Circe

By Madeline Miller

Myself and a few other friends decided to start a virtual book club a month or so back, and this was the first pick for the group. And I have to say we kicked things off with a winner. I’ve always been vaguely interested in the classics/mythology, however my knowledge in this area extends about to the number of times I’ve watched Disney’s Hercules… Even as an amateur (or maybe because I am an amateur) this book sucked me into the world pretty effortlessly and while I recognized many of the names, the stories were mostly new to me.

Circe covers the life of (you guessed it) the goddess Circe - Titan, witch, and child of Helios. Told from her perspective, and focusing in on the pivotal moments and relationships she had spanning hundreds of years - the story is a classic, retold and refreshed. Neither hero nor villain, the titular character is unique in her somewhat conflicting ruthlessness and compassion.

Miller’s modernization of the language made this accessible - but it still felt authentic to the time period. The first couple of chapters were a little slow, but after that the pace picks up and remains steady through the end. I would recommend this to anyone looking for something a little different then what you’re used to - it’s not your standard modern day work of fiction with clear cut story arch and quirky but lovable main character. This is a step back into a mythical past, into a woman’s life who was dealt hardships and doled them out in return, into the exploration of finding power and understanding.