Published April 19th, 2018 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Historical Fiction, Greek Mythology, Fantasy Fiction, Fairy Tale
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION
The international Number One bestseller from the author of The Song of Achilles
Woman. Witch. Myth. Mortal. Outcast. Lover. Destroyer. Survivor. CIRCE.
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is a strange child – not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. Scorned and rejected, Circe grows up in the shadows, at home in neither the world of gods or mortals. But Circe has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When her gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts. Yet a woman who stands alone will never be left in peace for long – and among her island’s guests is an unexpected visitor: the mortal Odysseus, for whom Circe will risk everything.
So Circe sets forth her tale, a vivid, mesmerizing epic of family rivalry, love and loss – the defiant, inextinguishable song of woman burning hot and bright through the darkness of a man’s world.
THE NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
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MY REVIEW:
Feisty, feminist, witchy and affecting, Circe is an ancient story that resonates in modern times. Daughter of the sun god Helios, Circe is a strange child. She doesn’t possess her father’s power or her mother’s beauty and is scorned and rejected, not feeling at home either with the gods or mortals. But Circe does have one gift: witchcraft. When she defies her father and turns her gift against her own kind, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she continues to hone her craft. But though she is banished she isn’t alone for long, with guests making their way to her island, including the mortal Odysseus, the man who she will risk everything for.
This book has been languishing on my shelves for too many years. It was after seeing Circe’s brief appearance in the movie The Odyssey that made me finally pick this one up. I wanted to know her story. How she became that woman isolated on an island casting spells on the men who came ashore. What I discovered was a complex, layered and mesmerising story of a woman forging her own path in a man’s world. A story of female rage and revenge that is also so much more, exploring themes of identity, power, family, love, loss and survival.
Exquisitely and evocatively written, Madeline Miller has crafted a lyrical and atmospheric narrative that pulls you in and refuses to let go. She takes us into a world of gods and goddesses and of mortals, following Circe as she tries to find her place in one of these worlds. A dark story at times, it exudes a chilling sense of menace and foreboding. As a lover of Greek mythology, I loved seeing the vignettes of other myths throughout the novel, giving me a new perspective on stories I thought I knew.
Feisty, wayward, crafty, complex and often misunderstood, Circe is a compelling character who was likeable and easy to root for. My heart broke for her when she was a bullied and outcast child, but I loved how she turned that into strength, showcasing her endurance when she’s sent to live on the island. But she’s far from perfect, with an unreasonable and darker side that I still would find myself cheering on, understanding the fire that raged inside her.
A riveting piece of Greek Mythology that fans of the genre will love, I highly recommend this one.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Madeline Miller grew up in New York City and Philadelphia. She attended Brown University, where she earned her BA and MA in Classics. She has taught and tutored Latin, Greek, and Shakespeare to high school students for over fifteen years.
She has also studied at the University of Chicago’s Committee on Social Thought, and in the Dramaturgy department at Yale School of Drama, where she focused on the adaptation of classical texts to modern forms.
The Song of Achilles, her first novel, was awarded the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction and was a New York Times Bestseller. Miller was also shortlisted for the 2012 Stonewall Writer of the Year. Her second novel, Circe, was an instant number 1 New York Times bestseller, and won the Indies Choice Best Adult Fiction of the Year Award and the Indies Choice Best Audiobook of the Year Award, as well as being shortlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Circe also won The Red Tentacle Award, an American Library Association Alex Award (adult books of special interest to teen readers), and the 2018 Elle Big Book Award. It is currently being adapted for a series with HBO Max. Miller’s novels have been translated into over twenty-five languages including Dutch, Mandarin, Japanese, Turkish, Arabic and Greek, and her essays have appeared in a number of publications including the Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Telegraph, Lapham’s Quarterly and NPR.org. She currently lives outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
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