Welcome to the paperback trails. Today let me take you through one of my favourite fiction books Circe by Madeline Millar
Circe (pronounced Keer-ki) is a book with some extremely modern commentary, it is one of the most profound pieces of feminist literature I've come across in some time and the way Madeline Millar develops Circe over some 350 pages is a sheer joy to read.
So let's talk about the Why, What and the How of this book.
Why did I pick up this book? - I have enjoyed reading books on mythology - Indian, Greek, Norse or any other. I find these stories told through the ages by the bards are a great source to understand the values and mindsets of the people of those ages. How they thought, what they considered proper, how they went about their business etc. Interpretations of these texts and fresh perspectives on the characters always make for a great. Circe, checks all those boxes, in addition to being a highly recommended bestseller
What was this book all about? - The story is set in antiquity. Ancient Greece post the Titanomachy. In the house of the sun god, the Titan Helios. is born a girl Circe. Circe being "not divine" enough is ordained to marry a mortal and not a son of Zeus. This prophecy leads to maternal affections being stripped off baby Circe. She is treated as a pariah in the halls of Helios. As she grows up, she has a meeting with Prometheus, which leaves a lasting impression of the child's psyche and her understanding of mortals and gods. With these conflicting thoughts, she comes across a mortal Glaucos, whom she falls for. She stirs up a concoction with her divine intuition to turn him into an immortal god so that they might stay together forever. With immortality, however, he chooses other nymphs over Circe. Jilted by her lover, renounced by her parents, Circe in a fit of anger uses the same concoction to turn the same nymph into a 6 headed beast the Scylla - something which weighs heavy on her heart throughout the story.
With the discovery of her Witch powers and her confession to the act, she is exiled by the will of Zeus to the lonely Island of Aiaia never to leave. While on the Island she comes across various characters from Greece mythos. She helps her sister Pasiphaë give birth to the Minotaur, which Theseus eventually slays. She meets Jason fleeing from her brother Aetees after having procured the Golden Fleece. She has a particularly tumultuous experience when a band of Greek soldiers who in return of her hospitality try to rape her. She in a fit of anger kills each of them with her witchcraft. Later she turns all those bands of travellers, pirates, soldiers who land at her doors into pigs using her witchcraft. Finally the Greek hero Odysseus turns onto her shores. She shares a heartfelt time with the hero of the Trojan war and bears his son Telegonus. Once Odysseus was gone, she spends time tending to her son saving him from the spiteful look of Athena. Eventually, her son expresses a desire to go meet his father. After much arguments, Circe allows him to leave the island, arming him with spells and the poison of Tyrgon, lest Athena should try to harm her son, only for him to return back with Odysseus' wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Athena comes to take Telemachus in place of the now-dead Odysseus and make him king. When he disagrees, Athena tries to entice Telegonus and succeeds in taking him away from Circe. Finally, Circe fights her way out of her exile by striking a deal with her father Helios. She settles down with Telemachus eventually bears him daughters travelling the world.
How was this book to read? - Refreshing, modern and heartwarming.
Circe is one of those books which have you empathising with the character in no time. The book then leverages this connection it has established and takes you on a roller-coaster of emotions. You cannot help but pity Circe as she is ostracised at her home, rejected by the person she loved, exiled into solitude, played with by the Gods and you cannot help but admire her strength as she stands her grounds all through. Her intermittent commentary on the people she meets and her life have a strong feminist message. Her meeting with her father at the fag end of the book is poignant for multiple reasons. It is an apt imagery of a bullied person finally standing up against their bully. It is also a great symbol of the amount Circe has grown. From a self-effacing timid girl to a strong witch who has dealt with all the blows the mortals and the Gods have given her. You cannot help but smile and root for Circe as she finds her voice. Her interactions with her son, as she struggles with motherhood are touching. She defends her son with ferocity even against the like of Athena - she like any mother finds strength in and from her motherhood. All in all this book takes a piece of antiquity and presents it to us through the 21st periscope. Circe is a character, women and men should take inspiration from, a model for empowerment, accepting your regrets and moving ahead.
The book has lots of adventures so you better set aside a couple of days for the adventures of Circe. I hope you will have as much as I had reading this stellar piece of prose. Until next time, keep reading, keep recommending and keep sharing for more the people on the paperback trail the better.
Circe (pronounced Keer-ki) is a book with some extremely modern commentary, it is one of the most profound pieces of feminist literature I've come across in some time and the way Madeline Millar develops Circe over some 350 pages is a sheer joy to read.
So let's talk about the Why, What and the How of this book.
What was this book all about? - The story is set in antiquity. Ancient Greece post the Titanomachy. In the house of the sun god, the Titan Helios. is born a girl Circe. Circe being "not divine" enough is ordained to marry a mortal and not a son of Zeus. This prophecy leads to maternal affections being stripped off baby Circe. She is treated as a pariah in the halls of Helios. As she grows up, she has a meeting with Prometheus, which leaves a lasting impression of the child's psyche and her understanding of mortals and gods. With these conflicting thoughts, she comes across a mortal Glaucos, whom she falls for. She stirs up a concoction with her divine intuition to turn him into an immortal god so that they might stay together forever. With immortality, however, he chooses other nymphs over Circe. Jilted by her lover, renounced by her parents, Circe in a fit of anger uses the same concoction to turn the same nymph into a 6 headed beast the Scylla - something which weighs heavy on her heart throughout the story.
With the discovery of her Witch powers and her confession to the act, she is exiled by the will of Zeus to the lonely Island of Aiaia never to leave. While on the Island she comes across various characters from Greece mythos. She helps her sister Pasiphaë give birth to the Minotaur, which Theseus eventually slays. She meets Jason fleeing from her brother Aetees after having procured the Golden Fleece. She has a particularly tumultuous experience when a band of Greek soldiers who in return of her hospitality try to rape her. She in a fit of anger kills each of them with her witchcraft. Later she turns all those bands of travellers, pirates, soldiers who land at her doors into pigs using her witchcraft. Finally the Greek hero Odysseus turns onto her shores. She shares a heartfelt time with the hero of the Trojan war and bears his son Telegonus. Once Odysseus was gone, she spends time tending to her son saving him from the spiteful look of Athena. Eventually, her son expresses a desire to go meet his father. After much arguments, Circe allows him to leave the island, arming him with spells and the poison of Tyrgon, lest Athena should try to harm her son, only for him to return back with Odysseus' wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Athena comes to take Telemachus in place of the now-dead Odysseus and make him king. When he disagrees, Athena tries to entice Telegonus and succeeds in taking him away from Circe. Finally, Circe fights her way out of her exile by striking a deal with her father Helios. She settles down with Telemachus eventually bears him daughters travelling the world.
How was this book to read? - Refreshing, modern and heartwarming.
Circe is one of those books which have you empathising with the character in no time. The book then leverages this connection it has established and takes you on a roller-coaster of emotions. You cannot help but pity Circe as she is ostracised at her home, rejected by the person she loved, exiled into solitude, played with by the Gods and you cannot help but admire her strength as she stands her grounds all through. Her intermittent commentary on the people she meets and her life have a strong feminist message. Her meeting with her father at the fag end of the book is poignant for multiple reasons. It is an apt imagery of a bullied person finally standing up against their bully. It is also a great symbol of the amount Circe has grown. From a self-effacing timid girl to a strong witch who has dealt with all the blows the mortals and the Gods have given her. You cannot help but smile and root for Circe as she finds her voice. Her interactions with her son, as she struggles with motherhood are touching. She defends her son with ferocity even against the like of Athena - she like any mother finds strength in and from her motherhood. All in all this book takes a piece of antiquity and presents it to us through the 21st periscope. Circe is a character, women and men should take inspiration from, a model for empowerment, accepting your regrets and moving ahead.
The book has lots of adventures so you better set aside a couple of days for the adventures of Circe. I hope you will have as much as I had reading this stellar piece of prose. Until next time, keep reading, keep recommending and keep sharing for more the people on the paperback trail the better.
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