Circe by, Madeline Miller is a novel about an exiled Ancient Greek nymph and goddess that has typically been portrayed as a supporting character in much larger, more well-known Greek myths. Circe has received a lot of acclaim since its release in 2018 for providing an in-depth interpretation of Circe, from her perspective. There is definitely a trend right now of retelling Ancient Greek myths from the female perspective.
Miller’s writing style is very reminiscent of how the Ancient Greeks wrote. It’s sparse, not overly flowery, deliberate and a bit “dry”. I’ve seen many readers complain that her writing style is boring, but I’d argue that Miller did this intentionally - she’s paying homage to the Ancient Greeks and I think she does this pretty well. It’s more difficult to be concise.
Here is an example of Miller’s descriptive language: “From her bridal dais Pasiphae glowed lush as ripe fruit. Her skin was gold and her hair the color of sun on polished bronze.”
Here is how Homer describes Athena’s sandals in The Odyssey: “…Athene bound on her feet her lovely sandals of untarnishable gold, which carried her with the speed of the wind…”
Edith Hamilton is considered a connoisseur of Ancient Greek culture and writings. This is what she had to say about their style in her book The Greek Way: “It is plain writing, direct, matter-of-fact. It often seems, when translated with any degree of literalness, bare, so unlike what we are used to as events repel.”
I do think that to understand why Miller wrote Circe using this direct style, one has to understand this element about the Ancient Greek texts. Descriptions are comprised of simple similes and metaphors the get the point across, no more and no less. I really like that Miller did this - the style of Circe fits in with The Odyssey, and it gives the novel a feeling of antiquity. It feels old, but somehow fresh at the same time. The style suits the setting of the novel, even though this is a modern take on this mythological character.
Miller shapes Circe into a character that deviates from the divine, even though she is a goddess. She is the daughter of Helios, a Titan, yet she doesn’t fit in with the others. There is a strong “not like other women/not like other gods” theme here, that I think is a bit played out at this point, in general. However, I didn’t dislike this aspect of the plot, as it wasn’t obnoxiously done. Miller shows us that Circe never quite fits in, instead of telling us. Miller is using Circe’s narrative as a critique of the divine and I think it’s an interesting theme. What better mythological goddess to use as the antithesis of divinity? One can always be more critical and when one is on the outside, looking in.
Odysseus and Circe are fated to meet. In The Odyssey, he spends an entire year on Circe’s island on his way back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Once Odysseus enters the narrative, his essence permeates the rest of the narrative, and I’ve seen some critique this, stating that this defeats the purpose of a more “feminist” narrative. I disagree. The tale of Odysseus and Circe is very significant and Circe’s relationship with him has eternal consequences. It is impossible to separate the influence that he has on her out of the plot. It also shows just how much the character of Odysseus has impacted Western culture. Even if you’ve never read The Odyssey, you have a general knowledge of some dude named “Odysseus.” It’s not “anti-female” to acknowledge this and it’s not “anti-female” when the lead female character acknowledges that Odysseus left an impact on her life. That’s just the nature of relationships - they leave an impression on you.
Miller does attempt to reshape Odysseus’ “god-like” and untouchable status. He’s deemed “The Best of the Greeks” but Miller shows him in a less heroic light - this is a man of contradictions, of rash behavior, he’s mean, callous, ambitious, uncaring and only seems to care about himself and how he can further his own status. I’m not sure this works for me - some of how he is portrayed is too inconsistent with the primary texts. Yes, Odysseus is flawed. He’s flawed in Homer, and that’s part of the reason why he’s considered a tragic Greek hero. We can’t forget this concept of the Tragic Greek Hero, and no one does tragedy like the Ancient Greeks and Shakespeare. Homer portrays him as a a man of dichotomies. The Ancient Greeks also thought very different about gender, war, violence, and what constitutes as a hero, than we do. It’s always a bit off-putting to me when people try to modernize this to fit 21st Century standards. That doesn’t mean we can’t critique them, but we will never be able to make sense of some of these characters from Ancient times because we don’t have the same world view. There will always be elements that will remain an enigma, and to me, that’s part of the charm. I don’t need Odysseus, Achilles, Agamemnon, and Hector to be palatable to how we expect men to act today. I want them as the Ancient Greeks wanted them, so I can better understand how the Ancient Greeks felt about themselves and their heroes. I don’t have to like every element of their culture, but I don’t need to make it “work” for today. That defeats the purpose. I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to ancient texts.
Overall, I thought Circe was just “okay”. After the halfway point in which Odysseus enter the narrative, I got a bit bored. I enjoyed the first half of the story from Circe’s childhood and I did like her part with Odysseus, but after that, I had a difficult time motivating myself pick up this novel. I can’t put my finger on why, I was just… bored.
However, I don’t regret reading this and I like what Miller did here overall. I think this is a perfect cozy read - it’s a slow, insular novel. It’s perfect for the cooler, dark quiet nights, to read while under a blanket. I also think this is a great introduction into Ancient Greek Mythology, for those who want to get into it, but may be too intimidated to start with the some of the primary texts. Actually, I’d recommend reading this and then reading The Odyssey as a companion read, and I think readers will be surprised at just how readable the Ancient Greeks are. Circe is a great point of reference and I will keep this on my shelves. I can see myself rereading this at some point when I want to read something “familiar.”
I’m a huge fan of the Ancient Greeks and I’ve spent many classroom hours and credits studying them, which is why I’m a bit more critical, perhaps. After reading Circe, I’m not too keen on reading Miller’s Song of Achilles. I feel like how Patroclus especially is portray will drive me insane and I think the Ancient Greeks would be so confused. The only reason I may (it’s a weak “may”) read Song of Achilles is just so I can have a conversation about it after I reread The Iliad (for the third time) at some point.
Rating: 3/5
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