Circe Book Review
“I cannot bear this world for another moment.”
“Then, child, make another.”
I’m behind on reading Circe by; Madeline Miller but I believe books have a way of finding us at just the right time in our lives and this book backs that theory. I found this book empowering, relatable and inspiring.
Madeline Miller does a wonderful job of giving us a side to Circe we’ve never gotten. Seeing the reasons behind her actions that are often portrayed as controversial and damaging was fascinating and relatable. Even a Goddess was portrayed as crazy and uncontrollable because she dared to get even with God’s and mortals that took advantage of her then choose love and happiness.
Circe’s inability to feel free, accepted, and worthy of her place within the world of Gods and Goddess’s, within her own family, is relatable in many family dynamics. The way Circe finds herself during her exile is another layer of relatability—we’re able to discover our true selves when we only have our own company to explore. Circe’s punishment was the best thing to happen to her. Everyone thinking it was punishment became the fools, which was satisfying.
I fell in love with was Circe’s maternal love and devotion. She loved Telegonus just as we love our own. She changed the world to accommodate to his needs and ensure his safety. Circe became what all mother’s strive to be. The struggles of motherhood she endured was a refreshing surprise that kept the story relatable and interesting from a mothers perspective. One moment that sticks out is when Telegonus pleaded to leave the island and Circe remembered what Odysseus’s answer to what he did when Achilles and Agamemnon wouldn’t listen to him was, “You make a plan in which they do not.” That was a profound answer to the moments of motherhood in which we feel powerless. An answer all of us can carry with us when our own children won’t listen.
A thought Circe had as Telegonus was telling her one of his grand stories will also stick with me, “It was no world I knew, but I would live in it as long as he let me.” She displayed such a deep maternal love that it made me fall in love with this book and make it an annual read that I’ll come back to each year.
My final favorite line from this book is from Tyron. When Circe said to him, “I cannot bear this world for another moment.” He replied, “Then, child, make another.” This will go down as one of my favorite lines in a book of all times. It’s such a powerful reminder that starting over is a chance to create a new world for ourselves. What an honor it is to create a new world when the one we’re living in isn’t what we want for ourselves. Madeline Miller is brilliant for writing this sentence.
The only complaint I have is that Penelope felt like a character that fell flat for me. Penelope wasn’t a major impact in anyone’s story. She was never vengeful toward Circe, never heartbroken enough over the loss of Odysseus, and never disappointed about her relationship with Telemachus or his choices. Penelope felt emotionless to me when she should’ve been anything but emotionally flat. I kept waiting for Athena to be using her to get to Circe in one or another due to Penelope’s envy, but she was just a name and a way to bring Telemachus into the story in my opinion.
Overall, this was a memorable read that was brilliantly written and is one that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. It’s a great read and gift for the Mother’s Day season.
If you’re ever in the mood for a feminist read that offers great structure, inspiration, memorable quotes, and empowerment, this should be at the top of your list.
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Happy Reading, Friends!
