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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am a perpetual student, in medical school now, and haven’t had time or energy to read for fun in years. I read this book in just a few days and it has reignited my love for reading. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and their love. I couldn’t shut up about it for DAYS after I finished it and kept reading the best parts over again. The summary doesn’t give away that it will be a romance, and I knew nothing about the book when I started, so watching the romance between the characters develop was such a beautiful surprise. Highly highly recommend!
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely incredible. I finished this book in 2 days and have done nothing but think about it for the last 5. Gripping, tragic, beautiful — I felt euphoria and despair and so much love radiating from Patroclus and Achilles that it damn near broke my own heart.
medium-paced
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Song of Achilles is not a terrible book if read strictly as a romance. Madeline Miller manages to avoid the tunnel-vision storytelling that plagues many contemporary romances, and the love between Achilles and Patroclus is developed with care. The writing itself is graceful—often poetic, easy to read. In that respect, the novel works.
But as a retelling of the Iliad, it falls significantly short. It’s particularly disappointing for anyone who is intimately acquainted with Classical Greek history, literature and mythology. She rewrites the foundations of the main characters- making Patroclus weak, useless, and essentially dumb, while he was quite the opposite in the Illiad- he was a witty individual and a skilled soldier. She also softens Achilles to such an extent that he is nearly unrecognizable- Achilles was not circumspect, even-keeled, or tender. He was arrogant, brusque and ragey. Plus, Troy was not his first war- he was already a very skilled and experienced soldier before he went to Troy- it is why his name was known throughout the lands and what the Greeks were so excited to have him join the war. Miller changes this element, making Troy out to be his first ever war and the first time he had to kill men. In doing this- but still having all the men cheer for him when he arrives, leaves gaping inconsistencies and plot holes. This distancing from the core of the characters already was difficult to overcome.
Further, the pacing feels rushed, especially once the story moves into the Trojan War. Crucial events from Homer’s epic are either glossed over or altered entirely. For example, the novel omits the harrowing detail of Achilles desecrating Hector’s body by dragging it around the walls of Troy for days. It also rewrites the circumstances of Achilles’ death, rushing through the sequence of events in a way that undercuts the gravity of his downfall. These changes strip the story of much of its epic weight and moral complexity.
The book ends up reading more like a work of historical fiction than a mythological retelling. While Miller’s prose is undeniably beautiful, the liberties she takes with the source material make this a disappointing choice for anyone seeking a romantic retelling of the Illiad from a different, unexpected, POV.
But as a retelling of the Iliad, it falls significantly short. It’s particularly disappointing for anyone who is intimately acquainted with Classical Greek history, literature and mythology. She rewrites the foundations of the main characters- making Patroclus weak, useless, and essentially dumb, while he was quite the opposite in the Illiad- he was a witty individual and a skilled soldier. She also softens Achilles to such an extent that he is nearly unrecognizable- Achilles was not circumspect, even-keeled, or tender. He was arrogant, brusque and ragey. Plus, Troy was not his first war- he was already a very skilled and experienced soldier before he went to Troy- it is why his name was known throughout the lands and what the Greeks were so excited to have him join the war. Miller changes this element, making Troy out to be his first ever war and the first time he had to kill men. In doing this- but still having all the men cheer for him when he arrives, leaves gaping inconsistencies and plot holes. This distancing from the core of the characters already was difficult to overcome.
Further, the pacing feels rushed, especially once the story moves into the Trojan War. Crucial events from Homer’s epic are either glossed over or altered entirely. For example, the novel omits the harrowing detail of Achilles desecrating Hector’s body by dragging it around the walls of Troy for days. It also rewrites the circumstances of Achilles’ death, rushing through the sequence of events in a way that undercuts the gravity of his downfall. These changes strip the story of much of its epic weight and moral complexity.
The book ends up reading more like a work of historical fiction than a mythological retelling. While Miller’s prose is undeniably beautiful, the liberties she takes with the source material make this a disappointing choice for anyone seeking a romantic retelling of the Illiad from a different, unexpected, POV.
I enjoyed this book, however I had no idea going into it that Patroclus and Achilles were going to be lovers, which is fine I just didn't know. It was an interesting interpretation, although there were some slow parts that I had a hard time getting into. I also found myself envisioning Achilles as Brad Pitt in Troy, freaking Brad Pitt just wouldn't get out of my brain.