Circe
2018 . Fiction, Historical, Classics, Literary . Madeline Miller
9.3
1,370 total
4.3/5714K total
4.3/5714K total
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About the book
4.3/5.0
"A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story," this #1 New York Times bestseller is "both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right" (Alexandra Alter, The New York Times). 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 themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world. #1 New York Times Bestseller -- named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, the Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor, Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self, Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider.
Year:
2018
Language:
English
Publisher:
Little, Brown
Pages:
400
ISBN:
0316556335 (ISBN13: 9780316556330)
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Reviews
Morten Schroeder 
1 year ago
8
This is not a book I would normally read if it wasn't for all the awesome reviews from friends. I was really pleasantly surprised! It's a cool way to learn about Greek mythology and at the same time follow along with an interesting and captivating story. The first half of the book was a 9/10 for me, but then it sort of lost steam a bit, and it got a bit repetitive and I was missing new development in the plot. Overall a really cool book that I quite enjoyed!
3 likes 
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Fran
3 months ago
10
absolutely loved girl boss circe like yes u walk around with ur lion girllll i see you
1 like Comment 
Cerys Turner
8 months ago
8
Didn't enjoy this as much as song of Achilles but miller's writing style is sooo good and brilliant to read!
1 like Comment 
New York Times Best Sellers
1 year ago
10
Zeus banishes Helios' daughter to an island, where she must choose between living with gods or mortals.
1 like Comment TH
Tess Hartigan
3 years ago
10
Gorgeously written and a book that you can’t put down- you’ll recognize Circe from the Odessa but this amazing sophomore book from Madeline Miller deserves all the critical praise. Walking the line between gods and mortals, I highly recommend for anyone who ever so briefly was enameled with mythology.
1 like Comment LP
Loretta Piare
1 month ago
10
The perfect retelling of this classic tale giving an engaging and beautiful characterisation of Circe ... what a true legend she is
Like Comment KH
Kirsten Harris
2 months ago
7
Read it because I loved Song of Achilles. It was great but I felt lacked the emotional impact I had expected
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CALL :)
2 months ago
10
I love it. The book was very well written and it was very touching.I was never a fan of Greek Mythology and retellings, but this book was amazing.
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Chloe Marjot
3 months ago
9
One of the best retellings of Greek mythology. It’s made me purchase The Odyssey to read again! Miller’s way of grasping your imagination and weaving a mixture of emotions into each seedling of Circe’s life is beautiful. This rekindle my love for Greek Mythology and I cannot wait to read more of Miller’s works. What an absolute delight!!
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Holly Hartley
3 months ago
10
by far one of my favourite books ever, I absolutely adore the writing style because I felt as though the dreaminess and sprawling narrative really reflected how the gods don’t feel the passage of time the same way we do. Utterly captivating and tragic, I loved it
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Millie Smales
3 months ago
10
Really enjoyed this story. It was an easy read and didn’t take me long to finish it as I kept wanting to pick it up every day. Loved the character of Circe and the world that Madeline Miller describes
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Luci Hollinshead
4 months ago
10
Honestly such an amazing book wrote from the perspective of a women we never got to see. Inspiring and brilliant. I would recommend this book like all of Madeline millers 100 times over!
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Arlo Rogers
4 months ago
10
I love love LOVE Madeline Miller, she is a total goddess at writing and this book by far is one of my favourites ever. So bloody good man.
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Emma Streets
8 months ago
10
Fell In love. I love Greek god retellings. This is beautifully written.
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Akinitade Damilola Victor
7 months ago
9
Enjoyed reading these retelling, loved the end.
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Morten Schroeder
1 year ago
After many of my friends recommended this I finally got started! What an awesome book and fun way to learn about Greek mythology! Really enjoying it so far
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Lene Veith Schroeder
11 months ago
9
Like 1 comment 
Chiara Conti
3 months ago
10
1 like Comment 
Yasmine Lång
5 months ago
10
1 like Comment 
Laura
11 months ago
9
1 like Comment 
Marian FX
1 year ago
8
1 like Comment 
Nathalie Skov
1 year ago
9
1 like Comment AA
Ally Arslan
1 hour ago
10
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