Reviews - The Song of Achilles

110k reviews for:

The Song of Achilles

Madeline Miller

4.35 AVERAGE

alaidbackreader's review against another edition

5.0

i need a minute to cry and yell at myself for the time i wasted not reading this book

katygsreads's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

villedart_books's review against another edition

3.0

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

If this book is your first encounter with mythology and the Trojan Cycle, you'll enjoy it a lot.

But for me, even if I love reading retellings, the interpretation of the characters was so off that sometimes it blew me away

If Miller had made a Patroclus who, even if he was a soldier, preferred to help others in a medical sense, would've been one thing, but you're telling me that in ten years of fighting he never learned? At first I thought that it was Patroclus saying that as an insecurity, but even Briseis says that he didn't know how to fight! Patroclus was so important that people fought for his body because of Patroclus, not because of Achilles.

Content Warnings

nealio9's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Hell hath no fury like a petty gay man, or however the saying goes.

alexmira's review against another edition

5.0

Made me cry 5/5.

kris_tin's review against another edition

3.75

emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

carissalittle's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

They. Were. Cousins.

Reading books without knowing anything about them is honestly my favorite thing. I don’t think I would have read this if I knew it was a love story between Achilles and Patroclus.
The beginning was slow and too romanticized for them being children (and cousins). I love Greek Mythology because it’s so fucked up and sad, and that just wasn’t the vibe for a good chunk of the book.
Once we got down to war/battle, I enjoyed how it stuck to what actually happened.
I think if I had gone into this book without knowing the actual story, it would have torn me apart. The author explaining in the end why she didn’t go with Achilles and his heal made me feel better too.
This books was a whirlwind of emotions and I’m still reeling.