CirceCirce
Score Modern
What it's about
In the house of Helios, god of the sun, a strange daughter is born: not powerful like her father nor alluring like her mother. Circe turns to mortals for company and discovers she has a power of her own, witchcraft, that can turn rivals into monsters and threaten the gods themselves. Zeus banishes her to an island, where she hones her craft and crosses paths with mythology's most famous figures, from the Minotaur and Daedalus to Odysseus.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Women's Prize for Fiction finalist and has spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It turns a minor witch from the Odyssey into one of fiction's most memorable heroines.
You'll love it if you liked
The Song of Achilles
Piranesi
The Night CircusGood to know
You don't need to know the myths. It's lyrical and slow-burning, a life story told over centuries rather than an action novel.
By the numbers
- Readers87 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller78 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz10 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #18 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #20 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #77 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #144 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Epic
More by Madeline Miller
If you like this, read next
The Underground Railroad
A Tale for the Time Being
The Book of Night Women
There There
The Snow Child
Cloud Cuckoo LandExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Circe worth reading?
Yes. It was a Women's Prize for Fiction finalist and has spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #144 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 85.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Circe about?
In the house of Helios, god of the sun, a strange daughter is born: not powerful like her father nor alluring like her mother. Circe turns to mortals for company and discovers she has a power of her own, witchcraft, that can turn rivals into monsters and threaten the gods themselves. Zeus banishes her to an island, where she hones her craft and crosses paths with mythology's most famous figures, from the Minotaur and Daedalus to Odysseus.
How long does it take to read Circe?
About 10 hours (400 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Circe?
If you liked it, try The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke or The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.