Hardcover, 378 pages
English language
Published Sept. 10, 2012 by Ecco.
Patroclus, an awkward young prince, follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate. Set during the Trojan War.
Such a beautifully written and captivatingly intimate work. I was so entranced and obsessed, I finished it in two days!
If you're a fan of historical tragic romance -and even if you aren't- this is THE book to read
Original approach to this old Greek Myth, easy to read, and a page turner.
A beautifully written and devastating story.
Good heavens, can Madeline Miller write.
This book has all the feels. It's so beautifully written, and so very intimate. I've been a big fan of the Iliad and Greek myths in general since 6th grade, but Miller brings an intimacy that livens up every old legend I know.
Read this.
By far, one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. This is a story that deserves to be told and Madeline Miller does it justice.
Para ser una autora novel, Madeline ha escrito una historia increíble en la que ha dado una nueva vida a figuras que todo amante de la mitología conoce.
Recomiendo que todo el mundo lea este libro pero si eres un amante de la mitología como yo, vas a guardar esta historia en tu corazón.
Estoy destrozado y maravillado al mismo tiempo
My wife reads a lot of romance novels and I, never having read one, had been casting about for a prime example of the genre. And then this hit the list for the 2013 Tournament of Books - a pre-bodice bodice ripper! A tunic ripper?
I did a couple of things I try never to do. I read a review or two in the middle of the book and I also did just a touch of research in halfway through to see how much foundation there was to Miller's version of the romantic elements of the book. (I hadn't encountered the Iliad since high school.) I think it validated why I try not to do either of these things. The reviews that complain about deviations from the Iliad were silly. (One even called it 'derivative' which is precisely and exactly true but not valid as a criticism. Hope they took …
My wife reads a lot of romance novels and I, never having read one, had been casting about for a prime example of the genre. And then this hit the list for the 2013 Tournament of Books - a pre-bodice bodice ripper! A tunic ripper?
I did a couple of things I try never to do. I read a review or two in the middle of the book and I also did just a touch of research in halfway through to see how much foundation there was to Miller's version of the romantic elements of the book. (I hadn't encountered the Iliad since high school.) I think it validated why I try not to do either of these things. The reviews that complain about deviations from the Iliad were silly. (One even called it 'derivative' which is precisely and exactly true but not valid as a criticism. Hope they took those hacks Shakespeare and James Joyce to task for the same!) And while there is a heck of a lot of invention on Miller's part, I believe this is both a good thing and not in conflict with the mythology she drew upon.
But, none of that really matters. I believed in the characters and their romantic attachment. It's a great story with a classic tragic hook that is pretty timeless. I'd have given a full complement of stars if it had hit my heart a little harder than it did. Most of my connection to the story was more intellectual than emotional.
