“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.”
Book club failed me this time. Normally, if you’ve seen my earlier blogs, I’ll initially dislike a book, stick with it to the end, and be glad I did so because the story turned into something amazing. Not this time. Instead, I still wish I didn’t waste my time and had stopped at the 25% mark and not regretted it.
But like I said, it’s book club and I have to finish those.
Maybe it’s not having to read the book that makes me so mad, but the fact that it came so highly recommended and people gushed over the brilliant prose. What did everyone else see that I didn’t?
“It was their favorite bitter joke: those who fight against prophecy only draw it more tightly around their throats.”
In a world where the gods walk amongst us, Circe is born with no place of her own. Though birthed to one of the most powerful Titans, she’s left to drift with no power or beauty to carry her through life. So she waits. One night the tides turn when one of their own is punished. That same night Circe defies all those around her, setting her own path - from one crazy ill-thought decision to the next - all leading to her exile for eternity alone, but now with power, where she watches history shape itself.
Looking at the title, you can assume that the book is about Circe. We get the facts about her; human voice, witch, and exiled. That’s all folks. She was the worst character ever. Her actions weren’t explained because the reader was never really let into who she was. Circe drifts throughout the story letting things happen to her. Only twice does she do something for herself - once at the beginning and once at the end. And again, those decisions make no sense whatsoever. In the end, she was a martyr who didn’t matter in the entire story. Seriously. I wasn’t given one reason to love her.
“He does not mean that it does not hurt. He does not mean that we are not frightened. Only that: we are here. This is what it means to swim in the tide, walk on the earth and feel it touch your feet. This is what it means to be alive.”
On top of that, Circe flows at such a breakneck speed, there’s never a chance to delve in and savor the moment.
The writing was less than thrilling. Told instead of shown, Circe starts before her birth and ends thousands of years later. Littered throughout are tiny stories that don’t connect too well. There is no overall plot for the reader to sink their teeth in. It’s just Circe recounting her past and leaving out any prose that can consume the reader, leave them lost in the world and wanting more. If you need a lesson on showing not telling, here is what not to do.
And if you’re a writer and have watched the Brandon Sanderson’s lectures on Youtube, you know when I say this was a poorly painted stained glass window.
“That is one thing gods and mortals share. When we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world.”
Circe spans a millenia. Gods and humans drift in and out of the story like the wind. Some describe this story as an intro to Greek mythology, but no one god sticks around long enough to make sense. A couple were describe in a little more depth, at least enough to help the reader along with the story. The rest were mere pawns in the background, added as more celebrity icons then actual roles in the story. Even the humans that make it into the story don’t make a lick of sense.
What even happened in the book?
If I’m supposed to care about the decision Circe makes in the end, I need so much more to grab onto.
“But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.”
Don’t do it people. Don’t fall into the trap. I could go on and on forever on how this book was not only not my jam, but was littered with problems. I get there are no real rules, but there is setting your readers in a world they can grasp. A world where they can feel the walls, breathe the air, and care for the very characters you’ve spent so long creating.
Circe will be getting 2 stars out of five.
On the flip side, this is the book that got me to my reading goal. Now time to see how many more I can add.
Happy Reading.
Love Kait
Reading Challenge: 103/100