“My greatest gift was transformation, and that was always
where my thoughts returned.”
Circe, the Greek goddess of witchcraft. Gifted in the powers
of transformation, Madeline Miller’s novel follows Circe’s own metamorphosis
from a meek goddess without a place in her society to a tenacious sorceress with
newfound passions that give her life meaning.
Despite my lack of knowledge about the gods, I thoroughly
enjoyed this in-depth character study of Circe. Not reading The Odyssey before Circe
did not take away from my enjoyment of the novel. Thankfully, there was a
glossary in the back of the novel with brief descriptions of the Greek gods and
goddesses that I could flip back to when they were mentioned in the story.
Madeline Miller fills the novel with beautiful writing, with many quotable
moments that can be taken from the novel. Her personification of Circe gives
insights into Circe’s actions and decisions that would not have been gleaned
from the perspective taken in The Odyssey.
“You threw me to the crows, but it turns out I prefer them
to you.”
The bulk of the story and Circe’s transformation begins
after her father exiles her to solitude on a faraway island. This is where
Circe’s life truly begins, as she learns and practices her witchcraft talents. Before
her exile, certain events in Circe’s life become foundational pillars for her
later experiences and choices, specifically the effect of her conversation with
Prometheus on how she would treat human beings. Throughout her time on the
island, we are given vignettes of her experiences with other Greek gods and
goddesses or legendary humans. There are comparisons to the Greek goddesses,
such as Circe’s sister and Athena, who take on more aggressive approaches
against those who have wronged them. These moments show Circe’s distinct
differences, as more of a “relatable” goddess with more human-like qualities.
“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another
soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a
constellation was he to me.”
The interlacing of interactions with human beings and other
gods and goddesses serve to depict how much more comfortable Circe is and the
deeper respect and similarities she feels with humans. It could almost be
characterized as the same idealization that humans have of gods is the
idealization that Circe has for humans. She relates more to the pain and sacrifices
that humans make in their brief lives to the power and awe that gods feel they
deserve in their immortality.
“He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend
that I had none.”
The story mentions scars quite a few times throughout the
novel, particularly with Circe’s fascination with the scars men have on their
bodies. I think that there is a deeper meaning behind these remarks, besides
the fact that it shows another difference between the ability for mortals to
have scars and the perfection of gods. Circe recognizes that she has experiences
that have scarred her emotionally that can’t be wiped clean from her mind and
that she would carry with her for her lifetime. This again represents a stark
divergence between Circe and the typical god, as there is usually a lack of
regret and meaning behind gods’ actions. Circe feels the weight of her past
mistakes and devotes herself to correcting them, but never forgetting them.
“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.”
Circe displays bravery in her sole discovery of what makes
her powerful in the act of standing up for herself, even against people that
previously tore her down. She rises above the trials and tribulations that men
consistently put her through in her exploration of how she deserves to be
treated. Gone were the moments that Circe would sit idly by while others
criticized her or felt they could treat her however they wanted to.
There are moments throughout the novel where Circe voices
that transformation can only occur in bodies, not minds. The trajectory of
Circe’s own life is a clear contradiction of this belief.
Checking off:
Goodreads Choice Award Fantasy Winner 2018
TIME’s Top 10 Books of 2018
Shortlist for Women’s Prize for Fiction 2019
Finalist for Andrew Carnegie Medal for Fiction 2019
No comments:
Post a Comment