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Circe by Madeleine Miller

… Circe by Madeleine Miller – the story behind the goddess of Greek myth. It starts a little slowly and weirdly but if you press on you are rewarded with a gripping and emotionally complex story.

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In one of the brief periods when I was awake and genuinely engaged with my English Literature degree, I remember reading someone declaring that Milton was “audacious” to attempt to conjure up  the voices of angels and the voice of God in Paradise Lost, but that he ultimately pulled it off and you can’t imagine angels or the voice of God sounding any other way.

Circe performs the same trick – how would the voice of Helios sound? What would Dedalus be like? In quiet moments, how would Odysseus talk? Having read this and also her previous modern masterpiece, The Song of Achilles, I feel very much the same way. It’s an absurd, daring undertaking – but it works.

You don’t need any previous knowledge of the story to appreciate this book – my knowledge is pretty good but I constantly forget who turned whom into a swan or WTF exactly was Kronos, what is the difference between an Olympian and a Titan etc, and I had Wikipedia on hand as a sort of explicatory text.

 

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Comments

  1. Sarah Robson says

    May 18, 2018 at 6:04 am

    Thanks for the tip Esther. Another one to add to the pile. Can’t resist a book recommendation.

    Reply
  2. Sally Hunt says

    May 18, 2018 at 7:17 am

    Will put on my list .. did you read “This is going to hurt “ by Adam Kay?

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      May 18, 2018 at 7:20 am

      I started it but, I don’t know… I was put off by his admission that he sort of blundered into medicine. People doing things in a half-hearted way I find a bit unappealing. But maybe I ought to forgive him his juvenile whimsy and press on

      Reply
      • Sally says

        May 18, 2018 at 7:42 am

        I would implore ( strong word I know) you to carry on as it’s actually hilarious and there’s so much appropriate swearing, it’s also heartbreaking

        Reply
        • esthermcoren says

          May 18, 2018 at 8:41 am

          well okay then

          Reply
          • Sally says

            May 18, 2018 at 8:47 am

            Do let you know when you have finished it Esther 😂

  3. Ros says

    May 18, 2018 at 8:47 am

    I am reading “My Brilliant Friend” Elena Ferrante -and loving it so far. Book 1 of the Neopolitan novels. I have just given up on “The Sparsholt Affair”, completely hooked in the first Part, set in wartime Oxford but then completely lost interest. This happens to me a lot. “A Very English Scandal”is a very funny read if you have time to get to it before the adaptation starts on TV

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      May 18, 2018 at 8:49 am

      Thanks Ros, I didn’t get on with my brilliant friend at all – I read about 3/4 and got fed up

      Reply
  4. Cindy says

    May 18, 2018 at 8:52 am

    I’ve had Song of Achilles sitting on my Kindle for ages – going to read it soon so I can follow it with this.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      May 18, 2018 at 8:58 am

      oh god get cracking

      Reply
  5. Karen says

    May 18, 2018 at 3:23 pm

    Excited to have another recommendation as I am just finishing up The Nix from your last round of book picks. I read all three you mentioned, and loved them all – especially The Nest, zoomed through that one! I hated My Brilliant Friend as well, cannot understand all the fuss over this plodding, dull writing.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      May 18, 2018 at 5:55 pm

      yes… I struggled with it… all a bit dull

      Reply
  6. Penelope Cole says

    May 19, 2018 at 7:20 am

    Thought it was only me who thought MBF was boring. Phew. Yawned through the bit I did read, and then threw the bookover my shoulder. Someone must have picked it up……

    Reply
  7. Sarah Downjng says

    May 21, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    I’m reading this now – really enjoying it.

    Reply
  8. Claire Losse says

    May 27, 2018 at 7:12 pm

    Also- thought it was only me who didn’t like MBF. Thank God! Will give this a go- just finished the Nest- fab recommendation many thanks.ifjt try the nix too. Happy half term!

    Reply

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