Paperback, 416 pages
English language
Published Sept. 25, 2012 by ecco.
The Song of Achilles is a 2011 novel by American writer Madeline Miller. Set during the Greek Heroic Age, it is an adaptation of Homer's Iliad as told from the perspective of Patroclus. The novel follows Patroclus' relationship with Achilles, from their initial meeting to their exploits during the Trojan War, with focus on their romantic relationship. In 2012, The Song of Achilles was awarded the Orange Prize for Fiction.
Literally in tears when the book came to an end. Beautifully written. It's been a long time since I read any of the Greek myths this was based on but it fits in the hazy memories and adds layers to those characters.
It was very difficult for me to follow the plot of this book. My tiny brain was struggling to memorize all of the long ass names, and unfortunately I am not nerdy enough to have the system of society in Ancient Greece filed away in my brain. I was lost and confused and honestly a little bit bored, BUT I DON’T CARE. This was beautiful. It was queer joy, feminist anger, teen angst, and a wee little history lesson ALL IN ONE. The way the author like spreads out the 21 year long plot line through out the book is masterful, and the characters and their individual actions are written so damn well, that I don’t even need to know the plot! The ending broke me, I was crying for literally the entire last sixty pages. This is the most beautiful story I’ve ever read. Not THE BEST, and certainly …
It was very difficult for me to follow the plot of this book. My tiny brain was struggling to memorize all of the long ass names, and unfortunately I am not nerdy enough to have the system of society in Ancient Greece filed away in my brain. I was lost and confused and honestly a little bit bored, BUT I DON’T CARE. This was beautiful. It was queer joy, feminist anger, teen angst, and a wee little history lesson ALL IN ONE. The way the author like spreads out the 21 year long plot line through out the book is masterful, and the characters and their individual actions are written so damn well, that I don’t even need to know the plot! The ending broke me, I was crying for literally the entire last sixty pages. This is the most beautiful story I’ve ever read. Not THE BEST, and certainly not the most interesting, but 100% the most beautiful. Achilles and Patroclus have the most heartbreaking love story of them all, I wish them nothing but happiness. <3
madeline when i get you
I never found Greek mythology, Homer, Virgil, etc. very interesting or accessible, just another high school lit duty, but this original retelling from a traditionally minor character's viewpoint is brilliant and beautifully written with a deep emotional arc. I was mesmerized by the last few chapters (really had no idea where it was going even though big picture we know how it turns out). Often these serious lit books end with a set of canned discussion questions that seem geared toward high school classes or suburban weekend reading groups, and that is in the book, but there is a much more interesting interview with the author describing her own journey in writing the book (Ten years! Ten years!), her own emotional travel experience after writing the book, and a review of the cast of characters with references to the Iliad, which would have looked like a Cliff Notes before reading …
I never found Greek mythology, Homer, Virgil, etc. very interesting or accessible, just another high school lit duty, but this original retelling from a traditionally minor character's viewpoint is brilliant and beautifully written with a deep emotional arc. I was mesmerized by the last few chapters (really had no idea where it was going even though big picture we know how it turns out). Often these serious lit books end with a set of canned discussion questions that seem geared toward high school classes or suburban weekend reading groups, and that is in the book, but there is a much more interesting interview with the author describing her own journey in writing the book (Ten years! Ten years!), her own emotional travel experience after writing the book, and a review of the cast of characters with references to the Iliad, which would have looked like a Cliff Notes before reading the book, but afterwards you just want to find out more about that person. Which I plan to do in part by reading the author's followup retelling of the Odyssey (that took her only seven years to write!).
Forbered deg på å gråte mot slutten. Miller setter ord på så mange kjærlighets- og forelskelsesfølelser jeg ikke hadde lagt merke til selv. Fordi alle vet hva som skjer med Akilles til slutt, satt jeg gjennom hele boken og håpet på mer tid, akkurat som Patrokles gjorde. Men jeg angret aldri på å bla om, hver side var en fryd.
A heart-breaking, utterly moving retelling of the story of Patroclus and Achilles as a queer romance. I highly recommend this. It kickstarted the whole trend of retellings of Classical mythologies, and with good reason -- because this is an excellent restatement of the story.
