CIRCE

Utterly Banal 1) Dull, flat writing. Repetitive, tedious compilation of cliches. 2) Poor character development. Failure of imagination and missed opportunity to reinvent truly fresh characters. 3) Relentlessly heterosexual. Repeats same limited aspirations of women to be wives and breed, same tired standards of beauty, same capitulation to men in power and petty rivalries between straight women for a front row seat. 4) Stale representation of gods (as vengeful insecure vain power hungry). Couldn’t she bust out and create new kinds of gods?

Tout sweet cafe!

It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment's carelessness. If I had ever believed it, I no longer did.

I loved this book! I was really looking forward to reading it after I finished the Song of Achilles last year and it did not disappoint. I loved Circe's character and growth in the novel and I enjoyed seeing how various points in mythology connected to her.

The Odyssey is one of my favorite Greek myths from childhood (Arthur episode anyone?) and I couldn't wait to see how he and Circe interacted. I also enjoyed the fact that Circe's story didn't end with Odysseus leaving. For some reason, I thought it would. But it continued and I loved how it affected Circe and her interactions for years to come.

Incredibly enjoyable read that I will recommend to everyone!

Coming into this book, I didn't know what to expect at all. I was immediately taken with the writing style and found it enjoyable to read. At times, I found the arc a bit weak, but I liked the main character enough to overlook it. Though it's a book about Greek myth, it was less fantastical than I was expecting. Circe's experiences and feelings are actually very mortal and relatable: love, longing, loss, loneliness, fear, courage. Overall, it was a really nice read.

3.75 stars, the first 300 pages were fantastic, but the last 100 were a STRUGGLE to get through, I was begging for it to be over. At the same time, that’s probably what Circe was feeling too, maybe that was her intent.