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Circe cover art

Circe

Written by: Madeline Miller
Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
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Publisher's Summary

"A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story," this #1 New York Times bestseller is "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, 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 thrilling 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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Madeline Miller (P)2018 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"With sumptuous writing and descriptive imagery you'll see these gods and men and every being in between as you've never imagined them before." (Esquire)

"Madeline Miller, master storyteller, conjures Circe glowing and alive - and makes the Gods, nymphs and heroes of ancient Greece walk forth in all their armored splendor. Richly detailed and written with such breathtaking command of story, you will be held enchanted. A breathtaking novel." (Helen Simonson, author of The Summer Before the War and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand)

"With lyric beauty of language and melancholy evocative of Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn", Circe asks all the big questions of existence while framing them in the life story of the famous goddess who had the magic of transformations. A veritable Who's Who of the gods of Olympus and the heroes of ancient Greece, Circe knows them all and we see them through her perceptive eyes. This is as close as you will ever come to entering the world of mythology as a participant. Stunning, touching, and unique." (Margaret George, author of The Confessions of Young Nero)

"Author Madeline Miller and narrator Perdita Weeks transform the ancient Greek drama of Circe, witch of Aeaea and daughter of Helios, into a fresh and vibrant tale for contemporary listeners.... Weeks's cool British intonations and attuned performance capture Circe's evolution from youthful uncertainty amid scorn from richly characterized fellow deities to a confidence earned from centuries of island exile. Her first-person perspective creates intimacy as she engages fabled figures, such as Odysseus and Athena, and grapples with the pleasures and dangers of everyday life." (AudioFile)

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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What listeners say about Circe

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating story, expertly read

It's all in the headline - a fascinating story and expertly read. From the moment I started, I couldn't stop listening! Captivating.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

This story is so good. As is the narration. I loved it and was sad when it was over. I am hope more from both the Author and Narrator soon! Circe is a great story of magic, wonder, love, greed, finding yourself and the question of what life is all about. It's set a new interest in me about Greek mythology. #Audible1

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8 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Awesome modern take on a classical story.

As a fan of the Odyssey I loved this book, but think people who aren't into Greek classics would like it too. In the old story Circe is a beautiful which who turns men into pigs.

Miller's Circe is a wonderfully human goddess; vulnerable and cunning who struggles with her own destiny in the high stakes world of Greek gods and goddesses. The book wonderfully captures the fancies and tantrums of immortal gods that make the old Greek originals so interesting. But it shows also Circe as an ignored sister, caring mother and disobedient daughter that any modern reader could identify with, feel for and admire.

Perdita Weeks is an amazing narrator; easy to listen to and so expressive. Too bad there aren't more books featuring her.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book is soul quenching

Honestly I have no words for how amaIng this book was. And the narrator was just perfect. after i finished it i spent the subsequent month being completely obsessed and immersed still. I have come across very few books that can do that do me. Highly highly recommend, especially if you like greek mythology

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Re-writing Mythology

A fascinating tale of titans, gods and heroes; of magic, betrayal and danger.

Much of the story re-imagines many classic Greek myths that you might be familiar with, spinning the tale in novel ways and tying together many myths that might have once not been cannonical (so far as I recall, anyhow; but I don't claim to be well versed in Greek mythology).

Perdita Weeks does a fantastic job at breathing life into the voices she presents, and makes the story an absolute joy to listen to. Madeline Miller has a strong sense of character development that makes each character feel multifaceted and alive.

My only complaints are that Miller seems to be fairly limited in her use of similies/metaphores, as certain phrases get recycled a few times. This may have been done to keep in character of the protagonist or the period, but it does get a little trying sometimes. As well, occasionally Weeks has to really drop her voice down low to imitate a man-voice: something that I find to be a nuisance in general (it also bothers me when men try to falsetto a woman-voice in different stories). Again, I understand why this is done, but it's still something I'm not terribly fond of.

Powerful story, strong drama, very well performed. Not a story for everyone, but a great listen all the same.

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3 people found this helpful

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Amazing

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.

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3 people found this helpful

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Incredible Story

I could barely put this down. A fantastic retelling of myths rarely told from a woman's point of view. A fantastic performance in addition to everything else.

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2 people found this helpful

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Absolutely beautifully written!

I did not want this book to end. First off, the story was amazing. Second, the narration by Perdita Weeks was mesmerizing. She has the most lovely voice. I honestly can't think of one negative about this book. It's definitely moved into one of my favorites. Absolutely loved it!!

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1 person found this helpful

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  • Ash
  • 2021-10-18

Captivating

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!

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1 person found this helpful

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A classic that should be listened to

I admit when I first started audible I had my doubts, and not all audibles are created equal. Depending on the quality, the narrator and the story some books don't lend themselves as well, but this is not the case here. Circe, in my opinion, should be listened to, rather than read.

The book itself feels like a Homeric poem. It flows like milk and honey and the words are weaved together in a way that truly captures the essence of ancient Greece and the Gods that shaped it.

Written in Circe's voice, the narrator imbues the Goddess' strength, power, and vulnerability. I feel the narrator elevates an already exceptional novel. To read it is to discover a foreign world, but to listen to it makes us live it. I highly recommend.

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