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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
Cruel, heartbreaking, and beautifully written. This is the true definition of an epic story. Absolutely sobbed my eyes out at the end. 😠I need some time to recover. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to read this.
Initially this didn’t give me an immediate 5 star feeling (I’m a mood reader), but the more I think about it, there’s no other rating that can do it justice.
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.
Initially this didn’t give me an immediate 5 star feeling (I’m a mood reader), but the more I think about it, there’s no other rating that can do it justice.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tremendously enjoyable and beautifully written. Definitely got me much more curious about mythology and the story of Achilles and the Trojan War. There was an almost perfect balance between the plot and the romance. For a moment in the middle, as things shifted towards wartime, the story slowed down a little, but it quickly picked up its pace again. I do have one complaint, which is that for being a story written in first person, Patroclus doesn't have a very strong voice or even presence throughout the book. Therefore some points where he acted bravely or decisively, as in the Iliad, stuck out as out of character in Miller's retelling. I would have liked to see him with a little more agency. Nevertheless it was an extremely enjoyable read and I'm always grateful to read a well-written queer romance.
adventurous
challenging
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:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Tell me why I started crying on a random Monday night. Shame on me for having the physical copy for 2 years and never reading The Song of Achilles until now.
"They never let you be famous AND happy. I'll tell you a secret. Tell me. I'm going to be the first. Swear it. Why me? Because you are the reason. Swear it."
"He is half of my soul, as the poets say."
"They never let you be famous AND happy. I'll tell you a secret. Tell me. I'm going to be the first. Swear it. Why me? Because you are the reason. Swear it."
"He is half of my soul, as the poets say."
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am not okay. This book frickin wrecked me, oml. First off, let me just say I love the writing style and descriptions. The prose is so beautiful I would give it 5 star just for it alone. And second, patroclus *cri* I love love love the characters, they're so well developed and it was like watching Patroclus and achilles growing up throughout the book. And the romance?!? God, I can feel how hard pat was pining for Achilles since like what? 10 or so. At first, I was quite overwhelmed with the number of characters in it(especially with their complicated names) but I got used to it afterward. Other than that, I couldn't really find any negative points. Overall, this book is a frickin masterpiece(as it should be after Miller worked on it for a whole 10 years) and everyone should read it at least once, whether they're familiar with Greek mythology or not.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes