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A review by emfass
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Outing, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual content
Minor: Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Transphobia