Characters

• Circe: The protagonist, a goddess and witch who is exiled to the island of Aiaia. She is the daughter of Helios and develops powerful magical abilities.
• Helios: Circe's father, the Titan god of the sun. He is powerful but dismissive of Circe.
• Perse: Circe's mother, a naiad nymph known for her beauty but cruel to her daughter.
• Aeëtes: Circe's younger brother who becomes a powerful sorcerer and king.
• Pasiphaë: Circe's sister, who becomes queen of Crete and mother of the Minotaur.
• Glaucos: A mortal fisherman Circe falls in love with and transforms into a god.
• Scylla: A nymph Circe transforms into a monster out of jealousy.
• Hermes: The Olympian god who visits Circe on her island and becomes her lover.
• Odysseus: The hero of the Trojan War who stays on Circe's island for a year and fathers her son.
• Telegonus: Circe's son with Odysseus, who accidentally kills his father.
• Penelope: Odysseus's wife who later comes to live on Aiaia with Circe.
• Telemachus: Odysseus's son with Penelope, who falls in love with Circe.

Quick facts

• The novel took Miller nearly 10 years to write and research.
• It debuted at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list.
• Circe has been translated into over 30 languages.
• Miller drew inspiration from various ancient Greek texts beyond Homer's Odyssey.
• The book won the 2019 Indie Choice Award for Adult Fiction.
• An 8-episode TV adaptation is in development for HBO Max.
• Miller wrote much of the novel while teaching high school Latin and Greek.
• The audiobook is narrated by English actress Perdita Weeks.
• Circe was Miller's second novel, following her debut The Song of Achilles.
• The novel explores themes of feminism, mortality, and the nature of divinity.

About the author

Madeline Miller, born in 1978 in Boston, is an accomplished American novelist known for her modern retellings of Greek mythology. With degrees in Classics from Brown University, Miller spent over a decade teaching Latin, Greek, and Shakespeare to high school students while honing her craft as a writer. Her passion for classical texts and their adaptation to modern forms led her to further studies at the University of Chicago and Yale School of Drama.

Miller's debut novel, The Song of Achilles, was published in 2011 after ten years of writing. This reimagining of Homer's Iliad focuses on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. The book's critical acclaim culminated in winning the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction in 2012, establishing Miller as a formidable new voice in literary fiction.

Her second novel, Circe, released in 2018, further solidified Miller's reputation as a master of mythological realism. This feminist retelling of the story of the witch-goddess Circe became an instant bestseller and garnered numerous accolades, including the Indies Choice Best Adult Fiction of the Year Award. Miller's ability to breathe new life into ancient tales has resonated with readers worldwide, with her works being translated into over 25 languages.

Miller also regularly writes essays for various publications and released a short story, Galatea. Her writing style, characterized by its blend of classical scholarship and contemporary sensibilities, continues to captivate audiences. As of 2023, Miller was working on her next novel about the goddess Persephone, further exploring her niche in reimagining Greek mythology for modern readers.