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A review by hamantha
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I went into this story after I saw a very aesthetic quote on Pinterest—I'm not even ashamed to admit it. I had a vague knowledge of Patroclus and Achilles, and honestly, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Yes, I knew it would be a romance. Yes, I knew how the story ends (spoiler: there are no roses and rainbows). Still, I left surprised by how much of an effect the book had on me.
I don't get emotional with books very often—only one has ever made me cry. And I didn't cry for Madeline Miller's "Song of Achilles," but there was...there was this TWIST in my stomach for the entire last fourth of the book. This DREAD and SADNESS that I couldn't shake. The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus feels as grand as the myths that contain it, and that's possible because of the PROSE that Miller uses. There were times when I had to close the book and just say "wow," the language was THAT powerful. That being said, if you aren't a fan of overly-poetic, larger-than-life writing, you'll probably roll your eyes. It's romance to its core though, so if you're going into this wanting a grand adventure with high stakes and a lot of mysteries to solve, this may not be the book for you.
I don't get emotional with books very often—only one has ever made me cry. And I didn't cry for Madeline Miller's "Song of Achilles," but there was...there was this TWIST in my stomach for the entire last fourth of the book. This DREAD and SADNESS that I couldn't shake. The relationship between Achilles and Patroclus feels as grand as the myths that contain it, and that's possible because of the PROSE that Miller uses. There were times when I had to close the book and just say "wow," the language was THAT powerful. That being said, if you aren't a fan of overly-poetic, larger-than-life writing, you'll probably roll your eyes. It's romance to its core though, so if you're going into this wanting a grand adventure with high stakes and a lot of mysteries to solve, this may not be the book for you.