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Circe, The Witch of Aiaia
Book Review
I suggest, you get a mug of mocha and enjoy the mythology, myth, and magic in this book.
Circe is a book written by Madeline Miller in 2018. The book is widely popular among the reading communities. It has concurred a rating of 4.26 and 4.6 on the book review sites Goodreads and Amazon, respectively. Also, upon spotting the book in my hands, a friendly receptionist at my doctor’s office ascertained that, “It’s a really nice book”.
Therefore, I read the book. Before, I continue with my review, I would like to declare that there will be no spoilers about the course of the plot in this article.
Let’s begin!
I asked myself two questions after reading this book,
(1) Is it one of those must-read books? To which the answer is — No.
(2) Is it a good read? The answer is — Yes, definitely.
Why is it not a must-read? Circe is the story of Circe from her perspective. She is a girl who has the blood of divinity running through her veins. The book follows her journey to become the witch of Aiaia. Circe is a familiar character as it appears in Homer’s The Odyssey. The novel is hailed for its feminist take on Circe’s story. However, at the same time, she is the privileged daughter of Helios, whose struggle at times seems more about a woman with an inferiority complex than the one who is treated unfairly. I stress ‘at times.’
Why is it a good read? It is an immersive read. Miller’s words create her novel’s imaginative world around the reader. The writer also impresses with a beautiful character development in the book. All the tales in the novel are either narrated by Circe or narrated to Circe. Therefore, even if you have not read The Odyssey, you are in safe hands because all characters are substantially graphed in the book. Through the story of Circe, Madeline Miller has filled the gaps that dissociate the Supreme Beings from the mortals.
The novel brings forth the known facts about the Gods and Goddesses, where they are brimming with divinity and drenched in the invincible powers. Deities have been a part of humanity, where mortals seek refuge. In most of the mythologies, the gods are virtuous, they are however, irascible in all the legends. For…
