Audiobook Review: Circe by Madeline Miller

Title: Circe Written by: Madeline Miller Published: April 10, 2018 by Lee Bordeaux Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

I loved The Song for Achilles and when I heard the author was coming out with a new book that had a Greek mythology retelling to it, I was so excited! I'm a big fan of mythology and was interested to see Miller's take on one of the more intriguing characters in The Odyssey. And this book was just as fantastic and engaging.

One of the things that Madeline Miller does so well is develop complex and engaging characters. In this book she does a great job in making Circe sympathetic. We get to see her from her birth to the ending of her exile on the island where you meet her in The Odyssey and everything in between.I wasn't really familiar with Circe's background and I really liked learning more about her and how she became to be the character I know. She definitely doesn't have an easy life. Her family treats her terribly, and the first person she ever loved didn't really love her back. So when she ends up being exiled living a secluded life where she is distrustful of others. Despite the fact that she often makes very bad, sometimes selfish, decisions you still end up rooting for her and that to is the mark of good characterization.

Much of the book is about Circe and her development so liking her as a character was really important. This is not as gut0wrenching or emotional as The Song for Achilles and I think that's because the way it ends is very different. It kind of feels uplifting in a weird way. The narrative of this book was much more character-driven than plot-driven. I wouldn't call this a coming-of-age story or a villain origin story because oddly it is both and neither. It's more a "the life and times" of a character who you probably don't know that well. And getting to know her was part of the books charm. I usually prefer plot-driven but Miller does a great job in weaving an interesting story. Her writing is beautiful and lyrical and draws the reader into the story and captures your imagination.

But I think my favorite thing about this book is how much mythology it weaves into the story. I loved the retelling angle of The Song of Achilles but with that book it had kind of a narrow focus. We really only tackled on Classic story. With this book there were multiple stories that were delved into and explored from different angles and perspectives. I didn't realize how connected Circe and her family was to stories I am very familiar with like Theseus and the Minotaur and The Quest for the Golden Fleece. I knew how she played into The Odyssey but I didn't know her role in the life of Odysseus after The Odyssey. All of this was explored in this book and I loved learning about it. If you are like me and you enjoy Greek Mythology, this is an amazing book to see those stories from different angles.

The amount of mythology that this book delved into also led to a vast array of secondary characters and all them were just as interesting and engaging as Circe. Her family was incredibly fascinating and their relationship, while awful, was one of the things I liked about the book. Her siblings were just awful but I really liked every time they were mentioned. Particularly her sister Pasiphae who was just the worst in the best possible way. But I think that was the case for a lot of the characters. I think a lot of them were really complex in that they were against Circe and you rooted for her and against them. And even the nice characters weren't all completely good which made them all the more interesting.

On the whole this was a great read. It drew you in with beautiful writing and an engaging character-driven story with characters that you were rooting for. I listened to the audiobook and it was amazing. I grabbed it for a road trip but even when I got home from the trip I still wanted to listen.

I give Circe by Madeline Miller 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you love Greek Mythology or are looking for a character-driven read that has great character development and beautiful writing then I definitely recommend it. it's very different from The Song for Achilles but if you liked that book, I think you will enjoy this one as well.

Have you read Circe? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: Circe by Madeline Miller

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Circe Author: Madeline Miller Published: April 10, 2018 by Lee Boudreaux Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.

Why I'm Waiting:

I loved The Song for Achilles. Madeline Miller did an amazing job of taking Greek  mythology, ancient history, fantasy. and something completely new and interesting and combining it to make a truly memorable story. I have no doubt that she will do the exact same thing with this book as well. I love the fact that she is staying within the same general theme but doing a completely different book. I'm sure she will do the story of Circe justice and make it fantastic.

Speaking of Circe, I am really excited to see what Miller does with the character. She's definitely an interesting figure in Greek mythology. She is often painted as a villain, being a witch who turns men into pigs. I'm excited for some Circe backstory and to see her get a little justice.
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I am definitely going to get myself a copy of this book. I will honestly probably listen to the audiobook. I heard really good things about the audio for The Song for Achilles and while this is a completely different story I feel like the author's style of writing will translate really well to an audiobook format.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Circe along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Song for Achilles by Madeline Miller

Title: The Song for Achilles Written by: Madeline Miller Published: September, 2011 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their difference, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess.  But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

I have always been a big fan of Greek mythology and Homer. So when I saw blogger friends (first Tracy, then Nikki, then Katie) raving about this book I knew I had to read it. It's a fantastically written look at the story of Achilles, told through the eyes of Patroclus that has an exciting and emotional ending.

If you're familiar with Achilles, and let's face it who isn't, then you know how this story goes. If you are familiar with the Iliad then you know how the story goes for Patroclus. It's not really a happy ending. But what Madeline Miller does so well here is that despite the ending looming in the back of your mind you can still lose yourself in the story and the characters. She does such a great job of making both Achilles and Patroclus sympathetic. Achilles is torn with his desire for glory in battle and his desire to be normal. He almost feels like this is all he is good at, all he is good for, and you can't help but feel for him. But because he doesn't really want this role he has been thrust in, he's not a blood-thirsty warrior. He's thoughtful and kind. Patroclus however is not the excellent warrior (but he's good) always having to be in Achilles shadow. He doesn't mind that at all. He too is kind and compassionate but not afraid to speak his mind. He's almost Achilles' conscience but that's a role that both allow him to be in. And while they were good apart, together they were wonderful. I really loved seeing their relationship develop throughout the book which made that ending all the more difficult.

The author also did a great job with the secondary characters. The Iliad has a lot of different people and they all really come here, especially Achilles mother Thetis, the Greek generals like Agamemnon. Menelaus, and Odysseus, as well as the Trojans like Hector and Priam. Here characterizations were a definite plus. The characters were well-rounded and easy to connect with.

The plot development here was also really good. I will say however that this book is very light on the war aspect of the story. I was expecting it to be a little bit more about the actual fight with the Trojans but it didn't cover much of that at all. Maybe the author thought Homer already had that covered. Even when we get to Troy and are deep in the Trojan war, that isn't the focus of the book. Most of the book was about Achilles and Patroclus growing up and the side of our fearless hero that we don't often get. Think about it like the Disney movie Hercules but heavier on the back-end stuff and with more training montages. What the author does brilliantly is take a story we think we know so well and tell it in a very different way just by shifting the perspective. Making Patroclus the narrator gives it an even more tragic feel. I did think that some parts in the beginning were a little slow from a pacing standpoint but in the end it all made all the more impact.  This book kind of works it's way into your heart and soul. It's a much more character-driven story than I expected and with characters this good it's hard not to be connect and enjoy it.

But the plot development and the deep connection with the book was also helped by Madeline Miller's writing style. I'm not usually one who cares much about prose. It can be utilitarian or purple, as long as I understand what's happening and has a good flow to it then I'm on board. Here the writing definitely veers to the purple side of the spectrum but it worked so well. The beautiful writing was contrasted by the impending doom of the plot development. Plus I felt like it really worked with the narrator. You got the sense of Patroclus' affection for Achilles based on the poetic beauty of the writing. It all worked together to create a story that was compelling and emotional in the best possible way.

On the whole, The Song for Achilles is a beautiful and brilliant novel with characters who are well-rounded and sympathetic, an interesting and character-driven plot development, and gorgeous writing that will work it's way into your heart just in time for the ending you knew was coming all along.

I give The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy! This is a must-read especially if you are a fan of Greek mythology or retellings that give you the story from an often overlooked perspective. It's a great character-driven book with beautiful writing and I would absolutely recommend it.

Have you read The Song of Achilles? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!