Does it surprise you that one of the most popular and critically acclaimed books of the last few years is a straight-up retelling of ancient Greek myth? It’s not a revision or a version set in the modern world. Nor is it even an ever-popular deconstruction. It’s simply a novelization of some of the most famous Greek myths. We see some of the favorites, including Jason and the golden fleece, Theseus and the Minotaur, and the Odyssey.
The only new touch is that it’s told from the point of view of Circe, an unexpected choice, to say the least.
So what’s the big deal about Circe by Madeline Miller? Predictably, all you have to do is put the label “a feminist version” on anything, and a lot of people get excited. Sometimes (Finding Baba Yaga, I’m looking at you!) that’s a good reason for me to avoid something. But I was curious when I heard about it, and the bits I read were quite beautiful. So when I had an extra audible credit (after returning a horrible book filled with anti-Russian caricatures), I tried it out.
I’m glad I did. Yes, you could argue it’s a feminist fable. However, although initially it almost sank under the weight of its ideological pretensions, at the critical point, it became a beautiful story. Except for the ending…
Ultimately, does it satisfy that hunger for myth that all people, in all centuries, seem to have? And what it is about those myths that continues to make them popular, even today? I talk about these questions, and even consider Tolkien’s views on fairy tales, in my latest video review.
If you like to listen while doing other, more important things, I’ve uploaded the audio here as well:
If you enjoy my rambling (or not), let me know your thoughts.
Want to sample my own fiction? I have a lighthearted tale for you to start with. Enter your email below and I’ll send you a comic fantasy short featuring an epic standoff between a possibly predatory mermaid, a bunch of crazy Cossacks, and a sheltered seminarian.