Madeline Miller

A breathtakingly original rendering of the Trojan War, winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012.

The Song of Achilles

Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles.

Achilles, “best of all the Greeks,” is everything Patroclus is not—strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess—and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative connection gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper—despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

Victoria

'If he is dead, I will not be far behind.'

There is nothing that could cause Achilles greater anguish than this: being betrayed to his worst enemy by the man he holds closest to his heart.

I do not know this man, I think. He is no one I have ever seen before. My rage towards him is hot as blood. I will never forgive him. I imagine tearing down our tent, smashing the lyre, stabbing myself in the stomach and bleeding to death. I want to see his face broken with grief and regret. I want to shatter the cold mask of stone that has slipped down over the boy I knew.

Perhaps in some other life I could have refused, could have torn my hair and screamed, and made him face his choice alone. But not in this one. He would sail to Troy and I would follow, even into death.

When he died, all things swift and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.

His fame must be worth the life he paid for it

I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.

We reached for each other, and I thought of how many nights I had lain awake in this room loving him in silence.

And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth, when another is gone

Those seconds, half seconds, that the line of our gaze connected, were the only moment in my day that I felt anything at all.

In the moonlight, I could just make out the shape of his face, sculptor-perfect, across the room. His lips were parted slightly, an arm thrown carelessly above his head. He looked different in sleep, beautiful but cold as moonlight. I found myself wishing he would wake so that I might watch the life return.

Greece in the age of Heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. Achilles, 'best of all the Greeks', is everything Patroclus is not - strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess - and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative companionship gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel and deathly pale sea goddess with a hatred of mortals. Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate. Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.

a. 💫

Will you come with me?" he asked. The never-ending ache of love and sorrow. Perhaps in some other life I could have refused, could have torn my hair and screamed, and made him face his choice alone. But not in this one. He would sail to Troy and I would follow, even into death. "Yes, I whispered. "Yes."

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful— irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath. They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

A Novel

cassie

"Your honor could be darkened by it." "Then it is darkened." His jaw shot forward, stubborn. "They are fools if they let my glory rise or fall on this." "But Odysseus — “ His eyes, green as spring leaves, met mine. “Patroclus. I have given enough to them. I will not give them this.”

But when I tried to speak them, I found I could not. His cheeks were flushed with shame, and the skin beneath his eyes was weary. His trust was a part of himn, as much as his hands or his miraculous feet. And despite my hurt, I would not wish to See it gone, to see him as uneasy and fearful as the rest of us, for any price.

A surety rose in me, lodged in my throat. I will never leave him. It will be this, always, for as long as he will let me.

There is no law that gods must be fair, Achilles," Chiron said. “And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone. Do you think?" 

I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. 

He paused now, Considering. l loved this about him. No matter how many times I had asked, he answered me as if it were the first time.

For who can be ashamed to lose to such beauty?

A Deluxe, Exclusive Hardcover Edition of the #1 New York Times Bestseller

A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer's enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller's monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction's brightest lights—and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.

Barnes & Noble Edition 

The song of Achilles 

Kat 

We are all there, goddess and mortal and the boy who was both. 

telly

my first audiobook!!!! shocked it didn’t make me cry but powerful nonetheless. some really great commentary about legacy. was also thinking about this in terms of a film adaptation bc of Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey, and I honestly think it would hit harder on the big screen. 

Brynn Sklar

Heartbreakingly beautiful character building and breaking

Jordan

It was underwhelming for how much people have raved about it.

Liz Hunsaker

absolutely amazing book. madeline miller's prose and storytelling is just exquisite. despite forever altering the perception of achilles & patroclus as mythological figures and their very much subtext in the odyssey itself in both positive and negative ways—on its own it's absolutely spectacular. it's just better to view tsoa patrochilles and the odyssey patrochilles as two very different pairings. all in all: amazing book, amazing read. have reread this book multiple times.

Eden Morley

MY FAVORITE BOOK EVER, I love mythology and this aspect of this story is so dear to me especially because I’m Lgbtqia+ too, the end was heartbreaking but so well written, I currently rereading ;)))

Eva mores 

Heart broken. Perfect example for an unreliable narrator.  

hanna

when he says I love you but Achilles once said "

I would recognize you in total darkness, were you mute and I deaf. I would recognize you in another lifetime entirely, in different bodies, different times. And I would love you in all of this, until the very last star in the sky burnt out into oblivion

Hannah L 

when he says I love you but Achilles once said "I would recognize you in total darkness, were you mute and I deaf. I would recognize you in another lifetime entirely, in different bodies, different times. And I would love you in all of this, until the very last star in the sky burnt out into oblivion"🥹

I cried a river over this book. I love how beautiful the imagery and descriptions are. The author just has such a way with words and even though the end was predictable it did not soften the blow whatsoever. 

I just think that in the actual mythology there was no reason to think that Patroclus was feminine in any way, or any less of a fighter than the rest of the soldiers. I just didn't really like the pushing for this stereotype that queer relationships need to be masculine and feminine instead of them both being able to be masculine like in the mythology. I understand this could be a style choice, but it rubbed me the wrong way a little bit. 

Montana Langille

I cried a river over this book. I love how beautiful the imagery and descriptions are. The author just has such a way with words and even though the end was predictable it did not soften the blow whatsoever. 

I just think that in the actual mythology there was no reason to think that Patroclus was feminine in any way, or any less of a fighter than the rest of the soldiers. I just didn't really like the pushing for this stereotype that queer relationships need to be masculine and feminine instead of them both being able to be masculine like in the mythology. I understand this could be a style choice, but it rubbed me the wrong way a little bit. 

I thought I'd never read this book in my life. Well, you heard it here first (not), never say never; thanks to my resurging obsession towards the classics and Hellenism. I was informed it reads like a fanfiction, and it does, but it didn't take away the enjoyment from me. Dare I say it rather piqued my interest more as I kept reading, informing me of the customs back then, if only in passing.

I knew how the story would go, how it would end, because by now who hasn't heard of Homer's epic poems? So I thought I wouldn't cry at the end. Wrong. My heart is wrung out and my tears got milked out of me, to the very last drop. Achilles wasn't the best, not with how the last years of the war dragged on, his pride was the very first priority of his until it hit him that it wasn't. He'd truly turned a blind eye on what actually mattered most to him, letting his beloved walk into his demise. I truly don't know what to say, every word I want to say is knocked out of me, I'm just lethargic. The prose sucked the energy out of me. A haunting piece of literature.

mikki

I thought I'd never read this book in my life. Well, you heard it here first (not), never say never; thanks to my resurging obsession towards the classics and Hellenism. I was informed it reads like a fanfiction, and it does, but it didn't take away the enjoyment from me. Dare I say it rather piqued my interest more as I kept reading, informing me of the customs back then, if only in passing.

I knew how the story would go, how it would end, because by now who hasn't heard of Homer's epic poems? So I thought I wouldn't cry at the end. Wrong. My heart is wrung out and my tears got milked out of me, to the very last drop. Achilles wasn't the best, not with how the last years of the war dragged on, his pride was the very first priority of his until it hit him that it wasn't. He'd truly turned a blind eye on what actually mattered most to him, letting his beloved walk into his demise. I truly don't know what to say, every word I want to say is knocked out of me, I'm just lethargic. The prose sucked the energy out of me. A haunting piece of literature.

Patroclus didn't have much character development; I don't feel his chemistry with Achilles except as a friend. But the fantasy aspect is my favorite! Especially when they're on the adventure to the island, I like the mix of playfulness and seriousness.

catto fishu

started this book when i first got into mythology and i thought i was going to learn new things abt the trojan war... ended up crying over 2 gay dudes. even better 

xie lian fr

i studied latin back in school and my teacher always used to be like achilles was very very gay. whenever she brought up these two she was like they were totally into each other. back then i was like 12 and did not care about mythology or the illiad.

however, madeline miller’s retelling proved my teacher right. and wowwowowowowowow is this retelling amazing??? i sobbed my eyes out during the whole third act like wow. what a well written and beautifully told romantic tragedy. my favorite part is how miller was able to convey the relationship between achilles and patroclus. she never went to great detail of their relationship and they never tell each other i love you. but in the small interactions and descriptions miller gives you can see and feel the love between them which was just so nice and it just made me want to hope for the best for them, even though i sadly knew how this tale was going to end. 

anyway highly recommend, if madeline miller was around when i was 12, i would have liked the illiad and been more interested in my latin studies lol. 

alice l

i studied latin back in school and my teacher always used to be like achilles was very very gay. whenever she brought up these two she was like they were totally into each other. back then i was like 12 and did not care about mythology or the illiad.

however, madeline miller’s retelling proved my teacher right. and wowwowowowowowow is this retelling amazing??? i sobbed my eyes out during the whole third act like wow. what a well written and beautifully told romantic tragedy. my favorite part is how miller was able to convey the relationship between achilles and patroclus. she never went to great detail of their relationship and they never tell each other i love you. but in the small interactions and descriptions miller gives you can see and feel the love between them which was just so nice and it just made me want to hope for the best for them, even though i sadly knew how this tale was going to end. 

anyway highly recommend, if madeline miller was around when i was 12, i would have liked the illiad and been more interested in my latin studies lol. 

˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶

maybe i am too nitpicky, but the author could’ve done so much more with this plot. now it’s just drawn out and boring....

aahir

maybe i am too nitpicky, but the author could’ve done so much more with this plot. now it’s just drawn out and boring....



this book has a lot of flaws. some would say the one dimensional depiction of the characters, the "lack of realism" concerning the formation and development of the main relationship between the two boys, how drawn out this book is; all of those are excusable and even defendable to me. the only glaring flaw that does tick me off is the pretty lazy and immature disregard for characters, especially female, and their role in patroclus and achilles' story; relegated to villains or side characters, when in the original myths they mean so much more, not just to the narrative, but also the boys. also just how the boys are scrubbed clean of any moral ambiguity or cruelty they themselves had in order to be more palatable to modern readers. there is a certain shallowness to the characters, and a noticeable separation from the canon it's sourced from (which isn't really a bad thing).

but, in my eyes, that's all nitpicky. i truly love this book, i will never be too well read or mature to not love this book, it was the first book i ever bought with my own money, it holds a special place in my heart. i will always feel a lot of strong, warm emotions while reading it, and i can't change that. i don't want to change that.

carlota

this book has a lot of flaws. some would say the one dimensional depiction of the characters, the "lack of realism" concerning the formation and development of the main relationship between the two boys, how drawn out this book is; all of those are excusable and even defendable to me. the only glaring flaw that does tick me off is the pretty lazy and immature disregard for characters, especially female, and their role in patroclus and achilles' story; relegated to villains or side characters, when in the original myths they mean so much more, not just to the narrative, but also the boys. also just how the boys are scrubbed clean of any moral ambiguity or cruelty they themselves had in order to be more palatable to modern readers. there is a certain shallowness to the characters, and a noticeable separation from the canon it's sourced from (which isn't really a bad thing).

but, in my eyes, that's all nitpicky. i truly love this book, i will never be too well read or mature to not love this book, it was the first book i ever bought with my own money, it holds a special place in my heart. i will always feel a lot of strong, warm emotions while reading it, and i can't change that. i don't want to change that.

one of the books that i wish i could read again like it's the first time 😭 truly truly in love with this book

yena 

a thesaurus has more plot and movement than this. listening to a toddler babble nonsensically is more profound than this. the only book i've ever walked outside to my recycling bin to drop it right inside after dnfing. everyone who recced this to me is going to jail. 

dayspring did what this book thinks it's doing. like this book is dense word salad. a beautiful head of lettuce with a congealed glob of curdled ranch dressing sitting on top.

cee 

oh don't piss me off. 

a thesaurus has more plot and movement than this. listening to a toddler babble nonsensically is more profound than this. the only book i've ever walked outside to my recycling bin to drop it right inside after dnfing. everyone who recced this to me is going to jail. 

dayspring did what this book thinks it's doing. like this book is dense word salad. a beautiful head of lettuce with a congealed glob of curdled ranch dressing sitting on top.

I didn’t really get into this book as much as I thought but I thought it was beautifully written. A few moments were dragged out for me, but wanted to finish this for a friend!

Lizzy Brabant

Elisabeth Thoresen

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

loved the beginning, felt like the end flopped. the helplessness of watching achilles lose himself could've been written more engagingly

It was good but not THAT good that it kept my attention - took me a month and really just finished it to move on to the next one.

Sarah Wilson

WINNER OF THE ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION 2012 Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

The representation of how women got mistreated again and again makes me hate the book but then i remember, it's accurate to how females got treated. No matter if a mere maid or goddess. But that's not what the book is about.

Nina May

Beautifully written.

The representation of how women got mistreated again and again makes me hate the book but then i remember, it's accurate to how females got treated. No matter if a mere maid or goddess. But that's not what the book is about.



Nice story, but I'm not sure I'd read anything from this author again. Seemed very long and drawn out. 

The Song of Achilles

Reviews

Highlights