Circe is the daughter of Helios, the sun god, and Perse, a beautiful naiad. Yet from the moment of her birth, she is an outsider in her father 's halls, where the laughter of gossiping gods resounds. Named after a hawk for her yellow eyes and strange voice, she is mocked by her siblings until her beloved brother Aeetes is born.
Yet after her sister Pasiphae marries King Midas of Crete, Aeetes is whisked away to rule his own island. More isolated than ever, Circe, who has never been divine enough for her family, becomes increasingly drawn to mortals and when she meets Glaucus, a handsome young fisherman, she is captivated. Yet gods mingle with humans, and meddle with fate, at their peril. In Circe, Madeline Miller breathes life once more into the ancient world, with the story of an outcast who overcomes scorn and banishment to transform herself into a formidable witch. Unfolding on Circe 's wild, abundant island of Aiaia, where the hillsides are aromatic with herbs, this is a magical, intoxicating epic of family rivalry, power struggles, love and loss and a celebration of female strength in a man 's world.
Barb takes care of the web orders here at Boffins, and is your contact for book club enquiries. She spends all her spare time curled up on the couch reading and for the last several years has reviewed books on the Afternoon Program on ABC radio Perth.
Miller’s first novel, The Song of Achilles, was a retelling of The Iliad. In this new book she takes a sliver of The Odyssey and reimagines it from the point of view of Circe, the witch-goddess. In this version, the somewhat neglected daughter of a god is banished for eternity to the island of Aiaia, and there she slowly begins to develop her talent for witchcraft, putting it to good use when visitors arrive and threaten her. One of those visitors is Odysseus, on his way back to Ithaca.
This is such a good fun read, full of so much zing. Circe is a great character, feisty and romantic at the same time. The adventures she goes on and the battles she fights, especially with Scylla, whom she has turned into a six headed monster, are brought to life fantastically. Anybody who likes mythology, fantasy, or historical fiction would love this book.
