The Song of Achilles
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4.5 • 2.1K Ratings
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- $19.99
Publisher 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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Madeline Miller’s fascinating take on Homer’s Iliad offers a new look at the passionate bond between the legendary Greek warrior Achilles and his devoted companion Patroclus. Already despised by his royal father, Patroclus is sent into exile when a fight with a bully goes horribly wrong. Fostered in a neighboring realm by King Peleus, the lonely misfit feels drawn to Peleus’ son, the shining demigod Achilles, and their friendship soon blooms into love. But everything is thrown into chaos when the Trojan War erupts. We were enraptured by the operatic emotion of this exquisitely crafted tragedy, as the lovers are placed on opposite sides of the famously epic conflict. Narrator Frazer Douglas’ seasoned voice aches with love and pain, heightening the power of their gloriously doomed romance. The Song of Achilles transforms mythic figures into real, sympathetic human beings.
Customer Reviews
beautiful
just read it. no explanation needed.
Amazing
Loved it
Great Book & Narrator
Another great one by Madeline Miller. Just like in Circe, she managed to swell up all of your emotions within the last 2-3 minutes of the book to perfectly end the story. I’m not a fan of reading anything with too much detail or ‘obnoxious’ advocating for homosexuality, but there were really only 2 short parts that were “a bit much”. The rest of the time, she did a great job at focusing on the loyalty and profound connection two people can have and not pushing any sort of agenda. Her writing style is beautiful and really invokes a lot of thought and emotion.
I also really enjoyed the narrator; his speed/tempo, fluctuation and the voice he gave Achilles was perfect (although his voice for Thetis was kind of hard to listen to).