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A review by mayathebookworm
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
5.0
Check out this review and more on my blog, Maya’s Reviews.
//TW: death, implied mature content, blood//
~Quick Statistics~
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 Stars
Setting: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5 Stars
Writing: 5/5 Stars
Memorability: 5/5 Stars
~Quick Review~
I have nothing but good things to say about The Song of Achilles. I acquired this novel through a book club, and having heard excellent things about the novel, I was very excited to read it. Needless to say, this novel exceeded my expectations and left me pretty much heartbroken. Madeline Miller is an excellent author and I’m very interested to look into their other works. I have to say that The Song of Achilles has definitely earned its place as one of my favorite books of all time.
~Other Information~
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Page Count: 352 pages
When I first started this novel I was worried about not understanding it because of my lack of having read The Iliad and the Odyssey. However, I understood everything just fine (maybe it was the Percy Jackson series? Probably not) and absolutely loved it. I have also heard that Circe by Madeline Miller is also very good, so if you have read The Song of Achilles and want to check out more of Miller’s works, try reading Circe.
~Book Description (via Goodreads)~
Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.
~Characters~
The Song of Achilles follows the story of Patroclus who crossed paths with the famous Achilles, the prince of Phthia. I found Patroclus and Achilles’ relationship with each other to be perfect, and I was rooting for them from the beginning. Though I wasn’t quite sure how to pronounce anyone’s names correctly (my bad), I absolutely loved how Miller twisted the classic tale of Achilles into something new and fresh. The characters were well written in this novel, it felt as if I was there with them.
I think I should mention that Miller also had good LGTBQ+ representation with these two characters without making them the ‘token’ gay characters of the story; it didn’t feel forced at all, which I appreciated.
~Writing and Setting~
Miller has a great way of taking you from sitting on your couch reading, to right beside Patroclus and Achilles on their adventures together. I got into the story fairly quickly, and there was not a moment that I dreaded reading (well except for the ending, I wanted the story to go on forever) or was bored.
As mentioned before, Miller really makes Phthia, the battlefield, etc. come to life before your eyes. She described everything so clearly.
~Plot~
The storyline and flow of The Song of Achilles is beautiful and seamless. It delved into Patroclus and Achilles’ relationship and friendship beautifully. As mentioned previously, Miller did an outstanding job at taking this classic tale and spinning it into something new and fantastic. She did this with the characters but also with the plot, taking events known from previous stories and adding more depth and meaning to them.
~Overall Review~
The Song of Achilles is an excellent yet heartbreaking novel (I shed a tear or two) that will stay in my mind for quite a while. I highly recommend this novel, even if you aren’t necessarily into Greek mythology.
Amazon
//TW: death, implied mature content, blood//
~Quick Statistics~
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 Stars
Setting: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5 Stars
Writing: 5/5 Stars
Memorability: 5/5 Stars
~Quick Review~
I have nothing but good things to say about The Song of Achilles. I acquired this novel through a book club, and having heard excellent things about the novel, I was very excited to read it. Needless to say, this novel exceeded my expectations and left me pretty much heartbroken. Madeline Miller is an excellent author and I’m very interested to look into their other works. I have to say that The Song of Achilles has definitely earned its place as one of my favorite books of all time.
~Other Information~
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Page Count: 352 pages
When I first started this novel I was worried about not understanding it because of my lack of having read The Iliad and the Odyssey. However, I understood everything just fine (maybe it was the Percy Jackson series? Probably not) and absolutely loved it. I have also heard that Circe by Madeline Miller is also very good, so if you have read The Song of Achilles and want to check out more of Miller’s works, try reading Circe.
~Book Description (via Goodreads)~
Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.
~Characters~
The Song of Achilles follows the story of Patroclus who crossed paths with the famous Achilles, the prince of Phthia. I found Patroclus and Achilles’ relationship with each other to be perfect, and I was rooting for them from the beginning. Though I wasn’t quite sure how to pronounce anyone’s names correctly (my bad), I absolutely loved how Miller twisted the classic tale of Achilles into something new and fresh. The characters were well written in this novel, it felt as if I was there with them.
I think I should mention that Miller also had good LGTBQ+ representation with these two characters without making them the ‘token’ gay characters of the story; it didn’t feel forced at all, which I appreciated.
~Writing and Setting~
Miller has a great way of taking you from sitting on your couch reading, to right beside Patroclus and Achilles on their adventures together. I got into the story fairly quickly, and there was not a moment that I dreaded reading (well except for the ending, I wanted the story to go on forever) or was bored.
As mentioned before, Miller really makes Phthia, the battlefield, etc. come to life before your eyes. She described everything so clearly.
~Plot~
The storyline and flow of The Song of Achilles is beautiful and seamless. It delved into Patroclus and Achilles’ relationship and friendship beautifully. As mentioned previously, Miller did an outstanding job at taking this classic tale and spinning it into something new and fantastic. She did this with the characters but also with the plot, taking events known from previous stories and adding more depth and meaning to them.
~Overall Review~
The Song of Achilles is an excellent yet heartbreaking novel (I shed a tear or two) that will stay in my mind for quite a while. I highly recommend this novel, even if you aren’t necessarily into Greek mythology.
Amazon