THE SUNDAY REVIEW | CIRCE – MADELINE MILLER

Greek mythology is not my thing. I’ve never read any of the original myths, nor have I had much exposure to movies or re-tellings based on them. I’m not quite sure why – I know some of them are rippingly good yarns – but they just don’t appeal to me. Perhaps a little too bloody and overwraught for my liking. But I have been seeing so many modern – and particularly feminist – re-tellings in recent years that I’m starting to become curious. After Madeline Miller’s first book, Song of Achilles, garnered glowing praise from pretty much every corner, Circe seemed like a book destined for accolades before it even reached bookstore shelves. Then reviews started drifting in from book folk I respect and celebrities popped up reading it and it got longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (which Madline Miller’s first book won) and it just seemed like I couldn’t get away from trying it. So try it I did.

I have to say I enjoyed it more than I expected. The story is, as predicted, mesmerizing. Though I wasn’t immediately won over by Circe (she begins as a bit of a weak and naive character, easily manipulated and frequently mistreated and overlooked by her divine relatives), as the book continued I came to respect – and even admire – her. From what little I do know about Greek myths, the book seems to follow its source material, but doesn’t lack creative vision. There are some instances where Miller turns things on their heads (particularly one thing at the very end of the book that I can’t tell you about because spoilers) or tweaks them in such a way that the major points of the story remain intact, but the meaning behind events is altered ingeniously.

What I loved most about this book, though, isn’t the story. It is the development of the main character. As mentioned above, I found her difficult at first. She seemed to fade into her surroundings, lacking confidence, backbone and spirit. I thought well, I guess there just isn’t a way to take a minor female character from mythology and make that much of her. She seems shadowed by all the people around her – the nymphs with their beauty and mind games, the gods with their ego and cruelty – and it’s hard to imagine a way that she will step out of that shadow and find her own way of navigating the world. But she does exactly this. Through exile she is given an opportunity to grow separate from the forest of divine debauchery, and this turns out to be the very best possible outcome for her. She is able to establish a sense of self, to pursue her own talents and abilities, to rely on no one, and to gain the gift of empathy most gods don’t even know to desire.

Her relationships develop as she does, not only in terms of each subsequent important person in her life leading her to a deeper sense of herself and understanding of love, but we also see her perception of other gods and people she has relationships with change over time as their true selves become clear to her. This was the real strength of the book for me, and what eventually won me over to Circe as a character. She is flawed – deeply so – and her flaws cost those around her, but most deeply herself. But she learns from her mistakes, she works to right them, and she is able to forgive her younger self for them. From this she grows into an entirely different woman (or god) than she was at the start.

Though I enjoyed the book overall, it wasn’t perfect. There were times when I found the divine histrionics wearing, and while Miller does her best to move swiftly along, she must remain true to her source material. The book discusses fate at length, and how the fates put in place before a character is even born bind them so that no matter what decisions they make, they will inevitably fulfill their destinies. I felt that this was also representative of the process of re-telling stories from mythology – the bones are already placed, and Miller could only shape the form of her novel so much, restricted as she was by the events that had to transpire in the lives of her characters.

Which leads me to my other quibble. I haven’t read all the myths and stories Miller’s book was based on. But I know from some Googling roughly the events that many of the characters were known for, and their attributes and failings. Re-tellings are unique in that they are following an existing story, with existing plot-points and story arcs. So as much as I enjoyed the perspective Miller chose for this story, and as much as I appreciated her writing and vision, the fact remains that she didn’t come up with these stories. Yes, she fleshed out the characters and brought their inner worlds to life on the page, but how much credit is due to her, and how much to the original myths? How do you accurately assess and rate a book which is based on another’s story?

I don’t have much experience with re-tellings, so I haven’t learned how to assess them. I enjoyed the book, yes, and I think Miller is talented, particularly at drawing her characters. But I also wish I could find out what she would do if writing her own stories. This wasn’t a modern story told in our own times without magic but underpinned by the ideas of mythology. This was a very true to form re-telling, set in the same place and time as the original and with the exact characters with the exact names. While I don’t have a problem with this, it does leave me somewhat at a loss as to how to review and rate my reading experience.

All that aside, just taken as a piece of writing divorced from any consideration of where credit is due and faithfulness to an original source, Circe is a highly entertaining, readable story of a woman coming into her own and discovering her own power and limitations. I loved her inner journey much more than any of the adventures of Odysseus or Daedalus, because it is a journey to which I can relate. Here is a character who must see the truth of her own form and decide whether she can live with herself and the things she has done or if she cannot, and if she cannot, she must figure out how to evolve and seek amends. At its heart this is a story about learning to love oneself by loving others, and how to forgive our own frailties. It’s also a story about being careful what you wish for and what assumptions you make about the shining, golden lives of those who appear to have perfection, because it is never, ever that simple.

I am glad to have given Circe a try, and definitely recommend it as a beach read this summer. I would love to hear from any of you who have read Circe, particularly any who have also read the original myths it is based on. How much did Miller modify the characters and plot? Did you find it difficult to rate? Did you feel that her creative endeavours made something new from old? I’d absolutely love to discuss more in the comments!

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity, and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft.

When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe’s place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home.

There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe’s independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. – Goodreads

Book Title: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Series: No
Edition: Hardback
Published By: Bloomsbury Publishing UK
Released: April 19, 2018
Genre: Fiction, Re-Telling, Mythology
Pages: 336
Date Read: April 3-21, 2019
Rating: 6/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.31/5 (110,397 ratings)