Read It: Circe

I purchased Circe by Madeline Miller when I spotted it at the bookstore just after Christmas, and it ended up travelling with me to Mexico where I started reading it on the plane ride home. For a few months I was occupied with another series of books that I was trying to complete before going on vacation (Harry Potter), and I was excited to pick this book up again soon afterwards as I had started reading it one night instead of going to bed -- that was a big mistake.

I am a huge fan of mythology, especially Greek mythology, and so I was easily sucked into this book. I knew some of the characters and a quick Google search reminded me of their heroics. But it was Miller's writing, her prose and beautiful expression of words, that kept me coming back for more and will make me read it again. There are few books that make me sad that they are over and I continue to think about for weeks and months after finishing them (The Red Tent is one of them), but Circe is now at the top of that list.

I loved learning and growing with Circe. She was written in such a way that she never knew more than you in a situation, and there were no secrets. Her character was open, honest and refreshing, and I could feel her emotions as she moved throughout the book. I watched her life stretch over time, but never felt distant from her -- as most deities are made out to be. And the prose was always there, continually sucking me in as I got closer and closer to the end.

I don't want to give away any details, but the part of the book where the quotation "But perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look we see only the mirror of our own faults" really got to me. Going through the struggles that I currently am as a parent, I really connected with these two sentences and the situation surrounding them. Again, it is Miller's way with words that unwrapped me and made me feel as vulnerable as her character. That is truly a gift, and makes me want to read more of her work.