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Circe

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Circe

Written by: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
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This #1 New York Times bestseller brilliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of The Odyssey, as she discovers her own power, forges her identity, and challenges the gods who seek to control her.

"[A] bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story." —The New 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.

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

Classics Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Magic Women's Voices Mythology Ancient Greece Greek Mythology Ancient Rome Heartfelt Ancient History Greece Entertainment
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What the critics say

Winner of the 2019 Indie Choice Award
Shortlisted for the 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction
Named one of the 'Best Books of 2018' by NPR, The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, People, Time, Amazon,Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor, Southern Living,and Refinery 29.
"Circe,' [is] a bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story that manages to be both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right."—Alexandra Alter, New York Times
"One of the most amazing qualities of this novel [is]: We know how everything here turns out - we've known it for thousands of years - and yet in Miller's lush reimagining, the story feels harrowing and unexpected. The feminist light she shines on these events never distorts their original shape; it only illuminates details we hadn't noticed before."—Ron Charles, Washington Post
"[Miller] gives voice to Circe as a multifaceted and evolving character...'Circe' is very pleasurable to read, combining lively versions of familiar tales and snippets of other, related standards with a highly psychologized, redemptive and ultimately exculpatory account of the protagonist herself."—Claire Messud, New York Times Book Review
"The story of Circe's entanglement with Odysseus lasts far beyond the narrative of "The Odyssey," making for compelling material to revisit. But ultimately it's as a character that Circe stands apart....Through her elegant, psychologically acute prose, Miller gives us a rich female character who inhabits the spaces in between."
Colleen Abel, Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Miller's lush, gold-lit novel - told from the perspective of the witch whose name in Greek has echoes of a hawk and a weaver's shuttle - paints another picture: of a fierce goddess who, yes, turns men into pigs, but only because they deserve it."—NPR.org
"so vivid, so layered, you could get lost in it... Whether or not you think you like Greek Mythology, this is just great storytelling. It feels cinematic."— NPR's Here & Now
"Spellbinding..Miller has created a daring feminist take on a classic narrative; although the setting is a mystical world of gods, monsters, and nymphs, the protagonist at its heart is like any of us."—O Magazine
"Miller's spell builds slowly, but by the last page you'll be in awe. In prose of dreamlike simplicity, she reimagines the myth of Circe."—People
"Miller, with her academic bona fides and born instinct for storytelling, seamlessly grafts modern concepts of selfhood and independence to her mystical reveries of smoke and silver, nectar and bones."—Entertainment Weekly

Editorial Review

Born with the gift of witchcraft and exiled because of it, Circe must find the strength within herself to protect herself from both gods and men and discover her true purpose in the male-dominated world.

In a striking and beautifully told follow-up to her New York Times bestseller, The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller again draws on ancient Greek mythology to tell the story of the sorceress Circe from the Odyssey. The daughter of Helios, the sun god and strongest of all titans, and Oceanid nymph Perse, enchantress Circe was not like the other gods. Feeling left out and isolated, Circe turns to the mortal world and seeks comfort and friendship with mortals as opposed to the Greek gods who rule above. Circe’s power does not lie in strength and brute force but something much different: witchcraft.

Circe’s power as a sorceress frightens Zeus, who banishes her to the deserted island of Aeaea. Alone and left to her own devices, Circe hones her sorcery skills and encounters some of the most infamous characters in ancient Greek mythology. She meets the dastardly Minotaur, Daedalus and Icarus, and most famously, Odysseus of Homer’s Odyssey, who defeats Circe thanks to Hermes providing Odysseus with moly to protect him and return home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus in Ithaca.

Although Circe has become a powerful sorceress, she faces danger from multiple sources; Circe draws the ire of gods and mortal men and must stand her ground and fight to protect herself and the life she has come to love. Narrated in great exuberance by Perdita Weeks, Madeline Miller’s Circe is a gripping and whimsical take on greek myths, the history of ancient Greece, true suspense and the power of female strength.

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Madeline Miller managed to breath fresh life into a story I already knew. The narrator was perfect for this book and so I give this five stars all the way.

Amazing

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Beautiful and captivating, you are pulled into the world of the gods. Here we are immersed in the life of Circe, her fear, her bravery, her coming of age. Madeline Miller captures the essence of Greek myths and creates an intricate weaving of an ancient story with an all new perspective. This story holds a depth that cause us all to consider our own mortality and what we want out of life. Must read!

Captivating

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This is a story I found quite by accident. It surprised me how it draws you wand leaves you wanting more. It has suspense, intrigue and romance. The narrator’s voice is smooth and easy to listen to. She is now Circe to me.

A tale of Greek methodology like no other!

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loved this book so much, I listened to it twice. Starting back at the first chapter the day I finished the last.

excellent narration

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This novel is absolute perfection in writing. Madeline Miller has written a story overflowing with life and emotion and a twist and revelation at every turn. The narrator Peridita Weeks has the most beautiful voice - and was the personification of a goddess. Love, love, love this book.

Gorgeous and thrilling

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