Circe — Madeline Miller
The witch gets the mic.
The Odyssey is the story the men told. The women it passed through had whole lives of their own.
The witch gets the mic, and Odysseus becomes a supporting character in someone else's immortal life.
What it keeps and what it changes
Keeps: the Aiaia episode, as one chapter of a much larger life.
Changes: the POV entirely: centuries of Circe’s story, with Odysseus a passing (and diminishing) figure.
Whose story is it?
Circe’s, completely.
The feminism angle: This is the biggest-reach feminist retelling of the myth, and the flipped perspective is the whole book.
Who's here
How each character in this version compares across the whole catalog:
- Odysseus — Seen from her island, the great man shrinks to one more guest who sails away.
How much time does it ask?
≈12 hr read / ≈12.5 hr audiobook.
Miller’s opening line: “When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist.”
Where to find it
Buy the paperback — Bookshop.org →
Other ways to get it: Paperback — Amazon ↗ · Kindle — Amazon ↗
Borrow it free: Borrow on Libby ↗ · Find at your library — WorldCat ↗
Common questions
Do I need to read the Odyssey before reading Circe?
No. Miller retells everything you need as she goes. Knowing the Odyssey adds texture, but the novel stands alone.
Is Circe a sequel to The Song of Achilles?
No. It's a standalone novel by the same author, set in the same mythological world. You can read them in either order.
How long a read is Circe?
About 12 hours in print, or 12.5 as an audiobook.
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More ways home: The Emily Wilson Translation (2017) · The Robert Fagles Translation (1996) · The Robert Fitzgerald Translation (1961)
Compare on one axis: How much of the gods do you actually get? (gods center stage)