“The only thing that makes them listen is power,” proclaims the voice of one of the female characters of Madelline Miller’s second novel in the dazzling world of Greek mythology. The writer dives back into the world of Homer with her second novel after the magnificent success of “The Song of Achilles” (2012). This time with a new novel, “Circe” (2018) gives voice to the witch who played a role in The Odyssey, turning Odysseus’ men into pigs and helping the hero to successfully defeat the underworld.
This novel distinguishes itself from “The Song of Achilles” by giving voice to a woman with feminist taste and character which makes her a goddess that is very much human. Miller makes it her task to develop an ancient Greek character who doesn’t have much history except for being a witch that transforms men into beasts. In Miller’s retelling, Circe is the daughter of Helios, god of the sun, and she is born a child with no powers like the rest of her family. She then discovers the power of witchcraft, which allows her to transform others into monsters and gods. The gods threatened by her power then banish her to a deserted island where she crosses paths with other famous mortals, monsters, and gods. Circe becomes a dangerous figure for both humans and gods in her journey to grow into herself.
In this novel, Circe is not simply a goddess or witch, she is a woman– a powerful woman who is sensible yet impulsive, powerful and vulnerable, and broken and built by love. Love is an important theme in this novel but is not the core of the story which makes it completely different from “The Song of Achilles,” where the main character is driven by their unshaken love. This story is about Circe, the men that passed through her life, and a woman who embraces herself and who is very much human despite her power and divinity. “Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep,” the unfiltered and honest voice of Circe states bluntly.
Miller does a great job of portraying an intelligent woman, a woman who makes mistakes, who learns from them and grows. The novel also portrays inequality, injustice, betrayal, the complexity of being human, and the gender dynamics when it comes to power.
This novel is the story of Circe as a woman who is self-aware and powerful, but who is also far from perfect, which makes her story more enchanting and a great read for those who love fantasy and enjoy getting lost in magnificent worlds with heroes, beasts, and magic.
My verdict: you should read this book. Once you begin reading it will become impossible to stop.
I want to be sure to say that there is a scene that mentions sexual assault, so discretion is advised.
