A myth made new
My first Audible book! I had been wanting to read Circe by Madeline Miller for a long time, so when I saw it on Audible, I decided I would like to hear it read.
I have been interested in mythology for the longest time and remember reading a few books (Penelopiad, Lion’s Honey, Weight) in the Canongate Myth series, a re-imagining of ancient myths. So, I was eager to see how the witch who I knew from Odysseus’ travels was re-cast by Miller.
One of the most powerful things that re-imagining a story achieves is empowering characters that a gender/class/caste-privileged historian/author would have deemed unimportant. So too Circe. Miller rewrites her story almost entirely, changing even the end. And it is a story I enjoyed thoroughly. Bewildered by where her life takes her, Miller’s Circe comes into her own after she is exiled. Little by little, she learns her own power, what she can and will do, and to what she will say no. I think, it might well supplant the original myth in my mind because I like this one so much better.
The book places front and center a woman who has been pictured in mythology as a seductress waylaying innocent travelers and using her power to create monsters. But Miller’s Circe is different and therefore, isolated and abused. But she is also a woman of agency, who eventually scripts her own life and learns to live on her own terms in defiance of gods and goddesses.
Our country was recently declared the most dangerous for women. Miller reminds us that no one is safe from the meaningless violence inflicted on women, not even goddesses. If they reclaim their agency, they become evil sorceresses; if they don’t, they are pitiable things who need stronger men to protect them. As Miller’s Circe reminds us, “Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.”
Powerful imagery and a brilliant pace and some skillful writing make this tale thoroughly enjoyable. Although it troubled me that Miller does not allow for the re-imagining of many other women. Pasiphaë, Scylla, Medea, Athena, all fulfill their original mythological destiny with little to redeem them. Penelope seems like the only exception, but her rather late appearance in the book leaves little room to get to know her well. It’s also a little troubling that Daedalus is almost saintly in this tale, with no mention of the mythical tale of him killing his nephew, a young prodigy who he was worried would emerge as a rival.
The highlight of this read for me though was Perdita Weeks. This was my first Audible book, and I discovered why the listening app is so popular. The quality of the book is brilliant. Weeks’ narration is magical. Weeks seemed to have employed some witchcraft of her own to inhabit the skin of Miller’s Circe effectively and powerfully. I think, Weeks played a strong role in the imprint the book left on me.
Do you listen to audio books? Do you like them? Which one is your favorite and why? Any recommendation on what I should get for my next read?
I have been interested in mythology for the longest time and remember reading a few books (Penelopiad, Lion’s Honey, Weight) in the Canongate Myth series, a re-imagining of ancient myths. So, I was eager to see how the witch who I knew from Odysseus’ travels was re-cast by Miller.
One of the most powerful things that re-imagining a story achieves is empowering characters that a gender/class/caste-privileged historian/author would have deemed unimportant. So too Circe. Miller rewrites her story almost entirely, changing even the end. And it is a story I enjoyed thoroughly. Bewildered by where her life takes her, Miller’s Circe comes into her own after she is exiled. Little by little, she learns her own power, what she can and will do, and to what she will say no. I think, it might well supplant the original myth in my mind because I like this one so much better.
The book places front and center a woman who has been pictured in mythology as a seductress waylaying innocent travelers and using her power to create monsters. But Miller’s Circe is different and therefore, isolated and abused. But she is also a woman of agency, who eventually scripts her own life and learns to live on her own terms in defiance of gods and goddesses.
Our country was recently declared the most dangerous for women. Miller reminds us that no one is safe from the meaningless violence inflicted on women, not even goddesses. If they reclaim their agency, they become evil sorceresses; if they don’t, they are pitiable things who need stronger men to protect them. As Miller’s Circe reminds us, “Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep.”
Powerful imagery and a brilliant pace and some skillful writing make this tale thoroughly enjoyable. Although it troubled me that Miller does not allow for the re-imagining of many other women. Pasiphaë, Scylla, Medea, Athena, all fulfill their original mythological destiny with little to redeem them. Penelope seems like the only exception, but her rather late appearance in the book leaves little room to get to know her well. It’s also a little troubling that Daedalus is almost saintly in this tale, with no mention of the mythical tale of him killing his nephew, a young prodigy who he was worried would emerge as a rival.
The highlight of this read for me though was Perdita Weeks. This was my first Audible book, and I discovered why the listening app is so popular. The quality of the book is brilliant. Weeks’ narration is magical. Weeks seemed to have employed some witchcraft of her own to inhabit the skin of Miller’s Circe effectively and powerfully. I think, Weeks played a strong role in the imprint the book left on me.
A quick note
Although I didn’t plan it that way, both my recent books (Circe and The Mistress of Spices) shared many common themes: a female protagonist who finds her true calling a little late in life, witchcraft, loneliness, exile, love in unexpected places. However, my response to both these books was very different as you can tell from this week’s gushing post and last week’s verdict of bland. 😊Do you listen to audio books? Do you like them? Which one is your favorite and why? Any recommendation on what I should get for my next read?
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