Dear reader,
Greek myths have been part of my life since childhood, when I became rapt by the fantastical stories: gods, transformation, tremendously bad behaviour, monsters and even romance. My brother and I would listen to them on long car journeys when we were very small, and I now think they were one of the main reasons I became a reader.
So whenever I caught wind of a new novel retelling a classical tale, I leapt on it avidly. There were some treasures along the way - House of Names by Colm Tóibín, for instance - as well as the odd disappointment (to put it lightly). But Circe was of a different league entirely. It was exquisite, moving, brilliant in its ability to capture an alien world, daily life, as well as fantastical events, and has remained a favourite book of mine ever since.
There's also the rich texture of the writing, the tender message at the heart of it, the adventures, and the rediscovery of long known and cherished names and legends. None more so than Circe herself. As a figure of myth, she has always fascinated me; her mysticism, her power over animals, her isolation on Aeaea.
My father used to send John William Waterhouse postcards of the Goddess to me as a child and as I mentioned in the episode, to me his painting The Sorceress really captures Miller's pensive iteration of her.
But recommending a book you love can be a daunting experience, particularly when its one of those favourites you go back to for solace time and time again. So while I was absolutely sure I wanted to cover Madeline Miller's Circe on the podcast, I did wonder whether Dominic would love Miller's retelling as much as I do.
I need not have worried. It was with a sense of genuine delight, (and in truth smugness), that I received a text from my discerning co-host saying, “CIRCE IS SO GOOD…totally enthralled”, (and most importantly), “BRILLIANT CHOICE".
In today’s Book Notes you’ll find reading recommendations, polls, and further exploration of Circe should you wish to read it with your book club.
There are also lots of brilliant emails from you about The Leopard. Please do keep sending in your thoughts, we really love seeing them all come into the inbox.
This was my fourth time reading Circe and as I said on the show, it’s a book I’m sure I’ll keep returning to for the rest of my life.
What do you re-read time and time again and why? Tell us by emailing [email protected] (using the subject line re-read) and we’ll feature some of your answers in next week’s edition.
Until next time,
If you enjoyed… Circe
Some more recommendations for your list
📚 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - This first novel by the Circe author tells the story of Patroclus and his relationship with Achilles.
📚 The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker - The first book in Barker’s remarkable Women of Troy series, this follows the story of The Iliad through the eyes of Trojan queen Briseis.
📚 Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes - A feminist retelling of the myth of Medusa, this fourth novel by Haynes is filled with heartbreaking twists.
📚 Theogony by Hesiod - Mentioned several times in this week’s episode, the founding poem that describes the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods
🎙 The Rest Is History: The Odyssey - Listen to this month’s episodes in which Dominic and Tom Holland explore Homer’s epic poem for even more historical context on the myths that inspired Miller.
We need your vote!
This was Tabby’s fourth reading of Circe, and she said it won’t be her last. Dominic frequently returns to books too. What’s your policy on re-reading?
Click to vote – and if you leave an extra comment, include your name so we can include your thoughts in Reviewers' Corner
Notes on… Circe
If you have a book group who love the Greek myths, Circe is a definite hit. But it’s worth saying that you don’t need to be fan to enjoy and appreciate this wonderfully textured story, in fact coming to it without preconceptions could be a gift. And a tip - the audiobook is fantastic - narrated sumptuously by the actress Perdita Weeks, it’s a brilliant immersive experience. However you read it, here are some extra discussion points.
“The fact that it is so brief and then you're gone, is precisely what gives power and a dignity and a beauty to your life that is denied you if you're immortal,” says Dominic.
What did you feel Miller’s story is telling us about mortality?
Miller said she wrote a draft of Circe and only kept two sentences of it when re-writing. “You can see that, I think, in the quality of the writing. It's effortless, and yet it's beautifully embroidered,” Dominic said. Like last week’s book, The Leopard, the language was intricately crafted over a long period of time. How do you think this style of writing benefits the story? Did you have any favourite passages?
Miller doesn’t shy away from the gruesomeness of Greek myths, for instance in the punishment of Prometheus or the birth of the Minotaur. “It's not just a parable… this is what it actually means if this were to happen in the real world, the violence of it,” said Tabby. What did you think of the visceral nature of the writing? Do you think Miller pitched the levels of violence well? How did it make you reconsider the stories you knew?
“Miller binds together so many familiar myths, then weaves them into a single narrative, the focus being Circe's life and altering the perspective of the myths from this one formerly fairly unknown, fairly sidelined character,” says Tabby.
“It's always interesting to have a figure that you know well from mythology transformed and turned into something much deeper and much more complex.” Tabby loved Miller’s approach to building out the well-known characters, many of whom have been set in stone for thousands of years. From Jason and Medea to Icarus’s fate, do you think Miller was successful in integrating these stories?
Miller has said of Odysseus and Circe’s relationship in Homer’s poem, “I wanted to flip that - now he’s the cameo in her story.” How did Circe change your perception on this millennia-old story? Some classicists are dismissive of such modern re-tellings, saying it dilutes the original meaning of the text - do you agree or do you think it can help popularise age-old tales for new generations?
For children, Tabby said, the cruelty of Circe can be appealing because “when your world is quite sanitised by your parents you're suddenly... given this whole world of people behaving very badly and doing terrible things and it's tantalising.” What is about Greek myths that often make them so enticing to children?
Describing Circe as a book from “a feminist perspective is too reductive,” says Dominic.
Where do you stand on this debate? Do you think Miller’s story is simply a feminist retelling of a classic? Why would it be reductive to describe it as this?
It’s also not quite a “modern retelling”. The presenters noted how the writer perfectly pitched the language so it didn’t feel too modern or too archaic. Miller herself said: “I wasn't trying to write Circe's story in a modern way. I was trying to be true to her experience in the ancient world.” Did she succeed in this mission? When it comes to Greek myths, do you think today’s writers should try to replicate the same sort of language of the ancient Greeks or simply make the story as relatable to the modern day as possible?
The presenters praised the domesticity weaved into the story. “It adds a new texture, a very female texture to an old tale and it enriches it,” said Tabby. “It's very personal. You don't get a lot of that in The Odyssey, which describes great sweeping events.” What do you think Miller was trying to do by telling an epic story from an almost-domestic level?
Circe’s unique position between men and Gods means her story - fantastical but anchored in the everyday - has an element of magical realism to it, argued Dominic. In what ways can Circe be read through this prism?
Circe bears one mortal son and becomes “relatable as a mother” said Tabby. The scenes about motherhood are some of the most visceral and emotional. What was your experience of reading these chapters?
Over time Circe’s depiction has changed. In The Odyssey she was “more symbolic of supernatural temptation”, while during the Renaissance era she illustrated “emasculating female power and an allegory against greed and desire.” The Pre-Raphaelites? “They love a sexy witch and they can't get enough of Circe,” said the presenters.
Describe who you think Miller’s Circe is. Did you like her? What did you admire about her? If you were a fan of The Odyssey, has it changed how you see her within that tale?
The presenters discussed how in many ways, Circe is a coming-of-age story. How does Circe change over the course of the story? Miller has previously said her starting point for the narrative was the question: “Why are you turning men into pigs?” What did you think about the way Miller crafted Circe’s motivations and character development? Did you find her ending satisfying?
The quote that says it all
“I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands.”
Miller’s book flips the strengths of gods and men in her story and revels in the beauty of mortality and this quote summarises that power. But what quote stayed with you after you finished the book? Email us and let us know.
Who should you give this to?
Someone struggling with the doldrums of domestic life? A friend who’s never felt the magic of the Greek myths? A recent cinema-goer who thinks Odysseus is the ultimate hero? Tell us, who would you share this book with?
Recommended reads
We’re taking recommendations here to share with the Book Notes community. Tell us what book fellow members should pick up next by sending two or three sentences about your novel of choice and we’ll feature as many as we can in future weeks… Email [email protected].
Bart calls for people to try Grand Hotel Europa by the Dutch writer Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer. “A story woven around a broken romance and the search for a lost painting, it deals with many of the topics that haunt modern day Europe,” he says.
Wulf suggests another Italian master if you loved The Leopard - Italo Calvino, recommending his novels Invisible Cities and The Baron in the Trees.
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates should be next on your list, says Amy: “When I first read it, I was dissatisfied with my job and somewhat bored of my life. This book gave that feeling a voice, and expressed it perfectly in its deceptively simple, brutally honest style. This book reminds you that it is not always easy to take a different path, and it certainly pushes you to be brave and take risks before life passes you by. It has many other angles but I will leave you to discover them.”
Reviewers’ corner
We can’t wait to see your responses to Circe. Write in to [email protected] with ‘review’ in the subject line and tell us…
If Miller’s depiction of Circe added to your understanding of the Greek myths.
Whether you felt it should be described as a “feminist retelling”.
Now, here’s what you made of The Leopard…
Your polls
Last week, we asked you if Dominic was right to describe The Leopard as a “bit overwhelming” or whether you agreed with Tabby’s remarks that there is “humour and beauty” amid the darkness.
Tabby was, again, victorious with 77% of you agreeing with her.
We also asked for your The Leopard score. The winning number was 10/10, with 43% of the vote.
Alongside her score, Maria wrote: “In 200 hundred pages Lampedusa achieved as much (if not more) as Tolstoy in his 2,000 page War and Peace. The Leopard is one of my new favorites that I have already re-read twice and will probably do so again and again.”
Josh said: “Now that I’ve reached roughly the age at which the Prince stands at the height of his life, I found myself sympathizing with his reflections on aging, loss, and the passing of an era. Yet I also wished he had been more willing to embrace change and the possibilities of what might come next. His identity, like that of his class, was so deeply rooted in the past that neither he nor those around him could imagine adapting to the future.”
Peter agreed with Tabby too - but one on air comment left him horrified.
“Tabby's shocking disdain for the Garibaldi biscuit was alarming...luckily Peek Freans created the Bourbon biscuit...How does that rate?!”
Rich in power
Ugo writes in with what we’re taking as a challenge for our presenters. “Your analysis of The Leopard was absolutely brilliant and spot on,” he says. “I have read it five times! What’s more, I read it in Italian. The language is rich and has a power of both sound, rhythm and imagery that is unique. What most impressed me was that you saw through the cynical statement that has become a cliché: ‘Something must change, for everything to remain the same’. It didn’t remain the same and di Lampedusa points this out through the voice of the Prince. Italy never lived up to the promise. Few countries do.
“The Prince is one of the most awesome characters in fiction. His stately detachment and sure-footedness, lend a stately aura to this grand aristocrat. His cynicism is an element of his grandeur.”
Context is everything
Denise initially floundered when reading The Leopard. She says: “I found some of the passages sumptuous and engaging whilst, with other sections, I became lost at times.
“After listening to the podcast I’ve had a bit of a revelation and I’m inspired to reread at some point. I have always really enjoyed how you give us the author’s background, P.G. Wodehouse springs immediately to mind as well as Kenneth Grahame. I have found your discussion of The Leopard and more information on the historical backdrop fascinating this time. This has made me keen to reread. I feel that it was all there on the page in front of me, I did actually catch glimpses of it, and now I can go back and enjoy it completely. Generally I love reading the book before I listen to you, however I think this may be a case where I should have waited for your words of wisdom.”
Memories from 1963
“I very much enjoyed your episode on The Leopard which my history master recommended to the class in 1963,” writes Robert. “He said that the rooms in the palace could be seen as representing the different parts of Italy and how diverse they were - and still are. He thought the description of the death of Don Fabrizio was as good as Tolstoy. I have read The Leopard twice and you have inspired me to read it again. Thank you.
“I noted with interest the similarities mentioned between The Leopard and Mrs Dalloway. I haven't read Mrs Dalloway and I feel intimidated by Virginia Woolf. Should I be? I read a comment somewhere, to the effect, ‘Who cares what happens to Mrs Dalloway?’ If that remark is justified, then I'll cross Mrs D off my to do list without feeling guilty, because I really need to care about the characters.”
Wodehouse rebellion
We had to share this gem of a story from John, who wrote in after our Code of the Woosters episode to say: “My mother was a huge P.G. Wodehouse fan and I also became one too. When my mother was in school, she used to sneak into the staff room to read the Jeeves and Wooster books that one of her teachers used to have and then she would carefully put the bookmark back in the correct place for fear of her subterfuge being discovered. I suppose her childhood self thought that she would get in trouble for this act, when I’m sure in fact the teacher would have been so thrilled that someone also loved those books in the same way.”
Scoreboard
Book | Dominic’s Verdict | Tabby’s Verdict |
|---|---|---|
Circe | 9/10 | 10/10 |
The Wind in the Willows | 10/10 | 8/10 |
A Game of Thrones | 8/10 | 8/10 |
Little Women | 7/10 | 5/10 |
The Code of the Woosters | 11/10 | 10/10 |
Next on The Book Club
If you or your book club want to read ahead, here’s what’s coming up…
July 28: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
August 4: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
August 11: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
August 18: For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
August 25: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
September 1: Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Keeping score
This week, Tabby gave Circe 10 terrifying Minotaur babies out of 10 🐂 and Dominic opted for 9. What score would you give it?
See you next week for The Thirty-Nine Steps.
The Book Club Team
