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Circe
- Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
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Publisher's Summary
The daring, dazzling and highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times best seller The Song of Achilles
One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2018
"An epic spanning thousands of years that's also a keep-you-up-all-night page turner." (Ann Patchett)
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child - not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring, like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power - the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur; Daedalus and his doomed son, Icarus; the murderous Medea; and, of course, wily Odysseus.
But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or the mortals she has come to love.
With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language and pause-resisting suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, and love and loss as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Critic Reviews
"With sumptuous writing and descriptive imagery you'll see these gods and men and every being in between as you've never imagined them before." (Esquire)
"Madeline Miller, master storyteller, conjures Circe glowing and alive - and makes the Gods, nymphs and heroes of ancient Greece walk forth in all their armored splendor. Richly detailed and written with such breathtaking command of story, you will be held enchanted. A breathtaking novel." (Helen Simonson, author of The Summer Before the War and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand)
"With lyric beauty of language and melancholy evocative of Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn", Circe asks all the big questions of existence while framing them in the life story of the famous goddess who had the magic of transformations. A veritable Who's Who of the gods of Olympus and the heroes of ancient Greece, Circe knows them all and we see them through her perceptive eyes. This is as close as you will ever come to entering the world of mythology as a participant. Stunning, touching, and unique." (Margaret George, author of The Confessions of Young Nero)
"Author Madeline Miller and narrator Perdita Weeks transform the ancient Greek drama of Circe, witch of Aeaea and daughter of Helios, into a fresh and vibrant tale for contemporary listeners.... Weeks's cool British intonations and attuned performance capture Circe's evolution from youthful uncertainty amid scorn from richly characterized fellow deities to a confidence earned from centuries of island exile. Her first-person perspective creates intimacy as she engages fabled figures, such as Odysseus and Athena, and grapples with the pleasures and dangers of everyday life." (AudioFile)
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Editor's Pick
A golden god, and a golden book
"This is the best book I’ve ever listened to. It is about a goddess, Circe, but Madeline Miller’s use of perspective and rich, precise language makes each moment evocative, thrilling, and above all human. It’s about as easy to make gods seem believably human as it is to make humans seem believably god-like, but there is no sign of struggle in Miller’s technique. Her Circe is just as dynamic, with traits—doubt, skill, jealousy, honor, indulgence, nostalgia—that rival the deepest of literature’s great characters. I know that sounds bombastic, but while listening to this I honestly felt like this whole book was gold, like each moment I was taking a bite from a glowing orange. The cover is gold, so that might have contributed to the impression, but I think it was in large part thanks to Perdita Weeks’s flawless performance. The warmth of her voice, constantly challenged by the chaotic tragedies and joys of Greek mythology, imbued the book with its own fascinating and treasured mortality."
—Michael D., Audible Editor
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What listeners say about Circe
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Yvonne den Besten
- 06-21-19
Not worth the hype but still good
This is the story of Circe, the daughter of the Sungod, who gets exiled to an island, and comes into her own as a witch and as a woman. I don't know, everyone says this book is so feminist, and I guess I just don't see it. I thought Circe's character was dull to be honest. And the only parts of the book that were actually interesting to me, were the parts where she interacted with others. But as she is exiled pretty early on in the book, to an island which she can't leave, those parts weren't prevalent in the story. I liked almost all the other charcters better, and that was hard going for me, since this story was told from Circe's perspective. Another problem I had was the span of this tale, which literally spun thousands of years, and almost all the action was brought to you in a very peripheral way. It picked up by the ending, though which was excellent! If only Circe had stood/ spoken up for herself sooner, I would have liked this tale a whole lot more.
All of that asisde, I think the writing is beautiful and it reads like a fairy tale that keeps you interested all the way. You don't have to know anything about Greek Mythology to enjoy this. My own knowlegde was limited at best - I didn't even know who Circe was, at the start - and everything is explained very well, and in a manner that's very organic.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes stories with a large scope,with beautiful proze and a female character coming of age, and finding out where her value lies. I think that the whole discussion on immortality was very interesting and well-done, too
I thought the narration was excellent. Her voices really takes you everywhere, and almost had a lulling quality, quite magical. I thought it was really well-suited to Circe
78 people found this helpful
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- Amanda Cefaratti
- 12-27-19
Couldn't Get Through It...So Dissapointed
I LOVED Madeline Miller's first book, The Song of Achilles. I was so excited to read this, that when I couldn't find it anywhere, I used my free Audible trial credit on it. Unfortunately, I could not even get through this. The narrator was not as strong or entertaining as the male one from Song of Achilles, and the story moved at a glacial pace. HOURS into it, I still did not care where the story was going, or see where the problem or edge-of-your-seat intrigue was. There was no romance to hold your interest, no action scenes, no arguments or mysterious characters...just hours of Circe doing nothing and the story wanting you to feel bad for her. I wish I had finished it, but I could not bear to due to being so bored. I have no idea why this won any awards. I hope Madeline Miller's next book will be better.
30 people found this helpful
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- Michael - Audible Editor
- 04-11-18
Refined writing with an intimate performance
I don't know why this book had such a profound effect on me, but it was unlike anything else I've listened to so far. I don't consider myself a mythology nerd, but looking at books I've listened to in the past (Norse Mythology, Fifteen Dogs), I probably am. It wasn't really the mythology that grabbed me though, but way more so the intimate experience of living inside of Circe's mind for 12 hours.
You can tell that Madeline Miller took great care to really dive into and visualize Circe's experience. It's so real!
The self-doubt, the grappling with her identity, her punishment, her privileges, and her mistakes. Circe as a character is so dynamic, and Miller polishes each thought, each minute detail, like a diamond. The dynamic perspective also adds so much to the familiar stories and fables of greek gods and heroes that we see them all in a totally new way.
Odysseus is especially more human than ever. His skill in trickery and leadership turns into something new entirely, and his heroism (and so the very concept of heroism) is illustrated remarkably well.
Yeah maybe I am a little too into mythology, but if anything this book made me realize it more than ever.
Lastly, this audiobook debuts a brilliant new talent to audible. Perdita Weeks. Omg. She is amazing and can do anything. The way she fluctuates between male and female voices is one thing. I didn't even notice it was her at first, narrating the men.
But the raw emotion she pours into Circe's internal struggle nails the point of this story on the head. She turns what is essentially a lonely monologue into a three-dimensional experience.
In the end you have two people Madeline Miller and Perdita Weeks, who wholly and honestly assumed the role and mind of Circe, and lived it for the duration of this story.
I could keep writing about this forever so I'm just gonna end it here, because you probably get the point.
608 people found this helpful
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- Jim N
- 04-18-18
Magnificent!
This is the best book I've listened to in ages. Beautifully written from start to finish, Madeline Miller's novel breathes new life into old mythology. Through Circe's eyes, we perceive the strange and callous cruelty of the gods (and of men), the fleeting lives of mortals, love, loss, and the strange and wondrous magnificence of the world. There are heroes and monsters, adventure and witchcraft. The book is breathtaking in it's scope yet immensely personal and moving as well. It's a truly impressive achievement and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Perdita Weeks' narration is top notch.
247 people found this helpful
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- Gillian
- 04-13-18
Filled With Grace, Action, Humor--Unforgettable
To say that Circe proves Madeline Miller to be an excellent writer, capable of capturing setting, time, characters, and essence, is an absolute understatement. I haven't been so entranced by a book since City of Thieves.
Though they are entirely different forms of work, both books have unforgettable characters, and Miller's writing places you, the reader, right in the midst of gorgeous places, living with the larger than life, whether gods or mortals.
Here you'll find Circe, someone who was shaped by an early act of grace given to Prometheus, living amongst the likes of Daedalus and Icarus, Jason and Medea, Odysseus and Penelope. Then too, she butts heads with Hermes and Athena, with Helios himself. She moves among them all.
She is moved by terrible violation and the tenderest of pity. She grows into a woman of strength and independence, and finds that, through generation after generation of life, there's a difference between immortality and actual living. It's a beautiful tale, elegantly written, with act after act of the unbelievable, the unforgettable. Truly, this is a story written from the divine for us, mere mortals.
And Perdita Weeks! Though at times I had trouble with the volume, as she goes from quiet thoughts to daring and outspoken declarations, Weeks has wonderful tones, carries dialogue, carries action with grace, ease, and power. What a find she is as a narrator.
I can't vouch for how closely Circe follows mythology; what I found (in Wikipedia, I admit--not from Edith Hamilton), is quite different, but I can say with complete sincerity, that this story as written is truly a find.
A cover-to-cover listen (what is mere sleep, after all? a trip to the underworld?), filled with gods and mortals, lionesses and wolves, swine and nymphs.
Really, quite remarkable.
For other reviews, of all genres, check out Audiobook Accomplice
116 people found this helpful
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- Kate
- 04-07-19
Slow start, but a fun listen overall.
I wished Circe would stop whining for the first 3 chapters. It got immensely better after all that self loathing was over.
50 people found this helpful
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- Bekarella
- 04-27-18
Bravo!
Wonderful mythological fairy tale. Tons of adventure, fright, laughs, and fun, but not all fun. what an amazing writer, and narrator. And for me, new and different!
23 people found this helpful
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- TravelMommy
- 04-26-18
Gorgeous and haunting
I will listen to every story this narrator is willing to tell. It’s as if she and the author are one. The tale of Circe as imagined from her perspective is so full, so - I’m at a loss for an adjective big enough to describe - but it’s lodged in my body, the emotions and insight and observations, the mythical and the mortal. I will listen again just to get lost in it. One of my favorite audiobook experiences ever.
54 people found this helpful
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- craftybeli
- 04-23-18
Wow, Wow, Wow - Exceptional
If you could sum up Circe in three words, what would they be?
Circe is Spellbinding
What other book might you compare Circe to and why?
This book is nothing like I've read before. It's almost like magic was used in each word, casting strong emotions. The story can be an analogy to our trials and tribulations. Even after reading it I keep thinking back of the poetic tone Miller used to unravel the stories, it conjures to reflect on the similarities within it with our human experiences. One of the strongest emotions is realizing children are not our own but their own and they would find their way in this world not matter how strong the will is to protect them. Circe will be one of those books that will be forever in me. Perhaps one such book causing a similar magical effect is - Don Quijote.
Bravo Madeline Miller!
What about Perdita Weeks’s performance did you like?
Perdita Weeks' performance was outstanding, drawing Circe's personality out as she matured. Not only did she make Circe a compelling character but all the others as well.
Who was the most memorable character of Circe and why?
The strongest character by far is Circe, she is powerful, always strong willed and aiming to do what is ultimately right against all odds. She is brave, facing those who had wronged her, murky waters, and deadly situations. Circe is a heroine.
Any additional comments?
Additionally, Madeline took such great care on making Circe a classy read. Loved, loved, loved, how it did not have explicit sexual innuendo and anything remotely close to a sexual encounter was kept to the readers imagination. This is the first audible I purchase the companion audible edition for and will also buy the hard copy because I want to go back and re-read it. So many insights in it, so many teachings.
75 people found this helpful
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- Wini Harrison
- 04-12-18
Till human voices wake us...
Any additional comments?
"Circe" has all my favorite elements: mythology, magic and a strong female pov with an authentic human voice. The narrator's performance, precise, lyrical yet understated, lured me into the depths of the story.
41 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 06-22-22
Oh, how beautiful it is!
I wish it would never end! It was just beautiful! I have loved The Song of Achilles, I didn't expect to get something as good as Miller's first book, but good it is! Can't wait for something new from her, she's a raw talent. So happy I had discovered her!!!