“At once a scholar’s homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art by an incredibly talented new novelist….A book I could not put down.”—Ann Patchett
“Mary Renault lives again!” declares Emma Donoghue, author of Room, referring to The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller’s thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War.
A tale of … retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War.
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.
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For a gay boy who grew up not having any stories that reflected who I felt I was as a young gay person, this one did. An epic warrior who’s in love with a man. Patroclus and Achilles are characterized as having both traditionally masculine, and traditionally feminine strengths and interests. There’s archery, and spear throwing and intimate …
I did not care much for this book.
A different spin to the myth of Achilles but not all about Achilles. This is a beautiful story and the words that come to mind for it are innocence and love, even as it all happens in a time of war and death. At the end, you may sigh and only think….Patroclus.
Good read, like CIRCE even better.
beautifully written re-thinking of the Iliad, bringing characters like Patroclus and Briseis touching, vivid life
The Song of Achilles is such an awe-inspiring take on the legendary Achilles and his companion, Patroclus. Told from Patroclus’ perspective, we find an Achilles who is at once frighteningly powerful as he is giggling teen. A wonderful story, brilliantly told.
Liked the easy to follow piece of Greek mythology- twisted into an action packed story
Great read
This book has ruined me. I can feel the book hangover descending upon me now. What could possibly compare? I didn’t sob at the ending, it was too poignant for that, I cried silent movie star tears that dripped down my face as I marveled over this work of art.
Wow.
Ok. So. Achilles’s childhood (parts) and the Trojan war through the eyes of …
Fantastic book. It’s stuck with me weeks after finishing reading it. I even purchased her next book this one was so good. A brilliant retelling of Achilles and Patroclus’ love and tragedy. Must read.
This book was not nearly as captivating as “Circe”, but was still an interesting take on Greek mythology. Parts of the story seemed to be drawn out with resolutions taking a while to occur. Despite some of the slow-moving sections, this was a worthwhile read with a fascinating understanding of the gods and goddesses of Greece.
I adored this book: as a child I was obsessed by the Iliad and Odyssey and the Greek myths, so to say Madeline Miller did one one of my great heroes proud is the highest praise I can give.
A very original view of Achilles!
I originally read this book somewhere around 2013 and immediately fell in love. Then in 2018, I finished the audiobook and my appreciation for this book has been brought back to the surface.
Madeline Miller writes beautifully and brings every character to life and you can easily lose yourself in the world. The melodic prose and passion paired …
Not as good as I had thought it would be. Airplane reading.
Very much enjoyed the old story but told from a new point of view, that of Patroclus.
Brilliant! I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Who doesn’t love the Greek myths of Gods and Goddesses. Throw in some demi-Gods, and so much the better. While based on a classic EPIC (snoozefest, in my opinion) poem, this book is wonderful. And in the midst of raging battles, weak humans of questionable morals, and sly …
Extremely well witten. The characters were wonderfully real. I particularly appreciated the climax and ending — the underworld shades were excellent!
Stunning novel.
““Mary Renault lives again!” declares Emma Donoghue, author of…more”
Yeah, right. I don’t thimk so.
”And we are all there: goddess and mortal and the boy who was both”.
This is the story of Achilles: son of Thetis the sea nymph, and King Peleus, and lover of Patroclus. Achilles, the warrior, who fought his whole like for recognition as the best of Greece; the man who loved much and lost much, who saved many knowing his fate was attached to a …