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 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.

ldclr

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

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.

Lauren

The memories come, and come. She listens, staring into the grain of the stone. We are all there, goddess and mortal and the boy who was both.

I almost refuse. But the ache for him is stronger than my anger. I want to speak of something not dead or divine. I want him to live.

Odysseus inclines his head. “True. But fame is a strange thing. Some men gain glory after they die, while others fade. What is admired in one generation is abhorred in another.’ He spread his broad hands. ‘We cannot say who will survive the holocaust of memory. Who knows?' He smiles. ‘Perhaps one day even I will be famous. Perhaps more famous than you."

Priam's voice is gentle. ‘It is right to seek peace for the dead. You and I both know there is no peace for those who live after.’

‘I did not even see it,' I managed. He threw the thing aside to lie blunt-nosed and brown among the weeds. He had broken its neck. 

‘You did not have to,’ he said. I saw it.'

They leaned towards him, like flowers to the sun, drinking in his lustre. It was as Odysseus had said: he had light enough to make heroes of them all. 

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. 

‘Useless information is my curse, I'm afraid.' He was amused again, that slight smile. 

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

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

Ashlyn Barrett

 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.

My fears forgotten in the golden harbor of his arms.

the entire book is him telling thetis their story… i’m crying 

Some men gain glory after they die, while others fade. What is admired in one generation is abhorred in another.

Achilles smiles as his face strikes the earth.

But already he is waking. "Patroclus! Wait! I am here!" He shakes the body beside him. When I do not answer, he weeps again.

He holds me so tightly I can feel the faint beat of his chest. An echo, the last bit of spirit still tethered to my body. A torment.

Here is Phoinix's craft: Cleopatra, Patroclus. Her name built from the same pieces as mine, only reversed.

He is half of my soul, as the poets say. 

And whoever the best of the Myrmidons Was, I sent the gods a prayer for him as well.

A thousand thousand times I had seen it, but I never tired of it.

"There are too many of them," he said. “It's simpler if they just remember me."

His gaze was on me always… All I saw was his beauty, his singing limbs, the quick flickering of his feet. 

My first Greek Mythology book. Beautiful 

Emma Prins

fiona

Rated this high because I just enjoyed it that much/ it stuck with me . Loved a lot of the lines / quotes. I would rate it lower if I was going by critique of the writing and plot but tbh the relationship between Achilles and Patrocules was so lovely that I couldn’t help but rate it based off my enjoyment of the book.

that was the most beautiful and heartbreaking thing I’ve ever read 

Brittany benson

Magdalena Oßenberg

** spoiler alert **
           “Name one hero who was happy.” 
“You can't. ” 
“I can't.”


I don't even know what to say, but this book was truly amazing in the heart-shattering way. But still amazing.
The style of writing was just pure magic and I could feel all that Patroclus felt. His anger and his love... Everything of it.
Madeline Miller took a beautiful new spin on Homer's story of Achilles that everybody knows.
It perfectly embraces the love between Achilles and Paroclus and their devastatingly tragic ending.
The changes Miller made in her story make this book not just a mere retelling of the story but help the book to become a wonderful new version of the story.
The way she enabled her story telling to follow the perspective of Patroclus throughout the entire story, even when he has already died is amazing and makes the last few pages even better than they already were... And the ending even more beautiful.

Overall, if you really want to hurt yourself, you just need to read this book. That's all you will need.
No but really, it made me feel emotions that only very few books can make me feel.

It's a very tragic but beautiful story.

Selene Esper

For months, I had been hesitant to pick up this book because I knew in my heart that this would emotionally destroy me. (ps, it did exactly that) 
This might be a bold statement, but this is one of the best books I've ever read and everyone needs to read this at least once in their life. The language itself is so poetic and emotional, and every character has so much depth, it's hard to believe this is Madeline Miller's first book. 
This is some true talent right here.

Lara Engle

The first half of this book was a solid one star from me. It read like bad mythology fan fiction. I lost count of how many times Patroclus gushed over Achilles' sparkling green eyes. But, then they finally got to the Trojan War and things got more interesting. Revealing a wider variety of characters, the increased action, and the introduction of a more sympathetic female character all helped pick up the pace and pique my interest. One star from the first half averages with four+ stars in the second half to shake out somewhere around three stars as a whole.

Agus Charky

PORQUE MIERDA CREI QUE ESTO IBA A SER BUENO PARA MI SALUD MENTAL???? QUIEN MIERDA ME 
MANDO EEEHHHH

termine uno de los libros mas tristes y hermosos que lei hasta ahora. 
si antes de leerlo de por si estaba mal, ahora estoy todavia mas destrozada. me dejó rota.
tbh, no se que es peor, haberlo leido ya sabiendome todo el mito o (en un universo paralelo) leerlo sin saber nada. porque saber cuando y como iban a morir me dejo muy mal.
no puedo amar tanto a una pareja como los amo a ellos, son mis bebes, necesito cuidarlos y aaa patroclus se ganó mi corazón enseguida.
para ser sincera no fue una lectura facil ni ligera, durante un tiempo me costó agarrarle la mano, pero después de haber pasado el 60%, ahi se hizo muy facil, necesitaba leer. antes costó, mucho.
la prosa es hermosa, la forma de escribir de M.M. es justa para describir esta historia de amor, triste y sumamente apasionada.
me hicieron llorar hasta quedarme seca. me ahogué en mi propip llanto. y solo ellos pudieron y se merecen esto.
las ultimas 40 paginas me rompieron muchisimo. pero saber que al final ellos terminaron descansando juntos, me trajo una paz increible. los amo. 
me encantó. no tengo palabras

no me toquen
bajanse todos de la app que quiero estar sola

unfortunately i did not really enjoy this book at all. mostly it was boring to me (which is crazy for me to say because i love greek mythology retellings) and the love story between patroclus and achilles almost felt like side-plot majority of the time. it was way too vague and flat in my opinion. 

overall i find this pretty disappointing, especially considering how hyped up this book gets on social media. i expected way more of it... 

jael 

unfortunately i did not really enjoy this book at all. mostly it was boring to me (which is crazy for me to say because i love greek mythology retellings) and the love story between patroclus and achilles almost felt like side-plot majority of the time. it was way too vague and flat in my opinion. 

overall i find this pretty disappointing, especially considering how hyped up this book gets on social media. i expected way more of it... 

Melissa

Andrew John Kinney

I read this book through as quickly as work obligations would allow. It is very well written, and it deserves all the praise it has received from other reviewers here. As a result, I am now looking forward to reading Circe, Madeline Miller's second book. As a teenager I loved Edith Hamilton's Mythology and The Greek Way, and Ms. Miller bring us into the world of the Greeks and their gods skillfully and easily; I can easily believe it took her ten years to produce a book this good. 

I look forward to many more books from Madeline Miller.

Sabrin

I hate this book I want to die. I would give this 10 stars if I could. I am hollow.

This book was honestly pretty good. I really liked the writing and the choice of keeping the first person narration even after… That being said, the characters were very well written and very realistic in some ways. However, because it takes elements from Greek mythology, some of the god’s actions and behavior were very questionable. I enjoyed the read nonetheless. I’ll admit I delayed finishing the book for so long because I didn’t want to cry. The end was well made and it gave perfect closure, I felt many emotions, sadness included, but did not shed any tears. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not, take it how you will. 

tam 🕴️

Nina Dewulf

At the beginning of January 2023, my English teacher, Mrs A., gave us a list of novels. My eye fell on The Song of Achilles by name Madeline Miller. The book had been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I had been looking forward to an opportunity to read it. Unfortunately, after reading it, I was a little disappointed. 

The novel is based on the mythology of Achilles and is set in ancient Greece. The story begins by introducing the main characters, Achilles and Patroclus. I loved them. Achilles is a demigod, and it is fascinating to read how he is self-assured but also insecure. The author describes brilliantly how Achilles struggles with his role as a prince. While turning page by page, I developed a weakness for Patroclus. Miller makes sure that everyone falls in love with him right away. His struggle with his feelings for Achilles is powerfully expressed. You are carried along with Patroclus's emotions, which draw you into the story.

There were good and not-so-good parts in the book. I thought that some sections where tedious and I had little desire to continue reading, like when Achilles was kidnapped by his mother or when he and Patroclus were hiding because they didn’t want to fight in the war. In other parts like the scenes about their love or the fight scenes, I couldn't put my book down. At the beginning, it is somewhat slow-paced. Some aspects were told in detail, while sections that interested me more like the love between the two boys were brief. The love between Achilles and Patroclus was a guideline throughout the entire storyline, and it was beautifully conveyed. Also, the paragraphs about the Trojan War were told brilliantly. The vengefulness, violence, and bloodlust were powerfully described. It was as if you were walking alongside the characters in the war, feeling the pain they felt through the pages. I was disappointed that the tension and emotions hadn’t occurred earlier.

When I started reading “The Song of Achilles”, I had high expectations that unfortunately were not met, but that doesn't mean it was a bad book. Madeline Miller is a talented writer. Her poetic style and the way she immerses, you in a story are hard to match. The storyline was beautiful, unfortunate for the parts that didn't read as quickly. The love story was lovely to read and in conclusion, I would recommend it to others.

This book was a gift from a friend and it is in my definitely part of my top list! So beautifully written, it made my heart break.

I loved how this story gives Patroclus a voice. I've been thinking that this book is the "Heartstopper" of Greek mythology. Even though it is based on a genre of ancient folklore and the dialogues are a bit far from modern, it is very light reading and enjoyable. 

I know that for people that have read the Iliad, some characters might've not been portrayed equally. But I feel like the idea of the writer was to show the vulnerability that emanates from them accepting their feelings.

Ani Velasquez

This book was a gift from a friend and it is in my definitely part of my top list! So beautifully written, it made my heart break.

I loved how this story gives Patroclus a voice. I've been thinking that this book is the "Heartstopper" of Greek mythology. Even though it is based on a genre of ancient folklore and the dialogues are a bit far from modern, it is very light reading and enjoyable. 

I know that for people that have read the Iliad, some characters might've not been portrayed equally. But I feel like the idea of the writer was to show the vulnerability that emanates from them accepting their feelings.

I would 100% recommend it!

Levena Banda

I'm a pile of goo. I cried so hard my eyes hurt. Runny nose, ugly sobs and all. Such a beautifully tragic tale. A retelling of Homer’s ‘Iliad’ that although did not greet me hooked till I was 30% in, was still a very heartwarming and gripping read.

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.

Not exactly what it was hyped up to be but was still quite enjoyable.

Reading the way Patroclus and Achilles met and grew closer over the 18 years was quite interesting because they quite literally went through everything and still ended up together.

Didn't expect Thetis finally accepting Patroclus in the end tho but I’m glad she did.

Not exactly what it was hyped up to be but was still quite enjoyable.

Reading the way Patroclus and Achilles met and grew closer over the 18 years was quite interesting because they quite literally went through everything and still ended up together.

Didn't expect Thetis finally accepting Patroclus in the end tho but I’m glad she did.

Anushka Saha

The book is a successful re-telling, focusing on the heartwarming relationship between the main characters and at the same time retaining the grandeur, decadence, and overall essence of the Iliad. The last bit narrated by the dead Patroclus was chillingly tragic and beautiful.

Heartbreaking, absolutely soul crushing. The love is so beautiful but so tragic.

Kaylee Aldrich 

Amazingly beautiful! Couldn’t stop reading it. 

Jodie White

I knew about the tragedy of Achilles. I knew what happened to Patroclus; however, that did not stop me from crying multiple times during this book. I… I am speechless. I don’t really know what to do. I feel like my life will is forever changed from this book. 🩵

Sadie Hoffman

Mae Erceg

I see what the hypes all about. It’s such a tragic, wonderful, loving story. I will forever love this book! 5/5 stars for such a beautiful novel. Would highly highly HIGHLY recommend.

luca

sem palavras pra descrever o quanto essa história me tocou. com essa leitura, Madeline Miller se tornou uma das minhas autores preferidas da vida. 🖤

The Song of Achilles A Novel

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