This book was beautiful. 

The novel Circe by Madeline Miller was a novel that I initially approached with trepidation. Novels based on mythology are typically known for being associated with children’s literature or controversy, due to different variations, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this novel. The book, based on Greek mythology, follows Circe, a sorceress known best for her encounter with Odysseus on his journey home from the Trojan War. However, the book serves to distinguish her from the antagonizing shadow of Odysseus’ gaze in the original myth. It tells her story through her eyes, starting from her cruel childhood, through her heartbreak and despair, while weaving in fleeting moments of joy that we treasure.

Circe is, in all ways, an outcast. She is turned away by her own family, abandoned by the one she loved, and banished from the presence of the other gods for a grave crime she committed. She finds solace in nothing but her own presence and her sorcery. She portrays strength and sharp edges while being simultaneously gentle and nurturing. A writer can only hope to reinvent a character as multifaceted as Circe is, and Miller has done so masterfully. 

As an enthusiast of mythology, this book ticked all of my hypothetical boxes of a good retelling. The story remained true to the sparse information known about Circe, while also distinguishing Miller’s Circe from other renditions of the character. Miller was able to spin a whole novel based on a few lines in Homer’s Odyssey in which the sorceress Circe is mentioned as one of many antagonists in the story. A quote from the translation of the Odyssey reads, “[S]he stirred her wicked drugs to wipe from their memories any thought of home.” From what we know of her, Circe’s character is found to be deeply flawed, even evil, for having been one of the many barriers that kept Odysseus from returning home. However, Miller transforms this character into someone whom the reader can empathize with, relate to, and even side with. 

The writing in this book is certainly its most commendable feature. It is rich and plentiful in beautiful imagery that elevates the entire story and makes you feel as if you were indeed walking alongside the characters on the lush island of Aiaia or in the immortal halls of Circe’s father, Helios. It’s incredibly raw in certain moments that you cannot help but feel the imminent tug of your heartstrings as you watch Circe go through the unimaginable. Although told from the eyes of a goddess, this story is anything but lofty. Miller writes Circe as a character who embodies some of the most human traits–which is what makes this novel so heart-wrenchingly relatable. 

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who has a love for mythology, and even more to those who don’t know of it. This is a great book for those who like a good retelling, female protagonists, and fantasy. If not for the mythological background that is painted between these pages, I encourage you to read this book for the literary masterpiece it 

written by Ananya Balachander

edited by Keerthi Selvam and Saanvi Gutta

 

Miller, Madeline. Circe. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018. 

“Circe Book Cover.” Little, Brown and Company, 2018, www.littlebrown.com/titles/madeline-miller/circe/9780316556347/.