Circe, a 2018 novel by critically acclaimed author Madeline Miller, is a beautiful modern retelling of Greek mythology and Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. But what makes the story so captivating? 

 

Miller’s carefully crafted storytelling follows the tempestuous life of Circe, an immortal daughter of the titan Helios. The character is most well-known from her appearances in The Odyssey as a sorceress on the mysterious island of Aiaia. 

 

Miller offers a unique perspective of Circe’s involvement in the Odyssey, as well as the rest of her long life; the story is written through the eyes of Circe herself. 

 

Born in the aftermath of the conflict between the Gods and Titans, the young goddess Circe spent her early life surrounded by divinity, aware of little more than the simple value of power. As a child, she witnessed the knife’s edge upon which the kingdoms of the gods perched, whispered threats of war echoing through Helios’ quiet halls. 

 

The story seems to carry a continuous theme of both the dangers and the rewards of ‘rocking the boat’ in favour of allowing yourself to be who you truly are, as the protagonist endures consistent injustices throughout her tale, which all spur her on to take control of her own narrative, eventually shaping her into the truest version of herself. 

 

Circe is taken on an incredible journey throughout her many years, so this coming-of-age story is certainly suitable for anyone interested in literature surrounding adventure and exploration, both of the world and of oneself. A large portion of this exploration is, most interestingly, done through Circe being told news from other characters, as she spends a significant portion of the story confined to Aiaia, which makes the first-person perspective through Circe’s eyes even more intriguing. 

 

As this is a retelling of Greek mythology, I would absolutely recommend it to anyone interested in mythology, as the small allusions throughout the story to various different myths are very pleasant to read for anyone already somewhat familiar with them (although this knowledge is not at all necessary to enjoy the book itself). 

 

I found Miller’s characterisation to be excellent, creating incredibly convincing relationships between characters through even the smallest interactions. Circe in particular is, in my opinion, a fantastic and enrapturing narrator, as deeply emotional characters like her can sometimes be difficult to read about, as the perspective sometimes feels difficult to relate to.

This was certainly not the case with this story, however, as all of her strong feelings felt justified and perfectly understandable. I found myself beginning to empathise with her more and more as I read on, feeling a genuine sense of satisfaction at her triumphs.  

 

Overall, this is one of my favourite novels and I couldn’t recommend it more; I found myself finishing this book in less than a week. Miller seems to be particularly good at creating convincing points of view for all of her characters, each giving them understandable motivations, no matter how significant their part in the novel was.