The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles

By Madeline Miller

  • Release Date: 2012-03-06
  • Genre: LGBTQIA+ Romance
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 4,732 Ratings

Description

“At once a scholar’s homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art by an incredibly talented new novelist….A book I could not put down.”
—Ann Patchett

“Mary Renault lives again!” declares Emma Donoghue, author of Room, referring to The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller’s thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War. 

A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights—and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.

Reviews

  • Too slow then too fast

    4
    By Arsnp
    In the beginning every inch of the characters and every thought or feeling is portrayed through her words but when she thrusts Achilles into the defining incidents of the Odyssey she rushes through as not to ruin a classic. It is a bit absurd and moves too quickly through the Trojan war.
  • Amazing and spectacular

    5
    By Read this review. v
    Yes READ IT
  • The song of Achilles

    5
    By gissrosemary
    Beautifully told, beautiful story.
  • Heartbreakingly Amazing

    5
    By Gentleman Moth
    This book is phenomenal, perfect for fans of Greek myths. It’s heartbreaking, incredibly well written, and truly is one of those books you can’t stop thinking about. 💛🩵
  • Love story

    5
    By Young Exec
    I usually don’t read fiction however after seeing the awards this book received thought i’d start the year with a good fiction book and I picked well. Great story, complex and well written. The author will make me consider more fiction in my future, thank you!
  • Creative and Fun, but Fast!

    3
    By Diakon14
    I loved the author’s retelling of a classic myth. It included fresh elements of love, internal conflict, and action. Patroclus was a relatable character given his difficult upbringing, internal conflicts, and longing for an “unattainable” lover like Achilles. Skipping through years in the middle of chapters felt like the story was rushed. The author could have included more detail in the events with Chiron and the boys. They learned so much from him, and I don’t know if it was fully revealed to the reader. I wonder if it would have been valuable to create whole books dedicated to the lives of Patroclus and Achilles separately, then together leading into the war.
  • Stunning

    5
    By ESC2018
    I’m certainly going to read it again.
  • LOVED IT

    5
    By L0LA Luv
    The pace of the book was consistent and also had you hooked into where the story was taking you!!!
  • love

    5
    By lele7717
    the best
  • my “roman empire”

    5
    By ᖇOᗯYᑎᑎ
    I was gifted this book for my birthday in 5 years ago and DEVOURED it. Since then I’ve read it 5 times, bought 2 covers, and have heavily annotated my copy. (I even took it to the bottom of the Grand Canyon for a month long expedition!!). As someone who LOVES greek mythology and was heavily closeted and insecure about my sexuality, seeing this romantic and comfortably queer take on this story was incredibly important to me. This book is beautifully written and tragically poetic.