This Circe book review describes the Madeline Miller book that appeared in 2020. It is Miller’s retelling of the story of Circe, a Titan witch who appears in a couple of the classics of Greek mythology. We remember Circe best, probably, for the enchantments she places on Odysseus’s men in the Odyssey.

So, the first thing you need to know is that, if you remember Greek mythology at all, much of this story will be familiar to you. But if you don’t, you can still enjoy the book. Rather than focus on every potential deviation from the established mythology, then, my Circe book review will focus on the storytelling itself.

Circe Book Review – Plot Summary

Circe, daughter of the sun god Helios, discovers she has certain powers. Miller calls her a witch. Fair enough. But those powers threaten to upset the truce between the Titans and the Olympians of ancient Greece. So, the powerful gods exile her to her own island for eternity.

Not the greatest way to spend life, especially immortal life that never ends. Not that Circe really misses the company of other gods. Miller paints the gods as essentially immoral beings who respect only power and use mortals for amusement.

That is what makes Circe different—she cares about mortals. I guess, since all the readers of the book are mortal, we’re supposed to admire her for that. Not that she likes mortals, necessarily, but she respects some of them, like Odysseus, and doesn’t like it when they die to fulfill a god’s whims.

The last thing I’ll write, to avoid giving away too much plot, is that her exile is what allows Circe to hone her witchcraft. She does so out of both self-preservation and boredom. But it does prove a useful plot device.

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Circe Madeline Miller Analysis

While writing my Circe book review, I considered that Miller has some subtle themes at work. Some feminism, sure—Circe is a woman in a male (gods) world, and has to either play by their rules or find ways to circumvent the rules through her powers and daring. This is also, I suppose, an attempt to point out that the classics of Greek mythology were male-centered. (Just like Greek society, as I recall.) So, retelling a classic story from a female viewpoint is an effort to turn those tables.

Because Odysseus also features in this story, Miller gives him an interesting portrayal. While I’ll not say too much to spoil things, it’s not so heroic as the classic mythology. And therein lies Miller’s commentary on heroism and what makes a hero. The scenes with Athena and Trygon are also examples of this.

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Circe Book Review – Who Might Like This Book?

How was the storytelling? I liked several aspects of it, and didn’t care for a few. Miller loves similes. Some were excellent, painting a scene like a Renaissance master. Others seemed strained. The dialogue is simplistic. It made for readability, I guess, but you’d think a god who’s lived for centuries would have time to upgrade her vocabulary.

Then, there’s the issue of retelling a myth that’s existed for centuries. If you want originality in that respect, then it’s probably best to avoid Circe. If you don’t mind, then no worries.

Likewise with magic. If you’ve read past book reviews, you know I rather frown on magic in historical books, since magic isn’t real. But this is a retelling of a myth, so I suppose the book is historical fantasy, anyway, rather than true historical fiction.

Some parts of the writing were strong. I enjoyed Miller’s attempt to portray how a god would think, appear, act, and so forth. That’s tough to do, considering that most of us realize gods of the sun or gods of thunder are as real as magic spells, but Miller gave it a good try.

Another thing I’ll point out in my Circe book review is that it wasn’t clear exactly how the book would end until the last page. If you like it when the author holds some surprises until the end, you’ll like this part. But, at least for me, this felt like a bit of a letdown. The climax of the book was the confrontation with Athena. However, I didn’t know what Circe ultimately meant to do. That made it hard to figure out how to respond to her actions as a reader.

Overall, I’d say I enjoyed the book, just maybe not as much as most readers have. Put it in the good but not excellent group of books.

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