Bailey's/Orange Women's Fiction Group discussion

Our June book is Circe by Madeline Miller.
Circe is a character from classical mythology. As in her earlier book about Achilles, the author has fleshed out the story by imagining what the character might have been thinking and feeling.

Reviews:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/28/bo...

I read this one earlier this year so won't be rereading it. I loved it though not as much as The Song of Achilles but still very good. Her writing is just so wonderful.

I read the first one and have the audio of this. I enjoyed the first one but was surprised by it!

I read this some time back (audio) and enjoyed it well enough at the time, but it hasn't really stuck with me.

Have given up! Listened to about an hour but just not for me at all.

I read this in March. It was good but I preferred Miller’s Song of Achilles. I think that was because it addressed all the things that I disliked about Homer’s The Iliad.

I hope you enjoy the next one more, Penny.

I’m about halfway through. I agree with others that it’s not as compelling as her earlier novel. I love the way she interprets the mythology but the storytelling feels a bit slow moving. I’ll check back in once I finish.

I also liked Song of Achilles better but I still really enjoyed this one. But I agree, the other story is stronger.

I read it a few months ago and loved it. I do think the first part was rather slow, especially as it referred to so many mythical characters and events. Once Circe got to the island though I thought it was great. What a character! She certainly put some of those legendary ‘heroes’ in their place. I think she accomplished the telling of legend from a female point of view rather more successfully than Pat Barker did with ‘Silence of the Girls’.

Yes, i think Circe is a stronger female character than (I forget her name) the MC in Silnce of the Girls. Much more so.

Pat Barker was trying to do something different, not telling a legend from a female point of view so much as using a legend to show the powerlessness of women during any war. The emphasis is different, although both books are giving a 'voice' to women mentioned in a male narrative. Circe is a powerful character in the original; Briseis is a spoil of war.

Yes, you are right. I was being a bit simplistic. However, I still think ‘Circe’ is the more powerful book, although I liked and enjoyed both. I think the idea in ‘Silence of the Girls’ of putting the male at the centre of some of the narration was possibly a mistake.

I liked and enjoyed both as well. I think 'Circe' is the better written book, but put 'The Silence of the Girls' higher in my list for this prize because relevance to contemporary women's issues is one of the things the juries look for.

I'm only now reading Circe ( a month late ;) ).... I am almost done and I am really enjoying it. I've always had a soft spot for Greek Mythology.

Have you read her other book, The Song of Achilles? If you enjoy this one you will surely enjoy that one as well.