“I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, I thought, too dull to fly even when the door stands open.” Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe is the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, but she is different from her godly family. She is not powerful like her father or beautiful like her mother, instead, when turning to the world of mortals, she finds she has her own power: witchcraft.
Exiled by Zeus, she hones her craft and crosses paths with some of the most famous figures in Greek mythology. But there is danger for a woman who stands alone, and Circe finds herself pitted against the gods she once knew to save the mortals she has come to love.
Madeline Miller is a high school Latin, Greek, and Shakespear teacher and tutor. Her degree in Classics and education in the adaption of classic texts into modern forms shines through in this novel, the second after her bestselling Song of Achilles.
This book is gorgeous. Miller has created a beautifully crafted world full of fleshed-out characters and emotions. Circe is a strong protagonist who must find her way in a world that tells her she's not good enough. I loved watching her grow throughout the book from a girl who hid in the corner to a goddess who knew what she wanted and stood up strong for what she believed in.
This book was everything I hoped it would be. I can honestly say this is probably one of my favorite books I have ever read. The beautiful prose wraps you in and I wanted to live in the world Miller created. I sobbed when I finished this book. I cannot remember the last book that made me feel so much.
Content Warning: Language, sexual assault, violence.
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