"Watching Zeus and Helios negotiate is always good entertainment. L ...more
May 19, 2020
Petrik
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Greek mythology fans
4.5/5 stars
Madeline Miller is now on my must-read author list. I can’t wait for her next work already.
I guess I can officially say with no reservation that I’m a fan of Madeline Miller’s books now. Many readers have raved about her books for almost a decade now, compared to them, I definitely can be considered a new fan of Madeline Miller. I finished reading The Song of Achilles almost two months ago, and despite my previous hesitancy—I talked about why in my review of the book—to read that book ...more
Madeline Miller is now on my must-read author list. I can’t wait for her next work already.
I guess I can officially say with no reservation that I’m a fan of Madeline Miller’s books now. Many readers have raved about her books for almost a decade now, compared to them, I definitely can be considered a new fan of Madeline Miller. I finished reading The Song of Achilles almost two months ago, and despite my previous hesitancy—I talked about why in my review of the book—to read that book ...more
If you like mythology, you need to read this book!
Personally it's not even something I'm a fan of but I couldn't put this... audiobook down. The narrator did a great job and her voice was quite relaxing. I ended up finishing the book in 3 days and taking detour on my walks just to be able to listen to it more!
Would recommend.
Now I need to go finish The Song of Achilles... ...more
Personally it's not even something I'm a fan of but I couldn't put this... audiobook down. The narrator did a great job and her voice was quite relaxing. I ended up finishing the book in 3 days and taking detour on my walks just to be able to listen to it more!
Would recommend.
Now I need to go finish The Song of Achilles... ...more
Circe was always an odd child and she became an even odder adult.
“You have always been the worst of my children,” he said. “Be sure to not dishonor me.”
“I have a better idea. I will do as I please, and when you count your children, leave me out.”
It was clear from her earliest years that she had power but nothing compared to her father nor was she nearly as vicious as her mother.
You threw me to the crows, but it turns out I prefer them to you.After years of cruelty, she discover ...more
in the house of miller, goddess of written word and mightiest of storytellers, a masterpiece was born.
again, i am blown away at the beauty that is madeline millers writing. her words have a way of invoking a sense of delicate peace in my heart. i read her stories and it fills that longing for something more. circe was an absolute delight from start to finish, and i cant express the extent of my gratitude for something so breathtakingly compelling to have been created and shared with the world. ...more
again, i am blown away at the beauty that is madeline millers writing. her words have a way of invoking a sense of delicate peace in my heart. i read her stories and it fills that longing for something more. circe was an absolute delight from start to finish, and i cant express the extent of my gratitude for something so breathtakingly compelling to have been created and shared with the world. ...more
”Of all the mortals on the earth, there are only a few the gods will ever hear of. Consider the practicalities. By the time we learn their names, they are dead. They must be meteors indeed to catch our attention. The merely good: you are dust to us."
I thought long and hard what to write about “Circe” but when it comes down to it the first words that always pop into my mind are: “I loved this so damn much!!!” *lol* Which is neither especially eloquent nor particularly significant. So what to do? ...more
I thought long and hard what to write about “Circe” but when it comes down to it the first words that always pop into my mind are: “I loved this so damn much!!!” *lol* Which is neither especially eloquent nor particularly significant. So what to do? ...more
Circe is a fine book. I can easily see why many give it 5 stars. And, I imagine that it is very popular with people who enjoy mythology. I am only going 3 stars on this because, for me, it just really didn’t hold my interest. But, I will say, I am definitely in the minority on this, so you may want to take my opinion with a grain of salt and go ahead a give it a try.
I thought the first half (or so) was great! 5 stars all the way – very engaging, active, fascinating, etc. Learning about Circe’s e ...more
I thought the first half (or so) was great! 5 stars all the way – very engaging, active, fascinating, etc. Learning about Circe’s e ...more
“Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.”
So…I didn’t realise that I unintentionally finished this on International Women’s Day. Go me! Talk about perfect timing!!! :P
Let’s just take a moment to appreciate this book’s beauty (photos not mine):
As someone who’s studied the classics, I love mythology retellings. And practically all of them, really. I’m even talking about the fun ones like The Lightning Thief and Half-Blood, as wel ...more
So…I didn’t realise that I unintentionally finished this on International Women’s Day. Go me! Talk about perfect timing!!! :P
Let’s just take a moment to appreciate this book’s beauty (photos not mine):
As someone who’s studied the classics, I love mythology retellings. And practically all of them, really. I’m even talking about the fun ones like The Lightning Thief and Half-Blood, as wel ...more
It’s difficult for me to rate this objectively, since I am unfamiliar and uninterested in Greek mythology, and I can’t fault a story that’s staying true to the source material which I had no interest in the first place. As a retelling, I’m sure Circe deserves 4 to 5 stars; it’s well-written with beautiful prose and has some good feminist themes. But I’ve decided to go with my personal rating, since that won’t affect the overall strong reviews it’s received. When I view this as a standalone story
...more
*The gods and their incomprehensible rules.*
This is exactly what the book means. It drove me crazy. I was lost in their craziness. We human sound like a glimpse of passing air in this book. I felt so smol 💗
*First of all, a very much hyped book.
Please try not to read it when you feel the hype yourself. The anticipation gets just too much and you might find yourself unhappy reading the first few pages.
The writing is good as expected. Easy to get into but what would possibly make you squirm are th ...more
This is exactly what the book means. It drove me crazy. I was lost in their craziness. We human sound like a glimpse of passing air in this book. I felt so smol 💗
*First of all, a very much hyped book.
Please try not to read it when you feel the hype yourself. The anticipation gets just too much and you might find yourself unhappy reading the first few pages.
The writing is good as expected. Easy to get into but what would possibly make you squirm are th ...more
I thought this book was fantastic!
I felt sorry for Circe. But I did love reading about all of the gods and just the story line itself!
This was the first book I have read by this author and it was a pleasant surprise.
And that's all I have, there is no point in writing big reviews. You can read all of the book bumpers that have a million likes that write long reviews. I just can't do it any more.
Happy Reading!
Mel ...more
I felt sorry for Circe. But I did love reading about all of the gods and just the story line itself!
This was the first book I have read by this author and it was a pleasant surprise.
And that's all I have, there is no point in writing big reviews. You can read all of the book bumpers that have a million likes that write long reviews. I just can't do it any more.
Happy Reading!
Mel ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circe- reading progression discussion | 2 | 43 | May 17, 2022 10:01AM | |
| The cycle of fire | 2 | 3 | May 10, 2022 06:21AM | |
| The cycle of fire | 1 | 1 | May 10, 2022 05:50AM |
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Madeline Miller was born in Boston and grew up in New York City and Philadelphia. She attended Brown University, where she earned her BA and MA in Classics. For the last ten years she has been teaching and tutoring Latin, Greek and Shakespeare to high school students. She has also studied at the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought, and in the Dramaturgy department at Yale School of
...more
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“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.”
—
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“He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend that I had none.”
—
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