Circe (Large Print / Paperback)
Staff Reviews
Madeline Miller has done it again. Circe and her sister and brothers were born with a special gift–they're all witches. This gift, while amazing, also comes at a cost. As a result of her abilities, Circe is exiled to an island called Aiaia, where she is to remain for the rest of her days. While she is on this island, however, she learns more about herself, the gods, and the world around her than she ever could from her fellow Titans and Olympians. While Circe is a goddess/witch, she's also more human than any mortal in this story with a heart that never ceases to amaze. Miller's retelling of the myth of Circe is truly magnificent. Her language is beautiful and piercing, and the way in which she portrays the characters and their emotions is masterful. This book spans thousands of years, but you'll want to read it in one night. This is a must-read.
— Hannah Z., booksellerApril 2018 Indie Next List
“This remarkable journey into mythology brings the ancient gods directly and viscerally into the present. Circe is a perfect mashup of elegant language, glorious storytelling, and exquisitely modern sensibilities. Miller's telling left me awed and moved by Circe and her story, all while wishing I could invite her over for a glass of wine on the porch. How this amazing author so perfectly melds the human and the divine, creating a story both immediate and epic, is dazzling.”
— Beth Albrecht, The Magic Tree Bookstore, Oak Park, IL
Description
A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story," this #1 New York Times Bestseller is "both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right" (Alexandra Alter, The New York Times).
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.
#1 New York Times Bestseller--NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, The Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor and Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider.
About the Author
Madeline Miller was born in Boston and attended Brown University where she earned her BA and MA in Classics. She lives in Narbeth, PA with her husband and two children. The Song of Achilles was awarded the Orange Prize for Fiction and has been translated into twenty-five languages.