The Song of Achilles

Reentering the world of myth is something I haven’t done much since college.

Frankly, the characters weren’t identifiable to me, even if the stories were timeless and I could see them repeated in books, movies, and stories I loved. Then came The Song of Achilles and suddenly the fairy-tale characters took on more real lives, became real people. Even if they were Greek gods, they acted as mortals, the way we do.

The stories I tell have similar mythic characters, who act in ways that we don’t expect, who do things we could do, but don’t out of fear of… show more.

Here’s the most amazing things about novels, vs any other storytelling form.

When the author does it right, it’s absolutely inconceivable that this story isn’t completely real, that everything didn’t happen in actuality, exactly as written, even while, in this case, the story was set in mythic Greece, thousands of years ago. The characters are so vivid, fascinating, and real, their yearning is so heartfelt and their flaws so relatable, this cannot be possibly be anything but reality.

Madeline Miller writes about the hero, Achilles, in a story narrated by his friend and lover, Patroclus. I read this a few… show more.

Once more, my obsession with ancient Greece raises its bronze helmeted head - particularly anything related to Troy and the characters involved in that tragic, epic tale.

As the title would suggest, this is a tale of Achilles, destined, or perhaps fated, to become immortalized as the greatest of the Greek warriors. But there is more to Achilles than just a fearsome, unstoppable slaughterer of men.

Driven by a destiny in which his two choices are obscurity and long life or eternal glory and short existence, Miller weaves the complex relationship between the hero and Patroclus into a wild romance… show more.

Wow, this book was amazing. The mythology stories have always fascinated me, and this retelling was excellent. The author took a story told a million times and made it original. The love story between Patroclus and Achilles was so good: sweet, smart, heartbreaking.

The author's fantastic use of prose is the other thing that put this story in my top three for this year. So many writers can write lovely prose, but the story's pacing usually suffers. That was not the case in The Song of Achilles. I couldn't stop listening to this book; the pacing was spot-on.

I… show more.

I’m a huge fan of slow-burn romance and The Song of Achilles really delivered this.

We follow the life of disgraced royal, Patroclus, as he is exiled from his home and taken into the care of King Peleus and his son, Achilles. It was so fulfilling to watch Patroclus and Achilles get to know each other and watch their relationship bloom. It was cool to see a relationship that is so unequal in so many ways still feel reciprocal.

These two characters loved each other deeply and equally. That kind of commitment is inspiring. 

The Song of Achilles tells the love story of Achilles and Patroclus, as well as their tragic end in the Trojan War.

I always say the best stories are those that keep you interested even when you know the end (because we all know what happens in the Trojan War). The book kept me immersed in the drama and action, as well as the loving relationship of the main characters. By the end, they turned into star-crossed lovers and it broke my heart. I wept, and I was content.

The Song of Achilles is such as beautifully written book that perfectly weaves together a queer love story with a proper Greek epic.

It was so fulfilling to follow Patroclus and Achilles as they grew up. The attraction grows subtly and feels very natural. The fantasy elements feel very matter-of-fact and never take away from the incredibly relatable character moments.

The Song of Achilles is perfect for people who love stories that leave you with a hangover.

Featuring a beautifully executed plot of male lovers, Madeline Miller takes the horrors of Greek mythology and paints them with rose-colored tones of yearning and passion. Her use of poetic language is unparalleled, making this timeless retelling of the Trojan War hard to put down.

However, it’s the heart-wrenching plot twist ending that will stay with you forever. Even if you know how the story of Achilles goes, have a box of tissues nearby at the end of this one.

I brought a few books along for a beach vacation, read The Song of Achilles first, and then proceeded to re-read it for the rest of my week there.

Even when I’d finished, I couldn’t put it down. I am a big Greek mythology nerd, so the decision to tell Achilles’s story from Patroclus’s point-of-view caught my interest immediately. Their love story is so compelling I wanted to revisit every part, and of course, was sobbing by the end.

This is a great book if you love the larger mythology of the Trojan War (from which The Iliad and The Odyssey were created). Here we find the reason Patroclus came to the court of Achilles’ father, how Patroclus and Achilles came to be companions and lovers, how Achilles chose to go to war and face the death he knew was his fate if he sought fame. There are two schools of thought as to whether Achilles and Patroclus were, in fact, lovers (The Iliad could support either view). But there can be no doubt of the great passion… show more.