When I was at school some of the students studied Latin and some studied Classical Civilisation. I was in the former group, so learned a lot about the Romans, Roman culture and stories. I didn’t know a lot about the Greeks, and apparently I am trying to rectify this now. Circe by Madeline Miller is a retelling of the story of Greek goddess Circe. The blurb for this book says:

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is strange – not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. But she has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When Circe’s gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts. Yet a woman who stands along cannot live in peace for long – and among her island’s guests is an unexpected visitor: the mortal Odysseus, for whom Circe will risk everything.

Circe’s tale is a vivid epic of family rivalry, love and loss – the inextinguishable song of woman burning hot and bright in the darkness of a man’s world.

“When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist.” Circe is the first child of Helios, Greek god of the sun, and Perse, a nymph. Circe is different from her siblings. She does not fit with them. To her they seem cruel or aloof. As a child and young girl she spends most of her time sat at her father’s feet, hoping for his approval (which never comes). Circe does not fit anywhere in her father’s court, or with the other gods. And she spends time looking for love and affection. From her family, from her youngest brother who she loves almost like a son until he moves away from their father’s island. Even from some off the humans she meets. But Circe’s fate is not simple, and she finds herself banished to an island of her own, where she discovers and practices her skills at witchcraft. A visit and extended stay on the island of Aiaia for the hero Odysseus has far reaching consequences for everyone involved, and these consequences are explored throughout the novel.

Circe is a story about finding your place in the world, of existing as a woman in a world set up mainly for men. Neither of these things are easy, even for a goddess. Circe has to find her own way to exist in this world set up for the benefit of the gods, and fight for herself and for those she loves.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it fascinating, a page turner and an easy read. It is a book that will stay with me, and one I have found myself thinking about quite a lot since finishing reading it. It is a fairly long book at 333 pages, but they flew by and I wanted to know what happened, to see if everything turned out alright for Circe in the end. I say in the end, but then as a goddess she is immortal so time never really ends for her, and her story will never really end, will it?

I am really enjoying finding books that retell the Greek myths and legends, having read Medusa by Jessie Burton some time ago. I want to read Madeline Miller’s other Greek god inspired book now as well, The Song of Achilles, but I need to read a few more on my TBR pile before I can buy this one.

I would give Circe by Madeline Miller 4.5 stars out of 5, it is one of my favourite reads of this year so far, and would definitely recommend it.