Reviews with content warning for Cannibalism - La canzone di Achille

I know so many of the ins and outs of the Trojan War, having been a Greek mythology fan since I was a kid. Given that, I didn't really expect this book to show me much that would be new to me about this story. I have never been so happy to be so wrong. I also adored Miller's Circe and didn't think I could love anything as much as that book, but Song of Achilles may have just surpassed it.

The story is told entirely from Patroclus's point of view. It is gorgeous and lyrical and heartbreaking. The weaving of his relationship with Achilles was so quiet and nuanced, and bound them together so deftly. The way Miller used foreshadowing, especially for those who know the end of the story, was so well done and made it all the more poignant as we went through.

I finished this book before I went to bed and walked around the house in a daze the next day, barely able to function. It's been a while since a book had that effect on me.

The audiobook, narrated by Frazer Douglas, was very well done. I will definitely be revisiting this one, it's going firmly on my favorites shelf.

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wthanyell's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“I could recognise 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."

Yes I know everyone uses that quote but it could not be helped.
This book had me hooked from very early on. There was something about the descriptive style of writing that held me; it was effortless to read and despite alot of adjectives being thrown in all the time it didn't halt the experience. I was in awe of how attached I was to the characters from the get-go, I was giddy with excitement over how they came to grow together. It did feel odd to have this sort of reaction over CHILDREN but eventually they were fully-fledged adults and I didn't feel so bad about it. The fact that I knew little to nothing about Greek mythology did not severely impact my experience. What I need to know is laid out for me. However, I think someone who did have previous knowledge of Greek mythology could potentially gain more from reading this text than I did.
I'm not sure why, but this book reminded me of my reading experience with The Wrath & The Dawn so much but I cannot pinpoint why.
The most interesting part of this reading experience was how much my perception of the characters changed throughout the novel, I did not think that I could feel differently toward any of them but was proven wrong in the end.
I would like to read more books of this style in the future, those that are based on Greek mythology as it is an interesting topic to me.

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10

Overall: 4/5

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blyndwolf's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Absolutely stunningly written (this book has magnificent quotes for days) and heart-wrenchingly emotional, I found this unique retelling of the Trojan War to be exceedingly refreshing.

I read this book as a method of stress-relief during final exams and it just made me feel like all my real-life problems were insignificant as hell. I would give anything to have a love like Achilles and Patroclus; their relationship made me feel SO warm and fuzzy. I definitely squealed with delight on multiple occasions at the cutesy bits, and I loved that their relationship wasn’t perfectly linear. I liked how there was significant and meaningful emphasis on the flaws of the characters, whether they be god, mortal, or somewhere in between.

The ending was absolutely perfect. Thetis’ anger and intervention throughout their relationship paired with her actions in the final pages was just 🤌🏼 *chef’s kiss*.

RATING:
The reason I rated 4.5/5 is because I wasn’t as emotionally invested as I would’ve liked to be near the end – I wanted this book to make me scream in despair and sob until I couldn’t sob anymore, however I had a 2 month break between reading the first 4/5 and the last 5th, which likely ruined my immersion. I also found the pacing to be quite slow in some parts. Everything else was perfect. I definitely think everyone should read this book before they die.

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taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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jeanmoreau29's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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theodoralang's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was so good! Listened to the whole audiobook in 2 days.

Though I have read many retellings of the Iliad (and things of that general nature), I have never read one that delved so beautifully into the character of Patroclus. Other books basically just describe him as a whiny twink, but this could not be more different. It gave me a whole new perspective on the Iliad, and Greek mythology in general. I learned a ton, I cried, I thought about human nature, and chastised myself for not reading this sooner. Absolutely gripping book, a beautiful love story, and a fascinatingly fresh take on the Iliad. Miller also manages to paint the ending as sort of... happy? somehow? I'm impressed!

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