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capt_janeway's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The way Madeline Miller wrote falling in love, particularly queer love, was very beautiful and moving. And that is why it gets any stars at all.
Abuse and rape of women being written in such an offhand and thoughtless way is at the very least upsetting. The fact that this book is written by a woman is shocking. Firstly, I do not understand the urge of historic fiction writers to include rape because “that’s what happened in history”. GIRL. You are a fiction writer, you choose what to write.
Secondly, to have a story that focuses solely on men, and anytime a women even comes close to entering their orbit it is to be raped and abused, and written with such flippancy?
Yuck. If you insist on making me read that, at least give it the weight it deserves.
It isn’t just once in the book, its again. And again. And again.
If you are going to write about how women suffered in history, at least give it more than a passing thought.
Abuse and rape of women being written in such an offhand and thoughtless way is at the very least upsetting. The fact that this book is written by a woman is shocking. Firstly, I do not understand the urge of historic fiction writers to include rape because “that’s what happened in history”. GIRL. You are a fiction writer, you choose what to write.
Secondly, to have a story that focuses solely on men, and anytime a women even comes close to entering their orbit it is to be raped and abused, and written with such flippancy?
Yuck. If you insist on making me read that, at least give it the weight it deserves.
It isn’t just once in the book, its again. And again. And again.
If you are going to write about how women suffered in history, at least give it more than a passing thought.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
potatodel's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Homophobia
phrasecollector13___'s review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Time read: 9 hours, 7 minutes
WARNING: THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW
Oh my God, they love each other so much, and so on and on, the only thing people will talk to me about this book was the romance. I drop it off my TBR, because I was not going to read a romance (nothing wrong with romance, is just not my type of genere). Let me said, what people would tell me about this book didn't make justice at all to the story. Yeah, okay, the romance was, beautiful, they were meant for each other, but that's the only thing in the Patroclus and Achilles relationship? This relationship ran deeper than the romance that bloomed between them, and that's what made this book precious to: the tragedy of each character, not only Patroclus and Achilles, most (if not all) of the characters in this book have a tragedy going after them. Which is what made this book amazing: the tragedy, the drama, that most of Greek mythology stories carries with them. I won't say that The Song of Achilles is better than Circe (Circe will always be my baby book), but it can't be denied that both books are amazing re-telling of Greek's mythologies.
WARNING: THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW
Oh my God, they love each other so much, and so on and on, the only thing people will talk to me about this book was the romance. I drop it off my TBR, because I was not going to read a romance (nothing wrong with romance, is just not my type of genere). Let me said, what people would tell me about this book didn't make justice at all to the story. Yeah, okay, the romance was, beautiful, they were meant for each other, but that's the only thing in the Patroclus and Achilles relationship? This relationship ran deeper than the romance that bloomed between them, and that's what made this book precious to: the tragedy of each character, not only Patroclus and Achilles, most (if not all) of the characters in this book have a tragedy going after them. Which is what made this book amazing: the tragedy, the drama, that most of Greek mythology stories carries with them. I won't say that The Song of Achilles is better than Circe (Circe will always be my baby book), but it can't be denied that both books are amazing re-telling of Greek's mythologies.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Death, War, Violence, and Slavery
Moderate: Rape and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexism
_meganrose's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
I knew what was going to happen and still bawled my eyes out multiple times. Madeline Miller’s portrayal of love and grief completely blew me away. This is a read that will sit with me for a very very long time. Epic and heartbreaking. The best novelistic adaptation of a classic tale that I have ever read. Wow.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, War, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia
sashakilljoy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, and Violence
Moderate: Rape
grace_cr1's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Grief, Body horror, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, War, Animal death, and Sexual assault
thequeerestbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Reading this book made me absolutely weep. The way the author captures the relationship between Patrocles and Achilles is perfection. Even knowing the story of the Illiad, it felt fresh and gutting. Can't say enough good things about this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Rape
ivana's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Blood, Violence, Murder, Rape, and War
Moderate: Sexual content
karlapardo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-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
5.0
Oooof this book. It broke my heart into a million pieces. I did not expect this book to make me cry this much. I also was surprised with the fact that the book is written in Patroclus POV only, which I thought was beautifully thought out because readers can see Achilles the hero in a different way that we are not used to seeing. We see Achilles through Patroclus’ point of view and because of that we are able to see his flaws, and his not-so-hero struggles that make him seem human. The fact that we get to read this from the point of view of the man who loved and cherished this great hero is breathtaking.
Madeline Miller’s reading is…… breathtakingly beautiful. I don’t know how else to describe it if I am being honest. The poetry is just so well done that it’s able to paint such detailed and vivid scenes and emotions in every aspect. The good moments are shown so beautifully with the poesy of the writing and as readers we feel the joy and excitement of each scene. But the bad moments are also so heartbreaking, heart wrenching, devastatingly, painfully so well written that readers are able to feel absolutely everything. It has truly been the best written book I have read this year and I would read it again and again without a doubt. I would go through the pain of it every single time because of the incredible, beautiful, painful love story of Achilles and Patroclus.
Memorable Quotes
Madeline Miller’s reading is…… breathtakingly beautiful. I don’t know how else to describe it if I am being honest. The poetry is just so well done that it’s able to paint such detailed and vivid scenes and emotions in every aspect. The good moments are shown so beautifully with the poesy of the writing and as readers we feel the joy and excitement of each scene. But the bad moments are also so heartbreaking, heart wrenching, devastatingly, painfully so well written that readers are able to feel absolutely everything. It has truly been the best written book I have read this year and I would read it again and again without a doubt. I would go through the pain of it every single time because of the incredible, beautiful, painful love story of Achilles and Patroclus.
Memorable Quotes
- “ACHILLES, it reads. And beside it, PATROCLUS. ‘Go’ she says. ‘He waits for you.’”
- “I could recognize 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.”
- “He smiled, and his face was like the sun.”
Achilles’ eyes lift. They are bloodshot and dead “I wish he had let you all die.” Achilles weeps. He cradles me, and will not eat, nor speak a word other than my name.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Sexual assault
emilygibbs's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Death