Madeline Miller

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.

The Song of Achilles

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

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

"And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone. Do you think?"

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.

Adding salt to the wound, author? I see. 

Nina May

There was more to say, but for once we did not say it.

There would be other times for speaking tonight and tomorrow and all the days after that.

I stared at myself in armour I knew as well as my own hands.[...] Only my eyes felt like my own, larger and darker than his.

Laura

I could regonize 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 know. They never let you be famous and happy" 

WINNER OF THE ORANGE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION THE INTERNATIONAL SENSATION A SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Captivating' DONNA TARTT 'I loved it' J K ROWLING 'Ravishingly vivid' EMMA DONOGHUE 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. 'A book I could not put down' ANN PATCHETT 'An exciting, sexy, violent Superman version of The Iliad' GUARDIAN 'Sexy, dangerous, mystical' BETTANY HUGHES

Emily

The beginning of hope. We have given each other wounds, but they are not mortal. Briseis will not be harmed and Achilles will remember himself and my wrist will heal. There will be a moment after this, and another after that.

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.

Her mouth tightens. "Have you no more memories?"

Odysseus inclines his head. "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."

The yearning for him is like hunger, hollowing me. Somewhere his soul waits but is nowhere I can reach. 

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

 His ashes settle among mine, and I feel nothing 

She crouches in the dirt, bracing it. A face looms over her, grim, darkened, dulled. It wears no armor at all anymore , exposing all its skin to points and punctures. It is done now, and hope, in wistfulness, towards her.

She stabs, and Achilles' body dodges the deadly point, impossibly lithe, endlessly agile. Always, it's muscles betray it, seeking life instead of the peace that spears bring.

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

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. 

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. just thinking about this book pisses me off. every person who recced me this book is going straight to hell, or should be forced to sit at the 55% mark where i dnfed, which might be twice as torturously awful. 

cee 

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

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.

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. 

Sarah Henry

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.

Megan Christensen

i love madeline miller, and cried uncontrollably into the entire last third of the book  

felicity hu

El joven príncipe Patroclo mata por accidente a un muchacho. Repudiado por su padre, es exiliado al reino de Ftía, donde lo acoge el rey Peleo, un hombre bendecido por los dioses, inteligente, apuesto, valiente y reconocido por su piedad. Tanto que se le concedió el más alto honor, la posibilidad de engendrar un hijo con una diosa: Aquiles. Aquiles es fuerte, noble, luminoso. Patroclo no puede evitar admirar hasta el último de sus gestos; su belleza y perfección hacen que sea incapaz de contemplarlo sin una punzada de dolor. Por eso no se explica que Aquiles lo escoja como hermano de armas, un puesto de la más alta estima que lo unirá a él por lazos de sangre y lealtad, pero también de amor. Así emprenden juntos el camino de la vida, compartiendo cada instante, cada experiencia, cada aprendizaje y preparándose para el cumplimiento de una profecía: el destino de Aquiles como mejor guerrero de su generación. Especializada en cultura clásica, Madeline Miller acomete una relectura del mito de Troya, demostrando su plena actualidad y vigencia. Todos los elementos que tan familiares nos resultan y que forman una parte tan esencial de nuestra cultura tienen cabida en ella: la belleza de Helena, la fuerza de Áyax, la astucia de Ulises, la nobleza de Héctor, el sacrificio de Ifigenia, la obstinación de Agamenón... Y, sin embargo, toman una nueva dimensión, moderna y actual, en un estilo tan firme y fluido, desarrollando una trama tan inteligente y bien perfilada que resulta imposible abandonar su lectura ya desde la primera página.

La canción de Aquiles

Sofía Navarro

big ab

don’t kill me, but this book is boring. it has so much potential too which is the shitty part but jeez louise.

Katerina

** spoiler alert **
           This wasn’t just a book. It was a punch to the soul…

“The Song of Achilles” left me utterly heartbroken. As I went through each chapter, I found myself completely drawn to the tragic story of Achilles and Patroclus… I even found myself going through myths and legends of the ancient Greeks just to grasp some more of their story. I kept trying to search for answers — where did the legend end and the myth began? 

Nevertheless, with Miller’s writing, I felt it all; Achilles and Patroclus’ love and their pain at the end, like it was my own. The author pulled me in from the beginning. Reached into my chest and squeezed my heart with every damn word in this book. 

I bow down to this talent, the skill to create such beauty. The whole book is so lyrical, so evocative. It immerses you in ancient times when gods and mortals walked the earth, side by side.

The characters were so well-portrayed. Miller painted a vivid image in my head of these legendary figures while breathing new life into their story. Each word is carefully chosen, each sentence heavy with meaning. 

Through Patroclus’ perspective, we witness the unfolding of events, from his fragile childhood moments to the hectic years of the Trojan War. And through his eyes we see Achilles. New, retold. We get to know the Achilles that he, himself, could have shown only to his most dear companion. 

“I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”

Miller captures Achilles’ skill on the battlefield, yet she goes further, delving into the depths of his humanity through the eyes of Patroclus. Their relationship unfolds before us, a tender yet tragic tale that defies the constraints of time and fate. Through Patroclus’ eyes, we witness Achilles’ vulnerabilities, his moments of doubt and kindness amidst the bloodshed of war. 

 “He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature.” 

But Patroclus, the overlooked companion, whose devotion to Achilles is what defines him, is the heart and soul of this story. His words draw you into a world of love and the fear of loss, where the weight of destiny hangs heavy over every decision. 

“I will never leave him. It will be this, always, for as long as he will let me.

If I had had words to speak such a thing, I would have. But there were none that seemed big enough for it, to hold that swelling truth.

As if he had heard me, he reached for my hand. I did not need to look; his fingers were etched into my memory, slender and petal-veined, strong and quick and never wrong.

“Patroclus,” he said. He was always better with words than I.”

And perhaps what hurt the most was that you know. You know what happens. You know how it ends. With every next chapter, I hoped it doesn’t end like “The Iliad” does. I thought if Miller changed so much, she might have changed this, too. Of course, she wouldn’t. That’s what made this story so gut-wrenching and so beautiful. 

But at least the end did them some justice… 

“I have done it,” she says. At first I do not understand. But then I see the tomb, and the marks she has made on the stone. A C H I L L E S, it reads. And beside it, P A T R O C L U S.
“Go,” she says. “He waits for you.”

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.”

Yes, that ending was everything.

Kirsten Kim

julia

Eva Ströberg

I was never interested in Greek mythology before, and never read Homer works nor any other works related to it, so it was with a huge doubt that I picked this book, half expecting that I would not be able to finish the book.

On the contrary, I found that I loved reading it, it was a real page-turner and it took me through the journey of Patroclus and Achilles and the whole Trojan war as in Illiad. Now I am looking forward to reading Circe.

The Song of Achilles

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