Song of Achilles (P.S.) (Prebound)
March 2012 Indie Next List
“It's a daunting effort to recast an ancient tale, but classics scholar Miller proves that she is worth of the task with this finely wrought debut grafted from the historical root of the Trojan War. By focusing on Achilles' near-fatherly love for Patroclus, we see an intimate side of the great Achilles, long overshadowed by Homer's portrayal of his exploits in war and his 'great rage' against the Trojans. Miller's homage to The Iliad is sharp and strengthened by her knowledge and exquisite prose.”
— Robert A. Geake, Brown University Bookstore, Providence, RI
Fall '12 Reading Group List
“It's a daunting effort to recast an ancient tale, but classics scholar Miller proves that she is worthy of the task with this finely wrought debut grafted from the historical root of the Trojan War. By focusing on Achilles' near-fatherly love for Patroclus, we see an intimate side of the great Achilles, long overshadowed by Homer's portrayal of his exploits in war and his 'great rage' against the Trojans. Miller's homage to The Iliad is sharp and strengthened by her knowledge and exquisite prose.”
— Robert A. Geake, Brown University Bookstore, Providence, RI
Staff Reviews
This book remains one of my all-time favorite books ever. This story is told in such a strikingly intimate way, you are pulled right into the time of the Trojan war, into a time of heroes and legends, and most of all, you're privy to a love story so epic and deep that it will hold your heart forever. What's more, Madeline Miller's writing is just the most pleasurable thing to read; she writes in such a way that feels as if she wrote it just for your eyes to read. You feel the wind in your hair on warm beaches, your heels kicking up sand; you feel the sticky sap of figs as you bit into their sweetness; you feel the cool spring light filtered through tall forest trees; and most of all, you see the world through the eyes and heart of young Patroclus, as he discovers the mighty hero Achilles and begins their stunning journey together, and their love story for the ages.
(Adult Fiction) — Find more Staff Picks by Iz
— IzAchilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.
They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.
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