I adored Circe by Madeline Miller. I was hooked from the first chapter into this intensely atmospheric and powerful story. This book worked its way into my bones and rooted its way into my heart.

Circe follows the Greek goddess and daughter of Helios of the same name. We see her from her birth and through every major event in her life. The story is intensely character focused with strong feminist themes as our protagonists recounts and reflects on her life.

Miller’s writing is straight up beautiful. Describing a writing style as lyrical is always a dangerous game because I can see people imagining dense paragraphs filled to the brim with complex words and run-on sentences. Miller isn’t like that at ALL, her prose is as light as air, and her descriptions exacting. Her diction is sharp and most importantly her words feel like ancient Greece. She captures the hellenistic period perfectly I just need to give you an example so you can see it yourself:

We lit no tapers. The room was dark and warm from the day’s heat. Shadows draped the bed. No frogs sounded, no birds called. It was as if we had found the still heart of the universe. Nothing moved except for us.

Doesn’t that just make you swoon.

Miller was also a master of framing in this story. She took tales we already knew, Odysseus’ stay in Aiaia, the birth of the Minotaur, Jason and Madea, and places them in new and interesting contexts. We get to see classic characters not only reimagined but deepened. Miller weaves these classic tales into something fresh new and amazing and gives the women in these stories pore agency and character than the original greek texts provided them.

I know this review is painfully short, but I don’t know what more to say in praise of this amazing book. I’d just end up gushing eloquently for 5 hours. Madeline Miller is my Goddess and I beg anyone with even a slight interest in the story to pick it up IMMEDIATELY!