Witches and Gods and Monsters, Oh My!

I’m beginning to think that my recent mythology kick is bordering on obsession. Of my most recent reads, at least four of them have been focused on Greek mythology, and my latest read fit quite nicely into that category as well. After reading Madeline Miller”s “The Song of Achilles,” I was aching to get my hands on another of her books. After digging around on Goodreads and making my way to the bookstore, I grabbed myself a copy of “Circe”--and I was not disappointed.

Before reading this book, I had heard Circe’s name mentioned throughout my forays into mythology, but I was not familiar with her story, or even her deeper connection to some of mythology’s more prominent figures. Basically, I knew that Circe lived alone on an island, and I knew that Odysseus encountered her during one leg of his journey back to Ithaca after leaving the battlegrounds of the Trojan War. As someone who always enjoys discovering more about characters who usually fall towards the background, I was excited to learn more. For those who aren’t familiar with Circe, Madeline Miller does an excellent job conveying the story of the young daughter of Helios who becomes the famous witch of Aiaia.

Circe was the daughter of Perse, a sea nymph, and the Titan Helios, Lord of the Sun. She grew up in the halls of her father with countless other siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and other distant relatives running around, but she always felt as if she were different. She did not have the same beauty in form or voice as the rest of her family, but she had a determination to make herself fit in. As she grew, she began to see the people around her for what they were: shallow, vain, mean, and vindictive. Throughout her childhood, she was reminded of the ongoing conflict and unstable truce between the Titans and the God of Olympus, and she even had a moment to speak with Prometheus before he was sent to serve his eternal punishment.

Circe, often on her own, fell in love with a mortal fisherman, but she had a hard time watching him live with the struggles of family, money, and the never ending progression of time (things that she never need worry about). It was during this romance that she remembered stories that she had been told about certain plants growing where Titan blood had been spilt on the earth. Seeking to find the truth, Circe made her way to one of those locations, harvested the flowers that grew there, and returned home in the hopes of turning her mortal lover in a God so that they may live together for all time. Circe’s plan worked, but once her lover became a God he left her behind. Shamed and mocked, Circe lashed out and used the magical flowers once again to turn another in her family’s hall, the beautiful Scylla, into a vicious monster, but this is the final straw.

Zeus, Lord of Olympus, forced Helios to punish his daughter for her practice of dangerous magics by placing her in an eternal exile on the island of Aiaia. It is on Aiaia that Circe came into her power and began to grow and flourish as a practicing witch. Surrounded by her herbs and her menagerie of exotic pets, Circe embraced her life of solitude and used her time to hone and develop her skills. Although she is exiled, Circe finds herself intertwined with some of Greek mythology’s greatest figures: whether it is her rocky romance with Hermes, the messenger of Olympus; the birth of her nephew, the Minotaur; her affair with Daedalus, the inventor extraordinaire; a visit from Jason and the crew of Argo, who she turned to swine; the wily Odysseus, whom she fell deeply in love with; her remorseful encounters with Scylla, the monster she created; her ongoing fight with Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom; Penelope and Telemachus, Odysseus’ wife and son; and even the mighty Trygon, living in the deepest depths of the sea, Circe used her strength (both inner and outer) to grow as a woman.

Madeline Miller has written an epic tale that brings this dramatic heroine to life, but also deeply explores the themes of love, loss, and uncovering a sense of self. Miller’s writing beautifully brings the Greek world alive and transports the reader back in time to experience all of the daring adventures and magical kingdoms that she writes of. I would highly recommend “Circe” to anyone who is looking for a book that has a lot of romance (love affairs as far as the eye can see), family drama, action, adventure, heart, and passion. I found myself sucked into the story and there were moments when I was cheering, crying, and furiously turning the pages because I needed to know what happened next. Madeline Miller has struck once again, and I can’t wait to read what she comes out with next.

5 out of 5 stars!