Madeline Miller

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

The Song of Achilles

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.

Anniversary Edition

Sina

Human sacrifice was an abomination, driven from our lands long ago. And his own daughter.

But most ugly of all are his eyes: blue, bright blue.

‘She says the weather is not natural. That it is a message from the gods.’

It does not come. Not that day, or that night, or the next day either

It was Achilles’ place to kneel and offer them.

And then I remembered: he will never be old.

I did not plan to live after he was gone.

Even there beneath the bright sun, I felt my skin go cold. He will not come home at all. But Peleus did not know this, yet.

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.

Agust Harris

"In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun."

"Bury us, and mark our names above. Let us be free."

"When I am dead, I charge you to mingle our ashes and bury us together."

Keeley

In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood, like a hundred golden urns pouring out the sun.

Whitney Lambert

You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature.

I think: this is what I will miss. I think: I will kill myself rather than miss it. I think: how long do we have?

Kaitlyn R

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

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

His ashes settle among mine, and I feel nothing.

louane

We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing…

and perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone. Don’t you think?

Nour Bassiouny

Well, now you’ve gone and done it and made me cry. 

Leonie

It is right to seek peace for the dead. You and I both know there is no peace for those who live after.

It’s a harsh battle between number one and two, ranking in the most foolish mortal inventions, but nations are definitely part of the top two in my opinion. 

Chiron had said once that nations were the most foolish of mortal inventions. ‘No man is worth more than another, wherever he is from.’

I lay back and tried not to think of the minutes passing. Just yesterday we had a wealth of them. Now each was a drop of heart's blood lost. 

Jagoda

Thank you Madeline Miller for no words will hurt me more than this book. ♾️/⭐

Anthony

Originally posted on my webstie: https://anthonymorris.dev/books/song-...

I have never read the Iliad. It's one of the timeless classics that has been on my list for a long time. Unfortunately, I just haven't made my way through many classics. Thanks to Madeline Miller, I got to enjoy the story of Achilles in a refreshing modern take.

If you aren't familiar with the Iliad, it's a story about the ten-year siege of the city of Troy. The original story only covers a few weeks of the war, The Song of Achilles tells us about Achilles and his life leading up to the great war.

Achilles was the son of Peleus, the king of Phthia. He spent his childhood like most princes probably do. Training, lounging, and enjoying a carefree life. He spent plenty of time playing with the other boys of the household; Peleus was kind and took in boys that had no place to call home.

The narrator of this modern epic is Patroclus. He was cast away from his home when he stood up for himself, pushing another boy to the ground where a sharp rock was waiting. Thankfully for Patroclus, Peleus took him in.

Unlike Achilles, there was nothing special about Patroclus. At least not on the surface. He was terribly normal. He spent a lot of his time admiring Achilles and the two eventually formed quite the bond. Achilles found Patroclus refreshing. He wasn't begging for Achilles' attention at all hours of the day like the other boys.

The two boys quickly become inseparable. They mature together while developing an intense romance. The Song of Achilles has some of the steamiest sexual encounters I've read and the romance burns bright until the end.

Miller's writing is beautiful. It's poetic, powerful, and a joy to read. The words flow off the page and I could hardly consume them fast enough. I didn't really know what I was getting into before I read the book. I picked it based on the title and it's great rating on Good Reads. It did not disappoint.

There could've been a bit better balance in the content of the book. I would've preferred equal parts Trojan War and budding romance. The war lasted a decade, but it seemed rushed in the book. As someone that signed up for mythology, there was more romance than I would've liked. However, it felt genuine, thoughtful, and was well written so I still enjoyed the book as a whole.

There is beauty in Patroclus' tragedy thanks to Miller's prose. Her command of the written word is one I wished existed in Dune. I look forward to digging into the Iliad in 2021!

** spoiler alert **
           Self-care is closing the book after reaching “I feel like I could eat the world raw.”

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.

enya

Who else cried (2nd time within a year that i read this bc i dont value my sanity)

“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.”
💔🥲
I think about this quote everyday

My absolute obsession with Greek and Roman tragedies simultaneously made this easier to read and also spoiled the story. If you have no background knowledge of Helen and Paris’s stories leading up to the Trojan war I can see how the beginning would be kind of confusing. The language is beautiful and Patroclus is a sweet, likable character. I’ve never read such a short book like covers roughly 20 years of time passage. I would definitely read more of her books. 

Madeleine Winterich

Little warning! If you don't want to know anything, don't read this. But I only included very minor spoilers that most people probably already know.

I would rate the Song of Achilles 7.5/10. This book isn't for everyone.  I can understand why some people hate the story and why other like it.

I mostly liked the writing style, thought it suited the retelling. However, sometimes I was quite annoyed because many things are barely explained. Many times this was a good choice for the pacing, but there were a few times when I wished for more.

Characters: I had quite a hard time connecting and understanding the characters. But I didn't really mind this because of the balance with accuracy, the writing style. But I don't quite understand why people think the ending is so heartbreaking because of this. I guess they aren't used to tragedies.

What I really did appreciate is the accuracy and the included Character glossary. Yes there are things that don't align but not even the sources agree with each other. (For a project I did quite a deep dive into it, and it can be a real issue with research.) Don't read the glossary if you want to avoid spoilers, btw!

But that also means that the story for me didn't surprise me at most points. But I can't blame the author for that, that's to be expected with a retelling.

Overall it had things I liked, things I didn't but a lot of things I just accepted because I understand the choice the author had to make.

Caitlin Schipper

Little warning! If you don't want to know anything, don't read this. But I only included very minor spoilers that most people probably already know.

I would rate the Song of Achilles 7.5/10. This book isn't for everyone.  I can understand why some people hate the story and why other like it.

I mostly liked the writing style, thought it suited the retelling. However, sometimes I was quite annoyed because many things are barely explained. Many times this was a good choice for the pacing, but there were a few times when I wished for more.

Characters: I had quite a hard time connecting and understanding the characters. But I didn't really mind this because of the balance with accuracy, the writing style. But I don't quite understand why people think the ending is so heartbreaking because of this. I guess they aren't used to tragedies.

What I really did appreciate is the accuracy and the included Character glossary. Yes there are things that don't align but not even the sources agree with each other. (For a project I did quite a deep dive into it, and it can be a real issue with research.) Don't read the glossary if you want to avoid spoilers, btw!
But that also means that the story for me didn't surprise me at most points. But I can't blame the author for that, that's to be expected with a retelling.

Overall it had things I liked, things I didn't but a lot of things I just accepted because I understand the choice the author had to make.

John 

I don't have nothing to say. It's just the story of Iliad and the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus but they are represented in another way. As lovers. It didn't make me cry but it was emotional and i was on the verge of crying but eventually i didn't. Then after finishing it I was obsessed with it.

Lynn

3.75⭐️ rounded up. Let me state this: it is a good book, but out of Miller’s books I prefer Circe. Overall, this was a quick read that does have the beautiful prose I long for in Madeline’s writing. Seeing the stiry from Patroclus, as a fantastic character is a great twist. Yet for me the romance wasn’t all it was hyped up to be, I didn’t cry once. I felt for Patroclus and Briseis, but didn’t have strong feelings for anyone else. I grew to dislike Achilles, whereas I never did before and I generally preferred the start of the book during their youth. Knowing the story and ending I also lost the shock factor, but could catch some early foreboding and warning signs. It was nice to be back with the Greeks and their myths, I even learned a few new tid bits, but this book didn’t feel so special to me on the whole.

I'm in tears. I knew I would cry but. THIS IS NOT OKAY. The quotes are so beautiful. I am so glad Thetis came around. I'm so glad they're going to be together forever and buried together. I'm not- I'm not okay. The tears won't stop.

Bawled my eyes out multiple times… I love it this book has my whole heart 

Seren Johnston

Cathy Trình

Joana da Silva

When I tell you that I cried with this book, believe me, I emptied all the liquid content of my body over this book. And what about reading this one right after finishing a drama like Hamnet? Call me crazy and you'll be absolutely right. I already knew Achilles and Patroclus's story from school, including how it ended. However, I managed to forget some key points so my brain was ambushed with this plot. Beautiful story, amazing writing! Madeline Miller deserves all the praise and some more. Absolutely in love with this book, will not shut up about it and I'm guessing I'll over the heartache it caused me in 5 to 10 years.

I absolutely loved this book!! I knew what I was heading into, but oh my heart 😭♥️

Ann Helen Moen

Übertrieben schöne Geschichte, Hab jede Sekunde genossen

Fatima

Carly Nicewonder

I have never cried while reading a book until reading this. It was a sad story, but beautifully told.

The Song of Achilles was the first novel I read in English. It’s still one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking and amazing books I’ve read to this day. Can only recommend!

Lisa

rudolf

I CRIED FOR 5 HOURS STRAIGHT WHILE READING THIS BOOK I SENT MYSELF INTO A PANIC ATTACK FROM CRYING SO HARD I COULDN’T BREATHE AT 1 AM WALKING INTO MY MOMS ROOM AND STANDING THERE LIKE “mom i frowed up” WITH SNOT RUNNING OUT OF MY NOSE AND TEARS RUNNING DOWN MY PUFFY ASS EYES I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO READ THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAIN

Christena Alvarez

Audrey Lord

Holy shit. This book was so good. A TRUE love story from start to finish

Patroclus, an awkward young prince, 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. Set during the Trojan War.

Lacy W

This was read as part of Jamison's Marvel-a-thon. 
The challenge was Thor: read a book that involves mythology.

tw: rape, violence, war

All I feel is pain. Pure, utter pain. My heart hurts. My entire chests hurts. I have unshed tears in my eyes. Everything is just sadness. I haven't felt anything like this since Far From You by Tess Sharpe. I am tore up. TORE UP I TELL YOU. Now, before you chide me for how much pain I am in, I haven't studied Homer or anything like that. My Greek mythology is rusty. I didn't know what was going to happen. I know probably something bad but I certainly didn't expect this much hurt. 

Before I get too caught up in the pain, I must bring up a negative that prevented me from giving this 5 (five) stars because the rest of this review will make it sound like I gave it 5 (five) stars. It was the pacing and how the plot progressed. There were parts where I flew through the pages. Then there were parts were I felt like I was reading the same chapter for an hour and honestly, I probably was. There were long spans of time where nothing happened and I was forcing myself to read to get through it. 

Okay, on to the positives because this book deserves all the love, despite my whining about the pacing. Patroclus and Achilles. There were so amazing and swoonworthy. They complemented each other so well. Patroclus was anxious and never felt good enough. Achilles made him feel important but there was no imbalance of power. Achilles didn't always think things through and didn't think about the consequences. Patroclus kept him grounded. I rooted for them and rooted for their love the minute they looked at each other. Their stolen moments together just made me melt. 

The writing was beautiful. Sure, the plot itself dragged but I can still appreciate the writing. It was just breathtaking. I can tell Madeline Miller tried to keep the writing of Homer but make it readable. Course, I don't know why I said that because I've never read Homer. Okay, it reminds me of classic style writing but readable. Similar to Zombie Abbey by Lauren Logsted-Baratz.

Overall, despite the pain I currently am feeling in my heart, I have no regrets reading this book. It's incredibly beautiful and haunting. The tale of Patroclus and Achilles will live in forever in my heart because that is how long it will take for me to get over this pain. I can't wait for my heart to get broken in Circe. That should be fun. 

I'm going to read something happy now.

Yana Salamé

As a person that ADORES Greek mythology this book was a masterpiece 
It was so sad but I didn’t cry which surprised me cause I’m usually very emotional but it really an amazing read

it's probably shallow of me but i often rate books based on what they made me feel and while this has the best writing (in my opinion) and is a page-turner, i mainly liked it because of my emotional attachment to the story and the characters. that's why to me  The Song Of Achilles deserves 5 stars, if not more. i read it two years ago but i still remember how it made me feel and how much i sobbed. i was sad for DAYS and couldn’t get over it to save my life ... not many books can do that to me

The Song of Achilles A Novel

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