The portrayal of Circe in the Odyssey is actually infuriating, she’s a beautiful nymph who lures Odysseus into bed (what else did women do in ancient times, even powerful witches) and turns his men into pigs. She uses her womanly charms to distract our innocent hero from his journey home to his wife. She is supposed to represent the dangers of excessive pleasure and comfort, and by giving her a story, by giving her a voice, Miller succeeds in creating a character that is more than a footnote in a mans quest.
Category: book blog
2021 Reading Update
Now that we’ve passed the middle point of the year (July 2nd, unless its a leap year) I thought I’d share my reading update. I set myself an arbitrary goal of 50 books this year, there’s a blog post on my reasoning (or lack of) if you’re interested, so I thought this might be the perfect time to update you on my progress.
Cut from the Same Cloth? Muslim Women on Life in Britain | Edited by Sabeena Akhtar
“Riot, Write, Rest: On Writing as a Muslimah” by Sumaya Kassim. “we are more than just anthropologists of whiteness; we have lives outside other people’s fantasies of us” Sumaya shares her struggles as a writer always aware of the expectation society has of her and the limited archetype of Muslim women. She writes “whatever you fight, you strengthen. Whatever you resist, persists. When we work hard to humanise ourselves, the battle is already lost.” Her insights into the creative industry alongside her personal and spiritual journey gives credence to her belief that writing is revolutionary, especially as a Muslim women.
This Hybrid Reads 