Everything she reads....: CIRCE

I don't know about you, but I love mythology, be it Greek, Norse, Egyptian, or Roman mythology. I have a few anthologies on my bookshelves together with my many books on history. So I am always looking forward to books base on mythologies and recently found this one: Circe, by Madeline Miller published in April 2018.

It is a re-telling of the story of Circe, the witch, which appears in The Odyssey written by Homer around the 8th century B.C.
In Homer's version, Circe is a witch that Odysseus encounters on the island of Aeaea where she is cooking up magical potions and turning men into pigs. But Odysseus helped by the god Hermes tricks her and makes her beg for mercy before becoming her lover. She is seen as a bad character, just like other female characters in Homer.

Miler, on the contrary, tries to give a new perspective on Circe. In her novel, you will find strong mythological elements to root the story of "new" Circe and references to mythological events.
Miller uses the basis of Homer story to build up her version and she tells a more complex life for Circe. We learn about her childhood among the gods, her first encounter with mortals, the awakening of her powers and finally how she punishes the men who were cruel to her.

Circe is the daughter of Helios, God of the Sun, and Perse, an Oceanid nymph. Despite her divinity, she is less beautiful than the other gods and goddesses. She also lacks the skills of her brothers and sisters, so she is more than often shunned and ridiculed among her pairs.
When she falls in love with a fisherman, Glaucos, she is afraid of his mortality. She then decides to experiment with potions and witchcraft to find a cure for his mortality, and with that, she discovers her ability to bend the world to her own will. Through a makeshift, she transforms Glaucos into a sea-god. He is welcomed among the gods on Olympus and falls for the nymph, Scylla. Heartbroken, Circe decides to use a potion to transform Scylla into a sea monster, but Glaucos does not come back to her. Helios and Zeus decide to exile her on an island because of her improper use of witchcraft.
Through centuries, she strengthens her use of herbs, transformations and illusions. But she is not totally alone on her island: Hermes becomes her lover, she visits Crete and her sister Pasiphae. She also bonds with other mythological figures like Daedalus, the Minotaur, Medea and Jason.
But her pain and loneliness are too much for her and she turns into this cruel witch from Homer's The Odysseus. When he eventually leaves the island a year later, Circe is pregnant. The child is mortal and will also leave her one day and she realises how lonely she truly is.

Circe is a beautiful, yet violent story. We see her transform from a suffering and fearful nymph to an all-powerful witch. She challenges the gods and the men. She seeks love and it seems that she is always denied that love. I strongly advise you to have it a go with that fantastic re-telling.

Enjoy reading.

Love,
Reading Freak