Will I love The Song of Achilles?

I love the way Miller treats mythic figures as sharing reality with humans.

Who can forget blue-green Thetis coming out dripping from the sea to meet her son, the hero Achilles? This is how the ancients wrote about the gods, and it's terrific to see it making a comeback after a hundred years or so when myth was treated as a source for psychoanalysis.

I was not so much inspired by this book (it came late) as encouraged and confirmed in my own treatment of otherworldly figures. They are there, for those with the eyes or imagination to see.

A wonderful retelling of the story of the great warrior Achilles and his partner Patroclus and the siege of Troy by Greek armies to rescue the famously beautiful Helen. Told from the point of view of Patroclus, a prince who is banished by his father after inadvertently killing another young boy and sent to live under the guardianship of Achilles' father. In the original version of this story, Patroclus and Achilles are the best of friends. In the version crafted by Madeline Miller, the relationship between them becomes romantic. After an idyllic time spent in the mountains under the kind… show more.

After having read and loved Circe, I finally got to this one. Happy I did too. Brilliant writing and engaging stories. Wonderful work. I look forward to the next!

Initially I didn't think I would be interested in another retelling of this story—but I was wrong. It's not just a straight re-telling of The Iliad, but weaves together all the various chunks and clues we have about the entire life of Achilles, and does so beautifully. Madeline Miller reminds us why people have cared about this story for...what...3000-some years now?

There have been a number of retellings of classical myths in recent years and this is my favourite so far. Told from the perspective of Patroclus it is heart-breaking knowing what is coming and experiencing the characters attempting to avoid their fates.

Admittedly, this was the second time I read The Song of Achilles, but I loved it even more upon rereading! As an author of Greek myth retellings, I marvel over Miller's ability to convey a wealth of historically accurate detail without ever sacrificing the propulsive plot or riveting love story. Her writing is always succinct, always evocative, and far richer and more immersive than would seem possible for a relatively short book. To me, this novel far outstrips Miller's Circe for emotional heft and engaging characters. A must for anyone who loves Ancient Greece, timeless love, or both.

I love the way this well-written, propulsive novel manages to elevate mighty Achilles while also humanizing him. He’s an inspiration to his legions, larger than life to the point of strutting blowhard, brutal to the point of sadism, cunning as a snake…but also tender, thoughtful. Same for the “Gods.” Athena, Zeus, Thetis, Aphrodite -- they’re all here: petty, fumbling, overbearing, jealous, plotting to protect what’s important to them, or staying far away just to see what happens. Narrated by a young man who becomes Achilles’ best friend-then-lover in their adolescence, we follow the lead-up to the siege of Troy, and… show more.

I love historical reads, and this retelling of the Trojan story was fascinating. The author did a great job at combining the known history/legend with the fictional elements.

The love story between the legendary Greek hero Achilles and the prince Patroclus is beautiful and heart wrenching.

Ever since reading this book, I *can’t* think of the original version of the Iliad without referencing his haunting retelling from Patroclus’ perspective. Miller did such an incredible job putting me in the story and making the characters so real that I actively missed them when I put the book down.

It doesn’t hurt that it has some of the most beautiful poetic language I’ve encountered in story form. Helen is more of a background character playing her classic role, but I was still fascinated because Miller plays on the demigod aspect of both Helen and Achilles in a way… show more.