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.
Reckless | R.J. McBrien
She’s not necessarily a likable lead, but she is certainly relatable on many levels. Her frustrations with her husband and marriage, her relationship with her teenage daughter and her desire to want more with her life, whilst also holding on to the things that she knows she should be grateful for. And here lies what I found specifically interesting about the book. The exploration of desires verses morality and the idea of being “grateful” especially as a woman, at the expense of our own happiness.
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.
