Amy 
fantasy
In high school and college I adored my Greek Mythology classes because the myths are basically just a series of soap opera stories which I enjoyed in those days. Through the years, I’ve enjoyed books and movies that dig deeper into the details about the individual lives of Greek Gods and heros. I particularly liked the previous book by Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles so I was excited to read her next novel, Circe, about a nymph of whom I knew nothing.
Sadly, this one isn’t as good as The Song of Achilles. Circe’s story really isn’t very compelling until the end. She is largely ignored, scorned, and used throughout her life. She’s simply not all that special. And she’s not human enough to gain my sympathy, admiration, or understanding. I lost interest during much of the story. All the soap opera stuff I remembered learning about in my younger days is mentioned without enough details or depth to jar my memory sufficiently or make any impact on the novel’s storyline whatsoever. It’s just fluff that is mentioned to pad the novel, in my opinion.
The one character I enjoyed reading and learning about was Telemachus. After finishing the novel, I did some online searching regarding Circe and also Telemachus. The most interesting aspect of the novel Circe, to me, is how the author chose pieces of different stories (many of which are contradictory in various myths and compilations) and wove them all together into a coherent storyline. I just wish that more of the storyline was as compelling as the last part.
I listened to the audio book narrated by Perdita Weeks. She has a really lovely voice and I enjoyed listening to her a lot. At times she was too quick in the reading but that is my only criticism. Her voice fit this story very nicely. I give her an A.
Sadly, this one isn’t as good as The Song of Achilles. Circe’s story really isn’t very compelling until the end. She is largely ignored, scorned, and used throughout her life. She’s simply not all that special. And she’s not human enough to gain my sympathy, admiration, or understanding. I lost interest during much of the story. All the soap opera stuff I remembered learning about in my younger days is mentioned without enough details or depth to jar my memory sufficiently or make any impact on the novel’s storyline whatsoever. It’s just fluff that is mentioned to pad the novel, in my opinion.
The one character I enjoyed reading and learning about was Telemachus. After finishing the novel, I did some online searching regarding Circe and also Telemachus. The most interesting aspect of the novel Circe, to me, is how the author chose pieces of different stories (many of which are contradictory in various myths and compilations) and wove them all together into a coherent storyline. I just wish that more of the storyline was as compelling as the last part.
I listened to the audio book narrated by Perdita Weeks. She has a really lovely voice and I enjoyed listening to her a lot. At times she was too quick in the reading but that is my only criticism. Her voice fit this story very nicely. I give her an A.
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