This Is Beautiful: Traveling

 I'm trying to stay positive about this, I'm at a conference this week. Of course I'm also losing it over the election, but I'm trying to enjoy the change of scenery and all that. It's nice to explore somewhere new, I'll probably write about it soon, and just take an excuse to have a bit of a break!

“Circe” by Madeline Miller

I had been meaning to pick this book up at some point, finally got around to it when I picked it up on a whim from my library. It was a really cool and interesting read, despite my fascination with Percy Jackson I am not the biggest buff of Greek mythology anymore and this was riveting.

Circe follows the story of the titular witch throughout her life, starting with her being born as a nymph to the sun Tital Helios. She is overlooked by her family and actively bullied, until she discovers these plants that have magical powers to transform individuals. She first uses it to transform a man she likes into a god, and then when he favors a different nymph, she transforms her rival into the monster Scylla. After that she turns herself in and is banished to an island. While there, she comes into her own as a witch and bends the island to her will.

The first time she leaves the island she is bidden to help her sister give birth. Daedalus comes to fetch her and they return together. There her sister gives birth to the Minotaur and Circe is able to meet the characters from the myth. She advises Daedalus on how to constrain the monster, and he gifts her a loom.

Then men start coming to her island. She welcomes the first group, but when they learn she’s alone the captain rapes her and she turns them all into pigs. She does this to all crews that come by, until she meets Odysseus. He convinces her to return his crew and they stay on the island for a while. Eventually though, he has to leave, and Circe bears a son as soon as he goes. Eventually, her son wants to leave and meet his father so she sends him off with a poisonous spear for protection. When he returns though, tragedy has struck and Odysseus poisoned himself when trying to grab the spear. He returns with Odysseus’ wife and original son, who stay and get to know Circe. Athena then returns to the island and offers Odysseus’ first son the chance to become a king, he refuses. Circe’s son takes his place. Circe then convinces her father to end her exile and she travels around with Odysseus’ son trying to right her wrongs. The book ends with her taking those original flowers and becoming mortal.

Now the book is a really cool read, it combines a bunch of myths together that Circe witnesses or plays a role in. Because in the original stories, she is only in the Odyssey and even then most of her motives and personality is shadowed. We don’t know why she turns men into pigs, or why she eventually helps Odysseus get home. There are many more beyond the ones I mentioned here, Media and Jason make an appearance, among others. The result is an incredible weaving together of stories, linked by Circe’s life and perspective.

Circe is a very sympathetic character here, we see her bullied throughout her life and we hear her scorn the Titans and the gods alike. When she comes into her power and starts turning men into pigs, you end up cheering her on. Having said that, she is always sympathetic to mortals and is one of the few immortals to actually morn them, so we are predisposed to like her.

My only gripe is with the ending. I do love that it comes full circle and she uses her first source of magic to become mortal, that’s all very nice. But it also says that she then marries Odysseus’ first son and they have kids together and just. Ewww? Like she gave birth to his brother, I know that these myths play fast and loose with all that but the book also very much uses modern morals throughout it. And that is just a little too much for me.

It was a fun read, makes me want to read The Song of Achilles by Miller as well. Hopefully I get around to it eventually!