Circe

This was incredible! Miller somehow managed to meld an eons-long epic with an intensely personal character study, told in an improbable synthesis of Homeric and modern language. She generally uses quite simple and relatable phrasing, but also employs her own version of classical epithets (think “wine-dark sea” and “bright-eyed Athena”), and generally crafts her prose so you just feel that this is a goddess speaking, not a mere mortal.

The story is somewhat long, and sometimes languid, but it never drags. We get a sense of Circe's timeless isolation, but with a compulsion to turn the page and find out what happens next.

Fans of Greek mythology will be delighted to see so many tales woven (heh) so skillfully into this first-person account. Miller really made old stories come alive for me, as well as filling me in on details I had never encountered before. I also felt her representation of gods and their otherness was outstanding - the gods are freaking scary and capricious, and Circe's journey away from their point of view is compelling. (I guess some purists might protest at license taken with some of the ancient characters, but I highly recommend simply accepting this as one of many iterations on these myths.)

A special shout-out to the audio book, read with beautiful skill by Perdita Weeks. She absolutely makes Circe come to life, and is just mellifluous and pleasant to listen to as well!