(book review)

“It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment’s carelessness. If I had ever believed it, I no longer did.”
― Madeline Miller, Circe  

The novel ‘Circe’ tells us about the magical daughter of the Greek sun god Helios. Despised since childhood, she tried to find her place among the gods, but was banished to an island for a crime she committed. The gods, trying to punish her, did her a favor, because in complete solitude she was able to reveal her gift as a sorceress. But she did not know how many adventures awaited her that she would meet Daedalus and Icarus, the Minotaur, and the famous Odysseus would arrive on her island too. However, no one in her life stayed for long, and she was not at home among the gods or mortals. Loneliness was her best friend. But she has to make a choice: does she belong to the gods she was born from or to the mortals she loved above all else?

While reading the book, we can live Circe’s life with her joys and anxieties, her exaltation, and disappointments. We see through Circe’s eyes what the gods are like – beautiful, majestic, impeccable, but at the same time cruel, selfish, and lazy. She doesn’t feel like she belongs among them because she has always heard only mockery and contempt, and has been subjected to violence. Her voice sounded like a human voice, which made her laugh at her many brothers and sisters. She didn’t fight the offenders, she silently swallowed insults, which made her despised by everyone, especially her father Helios, who did not tolerate weakness. Once in exile, Circe felt free, she finally felt free. But she quickly realized that this freedom was an illusion because the gods still controlled her every move.

Circe learned to live with this. She began to develop her magical powers, and the more skilled she became, the more she felt that she could withstand anyone who wanted to hurt her. And this, in my opinion, is the main idea of the book – you can be humiliated, told that you are worthless, but never believe these words. Do your job and don’t listen to those who don’t know anything about you.

Circe is an unusual goddess because she behaved like a human being and lived a human life. Perhaps that is why everyone can feel a kinship with her while reading the book. She faced the same difficulties as we do – searching for herself, separation, loneliness, difficulties of raising a child, many fears and anxieties. But all the pain and suffering made her stronger, and she never stopped seeking love. And this is also an inherent human trait – we are desperate for love.

I recommend reading this book to anyone who wants to plunge into the world of Greek mythology and look at it from a different perspective.

My Rating: 9/10