The Book Bump

First Published: 2018
Author: Madeline Miller
Language: English
Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fiction
My rating: 3/5

Circe is a retelling of the life of the mythical witch of the same name. As a daughter of Helios, Circe is different from her brothers and sisters. When she discovers her witchcraft, Circe is banished to the deserted island of Aiaia.

During her exile, she comes face to face with other iconic figures from Greek mythology, including Hermes, the Minotaur, and Odysseus, to name but a few.

The book is written in a first-person narrative, giving the overall impression of reading someone’s memoir. It is a very character-driven novel.

Miller gives an interesting, somewhat “feminist” perspective on Circe, who is but briefly mentioned in Homer’s epic poem.

Unfortunately, I found the blurb on the back of the book to be rather misleading. The blurb promised more than the book could deliver. I understand that I will be in the minority on this. But the book just wasn’t that interesting.

It was interesting to learn about Circe’s family history, but it didn’t need to take up so much of the book. Circe’s exile was rather boring to read.

The novel did get better as the story progressed into the 3^rd quarter, but only marginally.

Some passages could be interesting, but because of the style of the novel, all the action fell a little flat. Miller prioritises “telling” over “showing”. As a reader, I understand the importance of “telling” when necessary, but this book seemed absent of “showing”.

The blurb promised a feminist retelling. However, I felt that I was served a weak main character. And weak secondary female characters. Granted, Circe grew as the story unfolded and by the end, I wouldn’t describe Circe as weak. But she’d had centuries to indulge in her journey of self-discovery. But why did her brother, who also possessed witchcraft, have to automatically be the most powerful sibling?

Perhaps weak isn’t exactly the word I am looking for. But she is absent. In the halls of Helios, her father, she lets the others walk all over her. And when she finally stands up for herself, she immediately regrets it for the rest of her life.

Numerous characters come and go, so it is hard to form an attachment. And I found that I couldn’t relate to Circe. She was too willing to accept her fate.

On the other hand, Circe is resilient. There’s no doubt about that. You can feel the rage growing inside her. But…With the supposed power she discovered, with the mighty Gods of Olympus quaking in fear, why didn’t she act? Why didn’t she build a new world?

She possessed the most powerful weapon known to Gods and didn’t try to upset the Status Quo. I found this frustrating.

The ending was sweet, but what exactly fuelled the decision? Did she make the choice because of what she learned or for love? It was a brave choice, but I am not convinced by her motives.

It was an interesting read, but not what I felt I was promised by the hype and the book blurb.