CJ's Reviews > Circe

As a long time lover of Mary Renault's reworking of the Theseus myth, I approached this book with some trepidation, not trusting that Miller would be able to work the same kind of magic that Renault had.
Circe was firmly established as a villainess in mythology who was all the more monstrous for her beauty which hid a dangerous power.
Knowing exactly how Greek society of the time thought of women makes it very easy to see how a woman who dared exercise any power of her own and dared to stand up to a male would be cast as evil. The complete about face of making all the gods and immortals of any vein sociopaths took a bit longer to adjust to. It's not wholly explained by the author, but close enough. Why Circe and Prometheus are standouts, though, and not the sociopaths that the other gods, demigods, and nymphs are is never quite explained in full, which is a remaining question.
The first part of the book drags a bit and reads like a Greek mythological version of "Mean Girls" were each person is more petty and spiteful than the last to Circe, who is bullied for her lack of power and her empathy for other beings (mortals, her kin, Prometheus).
The standout single character, of course, is Odysseus, whose sharp intellect and ability to do whatever is needed to get the results that he wants are deftly portrayed by Miller while keeping him still a somewhat sympathetic character who has been beaten down by the things he has endured during the war and the first part of his voyage home. Later we get an even sharper picture and an ethralling contrasting view of him that is much less sympathetic; the man who went far beyond revenge when he ordered the slaves in his household who slept with the suitors executed. Circe's response when she learns of this is horror "But he would have known they had no choice." And with that single revelation, his character is cast in a different light. Suddenly, he resembles Daenerys Targaryon. This single act has been glossed over and shrugged off since the writing of the epic, but Miller forces the reader to face the grim reality of being a woman and a slave in that particular society and brings our modern morals to bear on an ancient tale.
Telemachus' and Penelope's retelling of who he was after he arrived home is nothing short of chilling, and casts doubt on the single central trait that defined Odysseus throughout the epic saga of "I just want to get home." His inability to appreciate his son's character and his chafing at the slow, tranquil rhythm of life in his kingdom drive him to return to a less honorable but almost as bloody pursuit.
Miller's best gift to the reader, though, is a better view of Penelope, turning her from a two dimensional character in the original stories (because women could never be more than props in a hero's important life) to a richer and more complex character who was a match for her husband's intellect.
Circe's transformation from an evil and cunning sorceress who preys on poor helpless men who chance upon her island and want nothing more than a brief respite from the sea to a trauma survivor with the ability to insure she is never assaulted again and who seeks redemption for acts she committed is an engrossing and convincing read. Well worth the time.