Nurturing Your Power & Learning Self-Worth: A Circe Book Review

In starting this post, I accidentally wrote 'Cirice' instead of 'Circe.' I thought about it and decided to see if there was a chance of there being a connection between the two. Cirice is a song by the band Ghost and one of my favorites to listen to. The music video demonstrates a girl has psychic abilities in a heavily religious environment, which could lead to the community accusing her of witchcraft and establishing a link to Circe. 

I want to interject here that I am not that familiar with Greek Mythology. I know only the names of a few gods and goddesses (which I sometimes confuse with their Roman equivalent) from movies like Disney's Hercules and a childhood book of stories that were watered down for a younger audience. All I knew before reading Madeline Miller's book Circe was that the name belonged to a Greek goddess, but even now, I see that that is debated because she is sometimes called a sorceress or a minor goddess.  

So, it is only now that I delve in the mythology behind Circe that I have discovered she could have been the daughter of Hekate/Hecate and Aeëtes instead of Helios and the oceanid Perse (who are her parents in Miller's story with Aeëtes as Circe's brother). In an alternative myth, Hekate is the daughter to Perses, Circe's other brother in Miller's story. As one who feels drawn to Hekate (see this post to learn more about her), I was surprised to see that Circe has such a close connection to a powerful goddess. However, Hekate is not mentioned in Miller's book, even though it focuses on witchcraft or pharmakeia as it is referred to in the story. 

And so, with the introduction of Hekate, I found a comment someone posted about their interpretation behind Ghost's song Cirice. This person, kyle103249, believed there was a connection between Ghost's song and Hekate:

Cirice is an old English word for "Church". However, due to the previous clue that they are not so much writing this album for Lucifer or Satan, but for the feminine dark matryon. Having an interest in Mythology, I believe that this figure is Hekate/Hecate, Goddess of Witchcraft and Storms, which fits with the lines "Can you hear the rumble..." Hekate was an original form of the dark mistress/master archetype, existing as far back as Ancient Egypt, long before Lucifer. She was known as the She Bitch, due to her companions being dogs.

Also, the use of Cirice as a title could also be a play on Circe from Greek Mythology, whom was seen to be Hekate's child and transformed her enemies into beasts, using her magical abilities. She was once also guided through the underworld by Hekate, Hekate being a prominent psychopomp(guide).

There are very few references to Hekate and storms online, with one website, Otherworld Apothecary, stating that: 

There's not much in the classical literature about her being associated with storms, beyond that Zeus 'gave' her power over all realms. Her dominion here instead seems to grow out of the "dark and stormy night" image that she developed during the middle ages. There is, however, widespread belief among modern worshippers that she has a feast day on August 13 to protect the crops from violent storms.

[...] 

None of this explains a connection with storms or harvests, however. This strikes me as a purely Neopagan phenomenon rising out of widespread observance of harvest-type rituals during early August, the most common being the Celtic feast of Lughnasadh. From a theological point of view, perhaps this dark-dressed flashing eyed goddess calling herself Hecate has inspired us to set Her feast day. We are creating new religions, after all.

Going back to kyle103249's comment, Circe's connection to Hekate explains her ability to transform beings into beasts in Miller's story. That is something that is never explained; we never learn why Circe, Aeëtes, Perses and Pasiphaë have different abilities amongst themselves and why they have that particular ability. Why can Circe transform creatures in her way whereas Perses can bring back the dead, for example?  

As you will see below, I thought Miller told Circe's story in a moving way. I cried multiple times as I read it because I could relate to Circe and my heart went out to her. 

Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash

Summary

Trigger warning: The book contains scenes with rape, assault, and abuse. 

Circe is one of Helios' children, but she is strange and treated harshly. After centuries, she inadvertently discovers that she has power, which strikes fear in the hearts of the gods and goddesses because she succeeds in transforming two beings: a mortal into a minor god and a nymph into a sea monster.

The Olympians and Titans banish Circe to the island Aiaia. As she grows accustom to her new life, Circe nurtures her powers and occasionally deals with visitors to her island. One of which is Odysseus, the King of Ithaca and a famous fighter in the Trojan War. He is one of several prominent mortal men in Circe's life whom she holds most dear. She values mortal men over the gods because their history is written on their body. All her life, Circe has lived in passivity and cruelty, with unblemished skin that makes her question whether her experiences ever really occurred. 

On Aiaia, Circe comes to realize her own self-worth, her own power and strives to attain what would make her truly happy.

-- Spoilers --

My Experience While Reading Circe

The first part of Circe's life among her parents and extended family is sad, lonely and heartbreaking because she is hated by her mother, bullied by her siblings, neglected by her father and abandoned by the brother she raised. She is forever aware of her lack of power and believes, for a long time, that this is what life is, so she doesn't possess the will to escape her hardships.

Circe lives in exile on the island of Aiaia. She is there alone, except for her animals and familiar, and the occasional visit from Hermes. She tends to the island, develops and hones her witchcraft, gathers herbs and walks the island. She is so starved for interaction and believes humans would not dare touch her that she welcomes the first crew of sailors into her home and they take advantage of her.

This first part of the book was incredibly hard to read because I could identify with parts of it, for I read this book in quarantine and found myself understanding Circe's thoughts and emotions as she lived out many days in isolation even prior to her physical isolation on Aiaia. Quarantine, physical/emotional isolation... it makes people notice how alone they are in every aspect of their life.

To feel like you have no allies or emotional connections in your family is also painful. To have something bad happen to you and have witnesses around you do nothing to help is devastating. Circe's position in the hierarchy of the gods and her position in the eyes of (some) mortal men made it a struggle for me to read, partly because women are still not treated equally or even seen as human beings in this supposedly advanced era.

I did not enjoy reading Circe but it is one I connected with far more than I had thought I would. 

Characters

This book has many characters, so I tried to highlight the ones I felt played the biggest roles:

Circe: The daughter to Helios and Perses, mother to Telegonus; has bright yellow eyes like her father and makes a thin sound when crying, so she was thusly named "Circe" because it means "hawk"; her voice is irritating to the gods, goddesses and other creatures because she actually has a human's voice; has seer ability; protects Aiaia with potions and sheer will for a good part of Telegonus' life; bonds with Penelope; starts a life with Telemachus.

Helios: The Sun god who drives his chariot across the sky each day; can create fire by focusing on something; has glowing skin and yellow eyes; has no love for Circe.

Perses: Daughter of the Titan Oceanos; partnered with Helios; bore Circe, the twins Perses and Pasiphaë and Aeëtes; she neglects and mistreats Circe because it was predicted that Circe would marry a mortal prince; she is cruel and selfish.

Aeëtes: Circe's sibling; she raised him because their mother, Perses, wanted to get rid of him since he had no prophecy attached to his life; he spent a great deal of time with Circe as he grew up, but abandons her when he is old enough and gains his own kingdom, never even inviting Circe to visit; Circe and Aeëtes' relationship becomes strained once he leaves Circe; he has a daughter named Medea.

Pasiphaë: Circe's sister; cruel, arrogant, devious; is a nymph like Circe, but knows she has power; is married off to King Minos; needs to be center of attention; is the mother to the Minotaur.

Daedalus: Architect; father to Icarus; prisoner of King Minos and Pasiphaë. Circe remembers Daedalus more than the scenes he is actually in; he lives in her memories since he is perhaps the first kind mortal man she has encountered.

Odysseus: Fought in the Trojan War; stands out from other men Circe has had to the island because he notices her loom, speaks fondly of his wife, etc.; he is not without misdeeds; he is masterful at hiding emotions so that Circe sees a different side of him when he is working on his ship compared to with her in the bedroom; he has night terrors; his fear of losing all he has built leads to his death when he attacks Telemachus, assuming Telemachus is after his legacy.

Telegonus: The son of Circe and Odysseus; is a tempestuous infant, but mellows out as he grows up; shows keen interest in father (the absent parent) but never asks Circe for her stories; is a confident and masterful young man; gets tired of isolation and sets out to meet his father, but is attacked by him and accidentally kills him; become Athena's champion in Telemachus' stead.

Penelope: The cousin to Helen of Troy, wife to Odysseus and mother to Telemachus; she is clever and knows her own power; she pretends to be deaf while weaving, but hears all the gossip; she is angry at herself for having wasted time waiting for Odysseus; tries to seek Circe's help in protecting Telemachus from Athena now that Odysseus, her champion, is dead; starts to learn how Circe performs some of her witchcraft. 

Telemachus: The son of Penelope and Odysseus; future husband of Circe; he has similar relationship to his father as Circe has with her own in that both fathers are famous for their power and deeds but are an absent parent; thinks himself a coward because he didn't protect his mother from the suitors that took over their house in Odysseus' absence; angry and disappointed that Odysseus was not the father from his mother's stories; he is one of very few men who asks Circe about her history.

What I Liked  Why I Read Circe

If you've read my other reviews, you'll notice that I have developed a template for them. However, I cannot say that I liked anything in this book. I'm not familiar with the details of most Greek myths and stories, so I was open to Miller's retelling. If anything, I know the basics and children's versions of the stories from shows, like Wishbone. 

The covers I had initially seen appealed to me, and my friend, Genny Methot, graciously sent it to me in a book swap. 

I remember someone saying that Greek stories are either comedic or tragic. The first chapter in, the tone is set (if you forgot to re-read the book's summary). It was a tragedy, so I sat back as I would for a movie and read through, keeping a sense of detachment because it's not my usual genre. Circe's neglected and loveless life combined with her isolation unexpectedly touched me, bringing me to tears and forcing me to reflect on my own life, which would cause me to put the book down for a time. 

I think the first hardest scene to read was when Helios burns Circe alive. It was such a powerful scene that I was torn between guilt at witnessing such an atrocity, fury for no one helping her even as she lay in agony and wrath for Helios having done such a thing.  

Photo by Erik Mclean

Power Within & Growing in Isolation

Once Circe heals from her father's solar attack and the verdict is given that Circe should be exiled, no one cares that Circe didn't know about her abilities. Circe is speechless at the verdict and looks to Aeëtes for help, even after he had abandoned her to go live in his own kingdom and clearly has no care for her. She still holds onto old hope and is disappointed again. Circe has been passive her whole life, aside from an act of kindness to Prometheus and transforming two beings into a minor god and a monster. Though it may be lonely and difficult at times, the exile is her chance to come into her powers and grow a backbone. 

Circe starts to lose her naïveté long after being dropped off on the island. She doesn't for a second believe that the mansion left on the island is an act of love by her father. The mansion takes care of chores for her, is always fully stocked, etc. only because that is how gods believe they should live. She also recognizes that it is an act of defiance against the Olympians since they are rivals of the Titans; Helios being one of them. 

Circe shows more confidence in herself when she sails with Daedalus and his men to see her sister. Since they are forced to sail past Scylla, the sea monster, and already lost 12 men on the journey to get Circe, she tries to use her witchcraft to transform herself; a feat she had never done before on her island. Although she begins to doubt herself, her will is stronger now for her to banish these negative thoughts and she succeeds in becoming her brother to distract Scylla.

Despite being in isolation and developing her powers, Circe doesn't let it go to her head or become as cold as the gods. She feels guilt for having transformed Scylla into a sea monster because she terrorizes human sailors. Circe is a similar to Victor Frankenstein in that she created a monster, but she eventually manages to use her powers and wit to end Scylla's reign of terror. In doing so, she is able to forgive herself, but still holds onto the regret, perhaps as a reminder that her intent behind her powers that time was not innocent.

In realizing her self-worth and power, Circe blackmails her mighty father who had burnt her alive, to gain her freedom and sever ties with the gods at long last. She pushes her fear away, using the stories she has heard among the Titans of her father's deals behind Zeus's back. She spins everything around on Helios, plants the ideas in his head that she has potions and spells in place for her protection, making him also realize that he doesn't know the extent of her powers, nor does he wish to find out. And so, Circe is free.

Another way Circe frees herself is by owning her past, the good and the bad. She never reveals her misdeeds and experiences to Odysseus because she is afraid of what he would think. With Telemachus, she decides that if he thinks negatively of her because she was raped or turned Scylla into a sea monster, etc., then she accepts that and knows she must move on from him. 

Photo by Ragga Muffin

The Curse of Immortality

As I mentioned, Circe is a Gothic character who laments her immortality and the innocent death of humans. She marvels at the creations of humans that take time and skill, such as the work of Daedalus. Even after having slept with him, Circe realizes that she does not like sleeping with Hermes because he is unblemished. Much later, she forgets this and when she is with Odysseus, she offers to wipe away his many scars to which he explains that he wouldn't recognize himself. Circe feels she has no past because her body heals, wiping her experiences away.

Throughout the book, Circe abhors the gods' treatment of humans, as well of that of her sister who curses Minos' seed to kill any girl he sleeps with. The girls wouldn't have had much choice given that he was king. But, of course, it is all sport to her.

Despite her immortality, Circe still mourns for things not had or experienced, like a meaningful relationship with Aeëtes when he arrives at her island, looking to punish his "wayward" daughter. Circe's time in isolation and nurturing her powers makes her realize that she lost him long ago and she stands up for herself, demonstrating that he is in her kingdom.

With Odysseus, he stays for so long that he, Circe and his men take on roles of father, mother and children. She knows he has a wife and son, and that he will leave her one day, but she tries not to think about it. Circe learns much from Odysseus; for one thing, she hides her true emotions as he does when he asks he for more time on the island to repair their ship. Circe eventually comes to the conclusion that his time with her is nothing but a rehearsal for when he returns to his family because he has played the soldier for so long, forgetting how to be a husband and father.

Circe decides to transform herself into a human to have a life with Telemachus and a family. She looks forward to being brought to the Underworld, a place she never thought she'd enter. By the end, Circe comes to believe that gods are dead and she wants to live, so she chooses to remove her divinity.

She says that her witchcraft is the strongest it's been, but she doesn't mention what she hopes will come of it if she succeeds in becoming a human. What if she loses it along with her divinity? Would she care? It seemed to have become part of her identity. I wonder...  

Photo by FotoFlo on Unsplash

Sons Are Not Punished

Circe provides many instances of inequality. We see Pasiphaë married off to King Minos even though it is her father's decision. Instead of standing up to her father as Circe does when he doesn't believe she transformed Scylla, Pasiphaë torments Minos and the people in his kingdom. As Daedalus says, "A gold cage is still a cage."

Circe comments, "Sons are not punished" when all types of nymphs are exiled to Aiaia for disobeying their fathers' wishes and the like. Circe herself was punished by her father in a horrific manner while Aeëtes corrects their father, and yet is not struck down or even reprimanded for his cheek. 

Another time, Circe recalls her uncles' lustful looks at banquets and how they'd cop a feel, "One of them would have come for me in the end and paid my father well. Honour on all sides." Except her side would not have been considered in the arrangement. 

These are Greek myths and they have existed for over 2,000 years. Yet, here we are in 2022 and women are still fighting for power, even over their own bodies.  

After Circe is raped, she uses her witchcraft to kill the captain and his men, having drugged them beforehand for insurance. At last, the men face punishment. But Circe still hopes for her father to come to the island, either in sympathy or anger. And Circe claims that it is too late to shield the island from others, but I find it was more as a test for herself and a way to reclaim her body and agency. She becomes more observant, determining which groups consists of innocent, pious men and those with malintent.  

Print by Johanna Polle

What I Didn't Like

I was confused in the first three or so chapters because there is a point at the beginning where Circe, our narrator, mentions that her mother was told by the Olympians that she was no longer permitted to bear children. But then Circe soon after tells of how her mother bore Aeëtes. I thought she and Helios had defied the Olympians, but it is only later that we see the scene in detail when the Olympians decide Helios and Perses are not allowed to have children anymore. I find the first mention should have been written a little more clearly or omitted altogether to prevent confusion. In the beginning of a book, the reader is still trying to find their footing and understand whether the book is taking place in the past or present.

Missing Characters

As I mentioned above, Hekate has a solid place in anything having to do with witchcraft, but her name is not even uttered once in this book. Perhaps Miller opted for Hekate to be Perses' daughter in her world, which may explain why Perses was dropped from the story about halfway through, with only the odd mention of his whereabouts and activities thrown in here and there. Perhaps Miller has plans to write his and Hekate's story? Ariadne and Achilles are both characters who have their own book by Miller, and they either met Circe in person or were mentioned by other characters. 

On the other hand, Circe learns from Hermes that her mother decided to don the name "Mother of Witches" but that is one of several titles that Hekate holds today, so I don't know if we'll ever see Hekate in this book's universe. 

Unanswered Question

We're not given an explanation as to why she has a mortal's voice. Helios is a Titan and Perses is a nymph, specifically an oceanid. None of Circe's siblings have a mortal's voice. Hermes says that lesser nymphs can have mortal voices, but Miller leaves the reason unknown.

This ties back to each sibling's powers. Aeëtes says he:

Called milk out of the earth, bewitched men's senses, shaped warriors from dust. [He] summoned dragons to draw [his] chariot. [He] said charms that veil[ed] the sky with black, and brewed potions that raise the dead. (57) 

Why can he do that and not Circe? What inherent trait decides their power? Is it only the will as Circe tells Penelope at the end of the book?

Missing Link

I don't read a lot of romance, but when it's one of several genres in a book, I've noticed that some authors go too fast in the relationship, and it leaves me confused because of a missing segue. I saw it in Louis Erdritch's The Sentence recently, and it appears here as well. Hermes' first visit to Aiaia begins with him talking to Circe about this and that, giving her answers about her voice and the conditions of her exile, which leads to: 

Circe: "How do you know I will not drug you where you sit?"

Hermes: "I do not."

Circe: "Yet you would dare to stay?"

Hermes: I dare anything."

Circe [to the reader]: And that is how we came to be lovers. (83)

All I see are question marks after this. 

The Ending

Initially, I found the ending a little strange. Circe makes the decision to drink a potion that will potentially turn her into a mortal so that she can live with Telemachus and start a family. The thing is, she doesn't tell Telemachus what she is planning. To my mind, Circe is inconsiderate. Yes, Telemachus has confirmed by this point that he is devoted to her even after she confesses that she was raped and turned Scylla into a monster. But if she wants to be with him and start a family, they are a team. She should discuss her desire to become a mortal with Telemachus to, at least, have him know what's going on.

Now, I'm wondering if Miller wrote it this way to show that Circe is taking her life into her hands because she has come to know her value and power. Or Circe remembers how her father and the gods acted, so she is following suit because she knows her power? Or perhaps it's just a reflection of the era? 

Conclusion

In re-reading my notes and reviewing passages from the book, I realize that I don't like this book because the gods lack the qualities of humanity like empathy and compassion. The majority of them are cold, cruel, selfish and merciless. Circe has a human voice and other human aspects, so she is different from her relatives and the pantheon, allowing readers to relate to her. This is how the story is written, but it is written well. 

I recommend this book because of the themes, but you may need to step away from the book to catch your breath from time to time. 

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