This #1 New York Times bestseller is a "bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story" that brilliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of The Odyssey (Alexandra Alter, TheNew York Times).

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.

#1 New York Times Bestseller -- named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, the Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor, Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self, Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider.

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Published Apr 14, 2020

416 pages

Average rating: 7.86

3,632 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Circe* by Madeline Miller captivates with poetic, vivid prose and a fresh, female-centered retelling of Greek mythology. Many praise its ...

Astacianna
Jul 29, 2026
10/10 stars
If you love mythology, you’ll pour over these pages. If you know nothing about mythology, you’ll still love this dramatic tale. There’s love and longing on many levels. There’s scenery and feelings that will stick with you.
msafiya
May 25, 2026
7/10 stars
My first dive into Greek mythology, and I enjoyed it overall. Circe is beautifully written, with vivid descriptions that bring the world and characters to life. I especially liked how it challenges the idea of perfect gods, showing that immortality can be more of a curse than a blessing. While I appreciated the themes and atmosphere, parts of the story felt slow, which made it harder to stay fully engaged. Still, it was an immersive introduction to Greek mythology.
Mrs Mayo
Apr 24, 2026
8/10 stars
I liked the story a lot. It felt stretched out at times. I enjoyed the development of multiple characters and how they weaved together. Solid ending.
MAKK
Feb 14, 2026
10/10 stars
This is possibly one of the best books I have ever read. The writing is lyrically beautiful. There are some ugly topics. It is Greek gods after all. I highly recommend this book.
thenextgoodbook
Sep 04, 2025
8/10 stars
thenextgoodbook.com
Circe by Madeline Miller
385 pages

What’s it about?
Helios is the powerful god of the sun. He takes the nymph Perse for a wife and their first daughter Circe is born soon after. She is a strange child and struggles in this world of gods. This is Circe’s story- told by Madeline Miller.

What did it make me think about?
This made me think about a Greek Mythology class I took at the University of Illinois a very long time ago. Professor Scanlon would have loved this book! I really do need to tackle "The Iliad" and “The Odyssey” one day. Maybe later....

Should I read it?
So, earlier Madeline Miller wrote a runaway bestseller titled "The Song of Achilles" which I was just not interested in reading. I did not realize that Circe was another novel from this same author. Since it arrived in my library hold stack I decided to give it a try. So glad I did! This was so different than any book I have read recently. The characters are all taken from Greek mythology and twisted into a story that is fast paced and interesting. I recommend this one.

Quote-
“That is one thing gods a mortals share. When we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world.”

If you like this try-
The Buried Giant by Kazoo Ishiguro
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His yeats of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
The Enchanted by Rene Denfield

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