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

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

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.

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?

"Il miglior romanzo che ho letto quest'anno" (J.K. Rowling)

La canzone di Achille

edda

Eravamo come dei all’alba del mondo e la nostra felicità era così abbagliante che non potevamo vedere altro che noi.

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."

He cannot. He holds me so tightly. I can feel the faint beat of his chest, like the wings of a moth. And echo, the last bit of spirit still tethered to my body. A torment.

"Let him come for her. He has doomed himself."

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.

Anna 

myslela jsem si, že lepší než kirke to nebude. zmýlila jsem se. achilleovu píseň jsem přečetla za pět dní, příběh jsem hltala jedním dechem a i když jsem věděla, že konec bude bolet,chtěla jsem víc. na týhle knize se mi líbí snad úplně všechno. miluju, jak je děj vyprávěný, jak je každá postava originální a hezký plná a jak si autorka hraje s popisy a slovy tak, že vám opravdu přijde, že jste se plavili přes moře a bojovali společně s Achilleem a Patroklem. neskutečně se mi líbil vývoj postav, patrokles byl nejdřív ustrašené tiché dítě, které ve všech vidělo nepřítele, a nakonec to byl jeden z nejodvážnějších a nejhodnějších mužů ve Fthii. Achilles se choval jako malé rozmazlené princátko, které se postupem času stává schopným mladým mužem a bojovníkem. líbilo se mi, jaký spád vzal děj ke konci knihy, jaké nečekané události všemu předcházely a jak zbytečné to vlastně celé bylo. konec této knihy jsem si bohužel vyspoilerovala tím, že jsem si přečetla kirke, ale nevadí, stejně jsem si to hrozně moc užila.
chci se pozastavit nad postavou Odyssea, která se v každé knize ukazovala v jiném světle. tím, že jsem nejdříve četla kirke jsem si myslela, že Odysseus je hrdina, který se občas naštve. ale v achilleově písni jsem najednou viděla, jak lstí získává svou slávu a jak nespolehlivý a neempatický muž to je. taky se mi líbilo, jak byla trojská válka popsaná. konečně jsem u nějaké knihy cítila, jaké to ve válce muselo být. většina fantasy knih, kde se řeší válka mě nebaví, ale tohle bylo fakt tak skvěle popsané, že jsem knihu nemohla odložit. opravdu musím autorce tleskat, popsala postavy a i celý děj velmi dobře, málokde jsem takhle dobře napsaný příběh četla.
.
5*/5* všichni si to prosím vás přečtěte, nebudete toho litovat!

Kris Felger

I adore Greek Mythology, I have always loved learning about it. Achilles and Patroclus’ story has always held a special place for me, reading the retelling was just so beautiful and blissfuly hurtful. Everyone knows their story, everyone knows how it ends yet it hurts still. Such a beautiful story.

I really liked the interpersonal relationship between the main characters. For my taste, however, there were a lot of war scenes. I found this very difficult to read.

The ending was unique and beautiful. But it took me a very long time to read through the book.

Gina-Sophie Franz

I really liked the interpersonal relationship between the main characters. For my taste, however, there were a lot of war scenes. I found this very difficult to read.

The ending was unique and beautiful. But it took me a very long time to read through the book.

Kiran Aftab

** spoiler alert **
           This is my second time reading this book and it was still really good. The plot was very fast-paced so it made you want to keep reading. Achilles was a jerk of a character and the overwhelming amount of misogyny would anger me every now and then, but what else would you expect from greek mythology? Patroclus also deserved better because he was such a sweet soul.

Carolina

Chris Dailey

Fresh and heartbreaking retelling of the Illiad and Trojan War. Told through the perspective of Patroclus, the famous Achilles's best friend and lover, the story traces the boyhoods of the Hero and companion through the 10-year long war. Full of familiar faces (Odysseus, Helen, Hector, Ajax) and tales but paced with a modern touch, it's a emotional novel that is surprisingly heart wrenching. The old characters are fleshed out with themes of honor, family, individuality, fate, hate and the duality of conditional vs unconditional love. Reads like YA but that doesn't take away from enjoyment, at least not for this lover of the Age of Heroes.

The Song of Achilles

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