Circe by Madeline Miller

Madeline Miller is truly one of the best authors of this age in my opinion. The way she weaves the narrative and builds the character is truly captivating. 'Circe' is a perfect example of this.

Circe is born to the great Helios, god of the sun and the mightiest of the Titans. But she doesn't possess any of the power or allure of her parents. So she turns to the mortal world for companionship. It's then that she acquires the power of witchcraft. This power of hers makes the gods feel threatened so she is banished by Zeus to a deserted island. There, she hones her occult craft, tames wild animals and crosses paths with famous figures in Greek mythology including Odysseus, Minotaur, Daedalus, Icarus and Medea. But being a woman who is alone and powerful, she is subjected to the vengeance of the Olympians. And no, she is no saint. She is a vile woman who has done treacherous things. But somehow she remains human- hauntingly human- through it all. Miller has written her character in a way that will reside within my heart till the day I die.

I loved this book because it gives voice to women in Greek mythology. And yes, it is a rewrite and yes, it is fictional but someone who is a mere side character- a plot device- getting a story and that character being a woman is truly something remarkable in my point of view. And I took this book up full well expecting it to be structured around Odysseus. But him being only a small part of the story made me particularly happy. It was also quite interesting to see all the great mythological characters from Circe's perception, particularly Odysseus who loses the facade of the cunning, heroic noble in front of her. This book also depicts the realistic beauty and terror of motherhood through Circe's relationship with her son.

And if I were allowed, I could gush on this book for endless paragraphs. But to keep it brief, in my opinion, this is truly one of the most spell-binding books in existence.

"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."

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