Ratings: 4 Stars
Mythology has always been an integral part of my life. Having read many, many reinterpretations of Ramayana and Mahabharata – I somehow have never been tired of reading one more take on it!
Percy Jackson introduced me to the Greek Mythology, and since then I have always wondered on the similarity in the Gods between the two cultures. Indra and Zeus, king of the heavens (& Olympus), with thunderbolt and their hauteur and their libido; Narada and Hermes – messenger Gods and tricksters both; Athena and Saraswati, Kartikeya & Ares – it makes we wonder whether we shared the same source and whether they have transmuted to their current forms like two distributaries of a river.
Of course, I have been stalking Umang’s reading list – and ‘Circe’ from Madeline Miller caught my attention. On a primary level, it is indeed a fascinating read and had the same grip on me as a reader as Percy Jackson series. It followed the tried and tested formula of packing an event per chapter so that the reader looks forward to what’s coming next. Though fatigue sets in the later-half of the book, as Miller stretches what might have been just a 2-line summary in Odyssey or other classical texts about Circe’s later part of life.
One level deeper, the author has upended the classical text and written from the perspective of Circe who I believe wasn’t looked up to in ‘Odyssey’. It’s not a unique premise as we already have reinterpretations of Mahabharata and Ramayana from the perspective of Duryodhana and Ravana. Though the difference it, and I might be biased but the Indian texts from the point of view of antagonists comes across as nothing more than apologist which gleans over their many faults to portray them in a positive light – I haven’t particularly enjoyed this devil’s advocate approach. Odyssey seems to be a fight between equals as far as the moral compass is concerned, while in Ramayana & Mahabharata – whatever the background, Kauravas and Lankapati had more foibles and had done more wrong than the other side. They had darker shades – whatever lens you choose to look at them from.
But Circe is a much more complex and intriguing character, and her portrayal in the book is quite convincing. I do look upon her as a heroine who was wronged all her life. Like all mythologies, a hero’s life is filled with pathos, tragedy striking at every corner – whether it’s Odysseus or Yudhisthira or as in this case Circe. There might never be a happily ever after in their lives. And Circe had suffered a lot. It’s only through her obstinate tenacity that she achieved what she had fought for all her life: taking charge of her own destiny. Gods are cruel, and she held out on her own against them. She also held out against the ravaging men by turning them into pigs! Circe fights against the imbalance in the power between men and women, and the feminist take on the classical text is quite remarkable.
It’s indeed a wonderful book to read, whether you are looking for a page-turner or something to ponder upon!
Alienman 