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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Grand Central Pub)
Madeline Miller is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of two novels: The Song of Achilles, which won the Orange Women’s Prize for Fiction 2012, and Circe, which was short-listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2019. Her books have been translated into over thirty two languages. Miller holds an MA in Classics from Brown University, studied in the Dramaturgy department at Yale School of Drama, where she focused on the adaptation of classical texts to modern forms, and taught Latin, Greek, and Shakespeare to high school students for over a decade.
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Grand Central Pub)
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Circe, daughter of the Greek sun god, Helios, threatens the Titans with her witchcraft and is banished to a solitary life on a remote island. Encounters with gods, goddesses, and mortals reveal Circe's growth as a powerful woman, herbalist, and magician. Narrator Weeks raises this eloquent reimagining to new heights with her stunning performance. Weeks inhabits Circe in this intimate first-person retelling; like Circe's, her voice mesmerizes as she casts a spell on listeners in her seductive alto. Male characters abound—from lowly fisherman Glaucus to Circe's father, Helios, and, finally, to the wily Odysseus—and sound as natural as the women, be they goddesses, handmaids, or Circe's sole rival, Penelope, wife of Odysseus. As easily as Circe transforms boorish mortals into actual boars, Weeks vocally creates the fully realized and diverse cast. In conversations, she morphs seamlessly among male and female characters. Especially fine is the complex, sympathetic Circe, who matures from a young woman seeking love to the immortal enchantress. Weeks reflects the intense, dramatic, atmospheric tone, enhancing the book's dreamy quality and highlighting the power of Miller's elegant prose. A compelling tale that has it all—treachery, monsters, gods, and heroes—splendidly, memorably told. A PDF that identifies the players accompanies the recording. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.
