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A review by wintermonologue
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
5.0
SPOILER FREE REVIEW
I never cry when reading a book, as sad as a story can be. I’m a really emotional person, but when it comes to books, I’m just... not. A book can move me and leave a mark, sure, but I’ve never actually shed tears over a story I’m reading. (I do tend to cry very easily while watching movies though. I’m weird).
But then.
Then this book happened.
Let’s be real: I knew how the story ended. I’m familiar with Greek mythology and I had heard enough about this book to guess what happens at the end.
So I thought I was prepared. How naive of me!
I don’t remember crying this much and being in this much emotional pain over a fictional story. Maybe it was because I finished it at 1 in the morning and was really tired, or maybe because the characters are so well-developed and endearing that you think they’re real. But in any case, I’m never going to forget the story of Achilles and Patroclus.
Or at least how it ends. The book in itself was great, though there were some slower parts in the middle of the novel. I was going to rate it 4 stars if not for the ending; in the end, I decided I couldn’t put only 4 stars to a book that moved me so much.
I know it seems like a lot, but when I say I cried, I don’t mean it was a single tear rolling gently on my cheek, no, it was deep and ugly sobs.
Anyway, the story in itself was great, I loved seeing the characters grow up together and witnessing the change in their relationship.
We are presented with flawed characters who make mistakes and take bad decisions, who struggle and try to find their way through life, who are just human and endearing and emotional.
I sometimes had a hard time keeping up with all the Greek names, and I wish some characters were more developed (like Odysseus), but I get that it wasn’t relevant to the story.
I loved learning more about life in Ancient Greece, like the importance of fame, recognition and honour. We also learn more about the sexism and brutality towards women at the time, and the response of others to homosexuality, which wasn’t yet defined at the time.
The writing style was lyric but at the same time easy to read; I’m not a native speaker of English and had no trouble reading this book.
Overall, it was like nothing I had ever read. I’m going to read Circe very soon; I can’t wait to be blown away by this author once again.
I never cry when reading a book, as sad as a story can be. I’m a really emotional person, but when it comes to books, I’m just... not. A book can move me and leave a mark, sure, but I’ve never actually shed tears over a story I’m reading. (I do tend to cry very easily while watching movies though. I’m weird).
But then.
Then this book happened.
Let’s be real: I knew how the story ended. I’m familiar with Greek mythology and I had heard enough about this book to guess what happens at the end.
So I thought I was prepared. How naive of me!
I don’t remember crying this much and being in this much emotional pain over a fictional story. Maybe it was because I finished it at 1 in the morning and was really tired, or maybe because the characters are so well-developed and endearing that you think they’re real. But in any case, I’m never going to forget the story of Achilles and Patroclus.
Or at least how it ends. The book in itself was great, though there were some slower parts in the middle of the novel. I was going to rate it 4 stars if not for the ending; in the end, I decided I couldn’t put only 4 stars to a book that moved me so much.
I know it seems like a lot, but when I say I cried, I don’t mean it was a single tear rolling gently on my cheek, no, it was deep and ugly sobs.
Anyway, the story in itself was great, I loved seeing the characters grow up together and witnessing the change in their relationship.
We are presented with flawed characters who make mistakes and take bad decisions, who struggle and try to find their way through life, who are just human and endearing and emotional.
I sometimes had a hard time keeping up with all the Greek names, and I wish some characters were more developed (like Odysseus), but I get that it wasn’t relevant to the story.
I loved learning more about life in Ancient Greece, like the importance of fame, recognition and honour. We also learn more about the sexism and brutality towards women at the time, and the response of others to homosexuality, which wasn’t yet defined at the time.
The writing style was lyric but at the same time easy to read; I’m not a native speaker of English and had no trouble reading this book.
Overall, it was like nothing I had ever read. I’m going to read Circe very soon; I can’t wait to be blown away by this author once again.