5/5 stars, one of the most satisfying books I've read in ages!

I struggled writing even this short review—not because I disliked the novel, but because I loved Circe and the eponymous character so much that my words weren't doing them justice. This novel feels important to me, weighted with emotion and meaning it's taken me a few days to puzzle out. The draw for me—beyond Madeline Miller's impactful prose and intimate, refreshing interpretation of some of the most widely recycled mythology in the world—is Circe's character arc.

That arc spans centuries, beginning with Circe as a naive, insignificant minor deity and covering years of discovery and growth in which Circe comes into her own.

By the end, she's a woman who knows herself inside and out and has found a way to be content in an ultimately hostile world. Her ability to exist alone, a self-contained unit seeking relationships as a matter of whim rather than necessity, resonated strongly with me because I see that so rarely in fiction. Too often, other characters are centered in women's stories. Miller used the sheer scope of Circe's immortal life to avoid that; dynamics between gods ebbed and flowed with the centuries and relationships with mortals were even more fleeting, so the only constant was Circe herself.

Circe was real: complex and flawed, morally gray and sometimes unlikeable. I've read lots of well-developed female characters in recent years (actual strong women, not ones dunked in violent, stereotypically masculine traits and labeled as such), and Circe belongs among them. Reading about a woman who grew to be content in her own company, choosing her own path even when it was difficult, was wonderfully fulfilling.

I recommend Circe to fans of Greek mythology, complex yet fast-paced plots, and independent female characters. (Or, let's be real: I recommend Circe to everyone who enjoys reading fantasy!)