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Chosen by: Duckie
WHY:
I think I may be the world’s worst book club member…at least when it comes to choosing my books. I cheat. For the second time, I chose a book that I have already read. Now, unlike “Delicious!”, which was a full-on reread for me, I had just read “Circe” when I realized that it was my month to choose the book. And because I desperately wanted to talk about “Circe” with someone, I decided what the hell, I’ll force my family to read it! I also happened to have strong thoughts that they would like it as much as I did, as we all have a history of enjoying mythology. I think it stems from our freshmen English class. Thanks to Mrs. Mosler (Moesler?, it’s been awhile…) and her love of sexual innuendo (and strong female leads and adventure, etc…but mostly sexual innuendo). Anyways, enjoy! Glad I have people to talk about it with! – Duckie
Summary of the book:
“Circe” is a modern mythology story. Actually, it’s just a mythology story told in modern times. But as a witch, a bitch and a minor goddess, Circe feels like the female hero we all need in modern times. “Circe” is a retelling of the namesake’s character, taking her from a minor character in the Odyssey to the center of her own story. The story starts with Circe as an awkward and often unloved daughter of Helios, the sun god, and takes us on her journey as she finds herself and the true power she holds.
Duckie:
This book was like a siren call for me (see what i did there?!?). I saw the cover everywhere last year and was completely drawn to it. I didn’t necessarily remember who Circe was from our high school mythology days but I’m usually a fan of the genre and this was no exception. I didn’t actually choose to read the book until I found myself listlessly looking over titles in my library and feeling uninspired by the many, many books I could choose from, I decided to finally sign up for Libby. I like physical books, but so many people have encouraged me to try Libby that I finally decided to take the e-reading plunge. I didn’t have any books particularly in mind, but everything I searched for had over a two week wait so I finally just looked at what was available at the moment and was shocked to see “Circe”. There she was, staring at me. It was a great choice for my first digital read. It was well-written and exciting with a great female lead that had real flaws, despite being a minor goddess. I thought the book addressed the sexism in mythology in a very smart way. Mythology historically has great, empowered females but more often than not it’s riddled with misogyny and sexual harassment. “Circe” isn’t afraid to address these issues but also doesn’t get plagued down with self righteousness. It’s also wonderful escapism which is exactly what I needed when I read it. I think we could all use a little escape right now. Read “Circe”!
Kellie :
I did not love the beginning of this book. For me it was hard to deal with the cruel and callous nature of the gods. It was worth it. Madeline Miller has a way to make words thrum with power. It was so much fun to see Circe change and grow into herself. Most mythology you have to travel to find yourself. Circe has to do that trapped on an island. She is torn and broken and has to build herself back up and figure out what she wants most. How many centuries would it take you to find your truest self?
Katie:
I liked the mythology unit we did in high school, but had not read any mythology stories since then and this book felt like meeting an old friend. Mythology, magic, self-discovery, adventure, sex and romance – this book had it all and I loved it. Even when Circe felt weak and alone, her voice and the narrative of this book were strong and I felt powerful reading it. “Circe” challenges the traditional concept of a mythological hero and brings to light the raw deal given to many women in mythology. Despite this, Circe finds her strength and her way, and it is a great story. I definitely recommend it.
Jessie:
I really enjoyed Circe. I’ve always been fascinated by mythology with it’s grand adventures and complex characters. Circe is a wonderfully crafted story about a woman who defies the domineering and degrading constraints placed upon her by her family and the divine hierarchy of the nymphs. She learns to find strength and resilience within herself. I was totally captivated watching her grow into the powerful and spellbinding woman she never imagined she could be. I had several, “You go girl!” moments!
Top three things I loved about the book:
- Circe is a BADASS (Sorry, Mom)
- Her connections with so many other familiar characters was really fun to read about.
- She lives in a beautiful house that is “magicked” to clean and fill itself that sits on a remote island AND she has lions for pets. Who’s jealous? Me….I’m jealous.
Kath:
Oh Circe! You grew stronger on every page!
Unlike my daughters, I have never had a unit on Mythology, so most of my knowledge is through the movies, which let’s be honest, have been mostly BAD. I wish I had realized that there was an index of characters in the back to reference before I got to the end. So many related characters…and those names!!
I really liked this book! The glimpses of humanity kept me going, and all the different storylines and characters weaved in and out kept me interested.