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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
I really did love this book. The writing was beautiful, the characters were so so well written. As someone who has always been interested in ancient myths and histories, this was such a well written and compelling version of of a story that so many know.
It was slow in the middle, but it included important moments and history and it really set up the ending. This was a fantastic and heart breaking read.
It was slow in the middle, but it included important moments and history and it really set up the ending. This was a fantastic and heart breaking read.
Worth the hype. I will review later.
This was probably one of my most anticipated reads. What an impressive book. I read that it took Madeline Miller 10 years to write TSOA and I can feel that curation in her characters. I think this book is character driven more so than plot driven, which I can really appreciate. I think many people have read The Iliad, or have heard the epics before so to really centralize the characters, their emotions and feelings is a beautiful thing.
Retelling's are fabulous ways of interpretation, there is a really special talent in that. I admired how she was consistently giving light to the source material while revealing parts of the story that were never told/left more ambiguous. As we knew Achilles and Patroclus have a deep seated relationship and Miller was able to make that relationship tangible. To me it doesn't matter if you disagree or such a puritan to the source, this is the story in an evolution. One that was undeniably done well.
Very excited to read more of Miller's work!
”Pa-tro-clus”
”I stopped waiting for the ridicule, the scorpion's tail hidden in his words. He said what he meant; he was puzzled if you did not. Some people might have mistaken this for simplicity. But is it not sort of genius to cut always to the heart?”
”Had she really thought I would not know him? I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet stuck to the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”
”I am made of memories.”
”IN THE DARKNESS, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun."
This was probably one of my most anticipated reads. What an impressive book. I read that it took Madeline Miller 10 years to write TSOA and I can feel that curation in her characters. I think this book is character driven more so than plot driven, which I can really appreciate. I think many people have read The Iliad, or have heard the epics before so to really centralize the characters, their emotions and feelings is a beautiful thing.
Retelling's are fabulous ways of interpretation, there is a really special talent in that. I admired how she was consistently giving light to the source material while revealing parts of the story that were never told/left more ambiguous. As we knew Achilles and Patroclus have a deep seated relationship and Miller was able to make that relationship tangible. To me it doesn't matter if you disagree or such a puritan to the source, this is the story in an evolution. One that was undeniably done well.
Very excited to read more of Miller's work!
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Made me cry but was disappointed with the lack of personality and presence of the main character.
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
Having no prior knowledge about this book other than seeing it in stores and online, and my knowledge of Achilles ending in having read the Illiad when I was younger, I wasn't expecting much, but I also definitely wasn't expecting a story of seeing the gay love story of Patroclus wrapped about Achilles' dick, I mean finger.
And reading the back of the book, it makes the story sound so much more fun, which I wish I got out of this. I was entertained, I read it in three days, but I also felt nothing the entire time but frustration. I personally don't have a major attachment or dislike for any of these characters, but I feel like that is an issue with the book too. If I don't feel endeared or close to the characters, hell, even hating these characters would be nice, but overall I'm pretty meh about them, then the author didn't do a good job to write the characters in a way that made me feel anything. Patroclus was just there. He did things the entire time, but it felt very sterile with no emotion. Even when he was sad that Achilles was taken from him or even when Achilles was a prideful brat, I didn't feel anything from or through Patroclus.
That is how I will describe it all, sterile and disconnected. I was told what to feel but never actually felt anything I was told.
There were exactly two instances where I felt something: one was shocked that Agamemnon killed his daughter (don't remember that in the original myth) so that was shocking. The other is at the very end when Thetis tells Patroclus' shade that Pyrrus died, I cackled.
This is the fantasy lover in me coming out, but I didn't care about the first half of the book, because by the time we got to the Trojan war, it happened in less than a hundred pages. What was supposed to feel like a change and betrayal of older Achilles when his pride took over felt lack luster and without depth because it felt rather sudden. I could see the seeds being planted earlier in the book, but it never felt like it fully grew in a way that felt satisfying.
Fell flat. That's my big feeling here.
And reading the back of the book, it makes the story sound so much more fun, which I wish I got out of this. I was entertained, I read it in three days, but I also felt nothing the entire time but frustration. I personally don't have a major attachment or dislike for any of these characters, but I feel like that is an issue with the book too. If I don't feel endeared or close to the characters, hell, even hating these characters would be nice, but overall I'm pretty meh about them, then the author didn't do a good job to write the characters in a way that made me feel anything. Patroclus was just there. He did things the entire time, but it felt very sterile with no emotion. Even when he was sad that Achilles was taken from him or even when Achilles was a prideful brat, I didn't feel anything from or through Patroclus.
That is how I will describe it all, sterile and disconnected. I was told what to feel but never actually felt anything I was told.
There were exactly two instances where I felt something: one was shocked that Agamemnon killed his daughter (don't remember that in the original myth) so that was shocking. The other is at the very end when Thetis tells Patroclus' shade that Pyrrus died, I cackled.
This is the fantasy lover in me coming out, but I didn't care about the first half of the book, because by the time we got to the Trojan war, it happened in less than a hundred pages. What was supposed to feel like a change and betrayal of older Achilles when his pride took over felt lack luster and without depth because it felt rather sudden. I could see the seeds being planted earlier in the book, but it never felt like it fully grew in a way that felt satisfying.
Fell flat. That's my big feeling here.
2nd time:
This book tore my heart out. I love it so much. It's so vivid since it's from Pat's perspective. You get a personal account of Achilles, often seen as an untouchable warrior. It's really nice to have the human part of a demigod on show.
I keep forgetting that they're kids.
I sobbed so fucking hard when Pat died and every time Achilles did anything after that, my heart shattered. He lost all will after Pat left and it was haunting. They did get buried together, which was beautiful and I am so happy they are reunited, but still. My poor little guys.
The theme really is pride will be your downfall. It got Agamemnon in a lot of bullshit, Achilles got his people killed, and Pat died because of it. Really, pride is a vice, not a virtue. I love this book.
This book tore my heart out. I love it so much. It's so vivid since it's from Pat's perspective. You get a personal account of Achilles, often seen as an untouchable warrior. It's really nice to have the human part of a demigod on show.
I keep forgetting that they're kids.
Spoiler
At the end, when Achilles' mom is mad at him for being so caught up on Pat, he sounds just like a kid. He is crying and yelling and he really is just a boy. All these people are seasoned warriors and kings, and then there's Pat and Achilles, still children, trying to make it through. They just wanted to live and be together, but the fates did not want it to happen.I sobbed so fucking hard when Pat died and every time Achilles did anything after that, my heart shattered. He lost all will after Pat left and it was haunting. They did get buried together, which was beautiful and I am so happy they are reunited, but still. My poor little guys.
The theme really is pride will be your downfall. It got Agamemnon in a lot of bullshit, Achilles got his people killed, and Pat died because of it. Really, pride is a vice, not a virtue. I love this book.
Crying, throwing up und das nur wegen der letzten paar Zeilen.
Es ist so tragisch. Und simpel und schön geschrieben.
Ab dem ersten Satz spürt man Patroclus' Melancholie, sein Außenseiter-Gefühl.
Im Laufe des Buches verändert sich die Ansicht, was sich im Stil, den Umschreibungen widerspiegelt , weil alles irgendwie lebendiger wird.
Ich finde es schwer zu beschreiben, aber es wärmt mein Herz. Und zerreißt es in tausend Teile.
Wirklich ein außergewöhnliches Buch, in my humble opinion.
Es ist so tragisch. Und simpel und schön geschrieben.
Ab dem ersten Satz spürt man Patroclus' Melancholie, sein Außenseiter-Gefühl.
Im Laufe des Buches verändert sich die Ansicht, was sich im Stil, den Umschreibungen widerspiegelt , weil alles irgendwie lebendiger wird.
Ich finde es schwer zu beschreiben, aber es wärmt mein Herz. Und zerreißt es in tausend Teile.
Wirklich ein außergewöhnliches Buch, in my humble opinion.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
adventurous
sad
medium-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
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes