Novelist Madeline Miller sees Homer's Odyssey through Circe's eyes

Author Madeline Miller's deep fascination with the sorceress Circe has led to the character becoming the lead in her book

Madeline Miller took about seven years to write Circe, her sophomore take on Homer.
Madeline Miller took about seven years to write Circe, her sophomore take on Homer. PHOTOS: NINA SUBIN, BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING
Madeline Miller took about seven years to write Circe, her sophomore take on Homer.
Madeline Miller took about seven years to write Circe, her sophomore take on Homer. PHOTOS: NINA SUBIN, BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING
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In the #MeToo era, what more appropriate heroine than a woman who can literally turn men into pigs?

When it came to her second novel, American author Madeline Miller knew who her narrator would be: Circe, arguably the first witch in Western literature.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 17, 2018, with the headline Novelist Madeline Miller sees Homer's Odyssey through Circe's eyes. Subscribe