#3 in Myths & legends
Circe
- 408
- Pages
- about 7 h
- Reading time
- NYT bestseller · 3 weeks on the list, peaked at #8
- Athenaeum Literary Award
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About the book
Circe is a 2018 mythic fantasy novel by American writer Madeline Miller. Set during the Greek Heroic Age, it is an original reimagining of various Greek myths, most notably the Odyssey, as told from the perspective of the witch Circe. While drawing on characters and episodes from ancient myths, the novel invents or substantially reinterprets many aspects of Circe's biography, including Circe's encounters with mythological figures such as Hermes, the Minotaur, Jason, and Medea and ultimately, her romance with Odysseus and his son Telemachus.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.4 across 3,082 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 94% of the weight and the score stays at 8.4 — the Myths & legends average of 8.0 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.3 | 109 | 4% |
| Hardcover | 8.4 | 3K | 97% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“After seeing Circe as the Goodread readers choice for best fantasy book of 2018, I knew I would need to check it out. The story itself follows Circe, a Greek goddess, nymph, and daughter of Helios. The prose is also striking. Each scene feels epic in nature somehow – partially from prose, but also because they're populated with familiar characters - Charybdis, Odysseus, Daedalus and too many others to name. If you have an interest in Greek Mythology you will enjoy Circe immensely. Madeline Miller knows here classics and weaves a tale of many different gods and men together into something comp…”
“My bestie recommended this back to me when it came out, and I have no idea why I didn't just read it immediately! She and I are literary "twin flames" (thanks, Megan Fox, for the parlance), so she was 100% accurate in her educated guess I would love this. 10/10; no notes. Read the last third really slowly because I didn't want it to end!! Epic, intimate, searing. I don't think this quote from the final pages can be captured in its full glory out of context, but it was rattling around in my head for days afterward and came up in another book club when someone was talking about the tightrope be…”
“Such a constellation was this book to me”
Frequently asked
What is Circe rated?
8.4 out of 10, from 3,082 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is Circe worth reading?
Readers give it 8.4/10 from 3,082 ratings in open sources.
How long does it take to read Circe?
About 7 hours at an average reading pace — 408 pages.
Where does Circe rank?
#3 in Myths & legends on the current snapshot.
Was Circe a bestseller?
Yes — 3 weeks on the New York Times list, peaking at #8. Sales are shown here but never scored.
How long is Circe?
It has 408 pages — shorter than 59% of the ranked books in Myths & legends.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Myths & legends — and a score of 8.4, the closest to this book.
