BOOK REPORT - MADELINE MILLER: CIRCE

AUTHOR
Madeline Miller is an American novelist and author of The Song of Achilles and Circe. She was born on 24
July 1978 in Boston and grew up in New York and Philadelphia. After graduating from Brown
University with a bachelor's and master's in Classics, she then went on to teach Latin, Greek, and
Shakespeare to high school students. So currenty, she is writing and teaching.
BOOK SUMMARY
Circe is born a God, the daughter of Helios (a Titan and Sun God) and Perse (a water nymph). However,
she lacks the powers of her siblings and is less beautiful. They treat her unkindly, except for Aeëtes, but he
is granted a kingdom and leaves.
Circe falls in love with Glaucos, a mortal fisherman. In hopes of making Glaucos immortal, Circe learns
about illicit Pharmaka, herbs with power that only grow where Gods have fallen. She transforms Glaucos
into a Sea-God, but he soon becomes infatuated with the beautiful but malicious Scylla and plans to marry
her. Circe turns Scylla into a sea monster, but it fails to win back Glaucos.
Circe is exiled to the empty island of Aiaia for her use of witchcraft, and there she acquires her knowledge
of herbs and magic. One day, Daedalus, a famed mortal craftsman, arrives at Aiaia, requesting help
for Pasiphaë, Circe's sister. In Knossos, Pasiphaë gives birth to a Minotaur. Circe uses magic to manage its
hunger, and Daedalus builds it a labyrinthine cage. Daedalus is forced to help because they have his son,
Icarus. Daedalus later tries to build wings to help his son escape Knossos, but Icarus flies too close to the
sun and dies. Daedalus later dies from old age.
Later, Alke, the daughter of a lesser river lord, is sent to serve Circe, now known as the Witch of Aiaia, as a
punishment. Soon, others adopt the idea and send their troublesome daughters there, too. One day,
sailors show up. Circe offers them food, but the captain attacks her so she turns them into pigs.
One day, Odysseus and his men arrive. He has an herb that prevents Circe from harming him. She finds him
charming, sleeps with him and promises not to harm him. For a year, he stays as he mends his ship. Circe
knows he is married, but she yearns for him to stay. Before he leaves, Circe sends him to a prophet and
warns about the obstacles in his trip home.
But Circe is pregnant and her mortal son, Telegonus, is soon born. Athena wants the child dead and offers
her eternal blessings in exchange, but Circe refuses. Instead, Circe uses powerful magic to protect the
island. Telegonus grows up, but longs to visit his father. Circe finally relents and helps him gather
protections for the journey. She acquires a deadly weapon, the tail of Trygon.
Telegonus leaves for Ithaca, but returns quickly because Odysseus is dead. Odysseus misunderstood his
intentions and fought him instead, scratching himself on the Trygon's tail. Circe realizes that Athena
wanted Telegonus dead to prevent this. Telegonus has also brought Telemachus (Odysseus’s other son)
and Penelope (Odysseus’s wife) to the island. Circe uses her magic to protect them, but Athena makes her
demands. She wants Telemachus to leave and start an empire, but he has no desire for glory and power.
However, Telegonus accepts the offer instead.
With Telegonus gone, Circe calls for her father, demanding that he releases her from exile. Free to leave,
Circe and Telemachus go to turn Scylla into stone, and Penelope becomes an expert on herbs and becomes
the Witch of Aiaia instead. The book ends with Circe making a potion to bring forth her true self. She then
has a vision of herself as a mortal, growing old with Telemachus. She drinks the potion.