The Song of Achilles - by Madeline Miller

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tlallport
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The Song of Achilles - by Madeline Miller

Post by tlallport »

'The Song of Achilles' by Madeline Miller is this author's first novel - 'a ten-year journey', as she describes her writing. Miller is a student of ancient Greek, and is obviously well versed in all the traditional myths and heroes that underly this story. This rewrite of the Achilles and Trojan War stories focuses on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, his companion. Miller is a masterful storyteller, and her characterization of the two central characters and their slowly unfolding love story is definately a page turner. What I liked about this book is that it will appeal to both readers, those who know the ancient and Homeric mythologies, and those that don't. The book won the Orange Prize 2012, which in my opinion, was a well-deserved prize.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it as a good read!
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JosephPWinters
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Post by JosephPWinters »

I really enjoyed The Song of Achilles. I'll be honest - at first I thought the writing was a little clunky: the initial scenes where Patroclus watches Achilles were a little clichéd, but Miller certainly finds her feet by the time their relationship is established. I totally recommend it (and have to all my friends!) - definitely worth a look for anyone interested in the classical world, but also a very engaging teenage relationship.
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reluctantreader
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Post by reluctantreader »

I really enjoyed this book - Achilles/Patrocles always been of my favourite stories and I really enjoyed this take on it.
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MandiKenendy
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Post by MandiKenendy »

I'll have to take a look - I really enjoy books set in Ancient Greece/Rome.
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Gannon
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Post by Gannon »

I really enjoyed this novel and thought it was a great book for a debut. I would recommend it to anybody who is interested in "The Iliad" or the Trojan war. Miller bases her novel on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. I found it not quite as good as some other historical fiction books based on "The Iliad" such as "The Song of Troy" by Colleen McCullough but still a great read. :D
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Eleahy_07
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Post by Eleahy_07 »

My first official book review is "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller. This is her first novel which came out in 2012 and is based on the story of Homer's Iliad. Now, if you've ever seen the movie "Troy" then you might be familiar with this story, however, the novel is from the POV of a lesser-known character Petroclus who is the beloved companion of Achilles. In his account, Petroclus basically falls for his friend and will anything to be with him and keep him alive during the Trojan War. The problem with this is he comes from a disgraced background and no one believes he is worthy of Achilles' love. I really enjoyed the story from the underdog's perspective because there is no bias in it, there is just honesty and passion. I don't know if there are historical texts that describe the relationship between these two characters, but it is widely known that greek men did get involved with other greek men (even when married). Their relationship began in young adulthood and continued to grow until they became grown men leading thousands of soldiers into battle. It was a very touching, heartbreaking love story told within the perils of war and politics.
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