Something clicked after reading the last 50 pages of Circe twice

I used to hate books with a slow burn. Last month my book club picked Circe by Madeline Miller and I almost skipped the meeting. But around page 200 something changed - the way she described watching mortals from her island over centuries made me see the whole point. Time felt different to her, small human dramas looked huge then tiny, and I finally got why the pacing was like that. It took me about 3 evenings to finish the last third once it clicked. Has anyone else had a book suddenly make sense way later than you expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

veramartin28d ago

Setting up a really pretty Instagram filter" - come on, that's HARSH. I actually think those first 200 pages are the WHOLE point of the book. The slow pacing IS the message. You're supposed to feel restless and bored because that's EXACTLY how Circe feels watching mortals from her island. Once I realized the boredom was deliberate, it made the whole thing ten times more powerful. The ending hits harder because you EARNED it by sitting through the slow parts, same way Circe earned her transformation after centuries of isolation.

brookethomas28d ago

Are you sure it wasn't just the relief of finally getting to the good part? I read that book and it felt like the first 200 pages were just her setting up a really pretty Instagram filter over the story. The whole "time feels different to a god" thing works if you're in a philosophy mood, but honest to god, I was just waiting for something to actually happen. Don't get me wrong, the ending is great and all, but I feel like people act like it's some deep revelation when it's really just a slow author who hits her stride late.