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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Homophobia
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Song of Achilles is profoundly beautiful and emotionally resonant. This book hit every possible crave-worthy tragic love story note. The romance between Achilles and Patroclus is poetic, devastating, and emotionally rich.
While I was completely captivated and twitterpated by the romance, the character development left me wildly befuddled.
From the beginning, I struggled to connect with Patroclus. His impulsive murder of another boy over an insult was jarring. I realize Ancient Greece wasn’t exactly a therapy-positive environment, but impulsive childhood murder is definitely this MMC’s Achilles’ heel when it comes to relatability. (See what I did there?)
By psychological standards, killing someone in cold blood over an insult points to something deeply sociopathic. Yet Patroclus is immediately apologetic and eventually becomes a pacifist and a savior. Maybe I’m being too reasonable, but the dissonance was hard to overlook.
Another conflict with the otherwise stunning writing is an isolated moment in which Patroclus sleeps with Achilles’ wife at her behest. Yes, the marriage was political and arranged, but you’d think this moment would carry some emotional or narrative weight. Instead, it disappears like a sock in a dryer.
Then there’s Achilles. He starts off as the picture of compassion and moral clarity—befriending an outcast, marrying women to protect them from violence, all while staying emotionally loyal to Patroclus. His early portrayal paints him as a rare, morally grounded gem in a brutal world.
But later in the story, without the necessary buildup, Achilles takes a hard character turn. One moment he’s the patron saint of rescue missions, the next he’s cosplaying as Narcissus. He refuses to intervene when his wife (and Patroclus’ close friend) is in danger for fear of damaging his reputation. He lets Patroclus go into battle in his place, knowing full well what might happen. These shifts felt more like inconsistency than complex character growth.
That said, the emotional core of the novel remains powerful and gripping. The love story is unforgettable, and the ending offers a cathartic, poetic closure that lingers.
Three stars for the characters. Five stars for emotionally wrecking me for all future romantic ventures.
While I was completely captivated and twitterpated by the romance, the character development left me wildly befuddled.
From the beginning, I struggled to connect with Patroclus. His impulsive murder of another boy over an insult was jarring. I realize Ancient Greece wasn’t exactly a therapy-positive environment, but impulsive childhood murder is definitely this MMC’s Achilles’ heel when it comes to relatability. (See what I did there?)
By psychological standards, killing someone in cold blood over an insult points to something deeply sociopathic. Yet Patroclus is immediately apologetic and eventually becomes a pacifist and a savior. Maybe I’m being too reasonable, but the dissonance was hard to overlook.
Another conflict with the otherwise stunning writing is an isolated moment in which Patroclus sleeps with Achilles’ wife at her behest. Yes, the marriage was political and arranged, but you’d think this moment would carry some emotional or narrative weight. Instead, it disappears like a sock in a dryer.
Then there’s Achilles. He starts off as the picture of compassion and moral clarity—befriending an outcast, marrying women to protect them from violence, all while staying emotionally loyal to Patroclus. His early portrayal paints him as a rare, morally grounded gem in a brutal world.
But later in the story, without the necessary buildup, Achilles takes a hard character turn. One moment he’s the patron saint of rescue missions, the next he’s cosplaying as Narcissus. He refuses to intervene when his wife (and Patroclus’ close friend) is in danger for fear of damaging his reputation. He lets Patroclus go into battle in his place, knowing full well what might happen. These shifts felt more like inconsistency than complex character growth.
That said, the emotional core of the novel remains powerful and gripping. The love story is unforgettable, and the ending offers a cathartic, poetic closure that lingers.
Three stars for the characters. Five stars for emotionally wrecking me for all future romantic ventures.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Madeline Miller has a way with writing about the Greek gods and their relations. Quite enjoyed this book. 4.5 stars rounded up, because why the hell not? I find Miller's writing very easy to consume. This is her second book I've read and I really like her style. It works well and comes across excellently. I only wish I had made time to read this more quickly, but alas life gets in the way sometimes. I listened to the audiobook version brilliantly narrated by Frazer Douglas. Be prepared to have quite a few emotional moments throughout, most especially at the end.