Circe by Madeline Miller is a fictional, embellished account of the Greek god, Circe. Wait. How can a fictional god, who is fiction in the first place, be "fictional and embellished"? Well, the author is skilled and inspired. Madeline Miller weaves a tale that holds your interest and curiosity to continue to read.
The story is about the birth of Circe by Perses, her mother, and Helios, her father. Perses is a niad and Helios is god of the sun, which makes Circe, a nymph. All these gods are dysfunctional. They are very fickle. Circe seems different. She tries to be compassionate and fair. Eventionally, however, she crosses the line when she turns her sister into a sea monster. For this, she is sent into exile, forever.
Turning her sister into a sea monster was the first time that Circe learned that she had a talent for witchcraft. Exiled to an island, she honed her craft. A few sailors come to her island. One of them is Odysseus and she has a child by him. The child grows up and inadvertently kills his father. His brother and stepmother come to the island and the four of them live together.
Athena, who was patron of Odysseus comes to offer his legitimate son, a kingdom. He doesn't have the temperament to want it. Circe's son claims it.
Yes, the book is a hit. It is well written. But I hate these Greek gods. Even though I'm reading a good story, I can't help but feel that I am wasting my time reading about fickle gods. Thank God, I have the One True God who loves me. I trust Him to turn all the bad into good. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. You couldn't trust those Greek gods. My Trinitarian God is the One, True, God.
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