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A review by natreviews
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
5.0
A couple of quick things before I dive in. Yes, this book deserves the hype it got. I was going to rate this a 4.5/5, but the last couple of chapters (tbh, after chapter 31 they blended together from reading too fast and not paying attention to the chapter number) and the tears that flowed made me bump it up to a 5/5.
I see why it gets the love that it does, and it is well deserved. This is a retelling of Achilles and Patroclus. Throughout the whole story, even knowing how it ended, it felt comfortable. A blanket on a cold day, a hug after a long week, a good cry after a bunch of stress. I honestly can't say that I have ever felt that while reading a book. In my opinion this is due to the writing. Madeline Miller could've written this how I find a lot of gay males are written, where thoughts when they look at the male body are extremely sexual. I'm very happy to report that this isn't the case. From the very beginning Patroclus describes Achilles like how Hozier, WLW, or NBLW describe women, with such a poetic tone. It was refreshing.
I like the addition at the back of this particular edition which includes names and backstories of the characters featured in this book (I'm assuming taken from the Iliad). I didn't feel the need to read these, as I was honestly just here for the gay stuff.
On that note of names, the reason I was originally going to give this book a 4.5 is two of my main issues.
1) I don't know how to pronounce anyone's names aside from Achilles. Could I have looked it up like I did for The Witch's Heart? Yes. I though thought that the pronunciation would be included with the outline of the characters at the back, but weren't. I'm fine having to look up how to say one name (Angrboda was the only one I had to in TWH), but there was about 20 characters I had to keep track of.
2) Time jumps around a lot. Near the end of the book, we get told what the ages of Achilles and Patroclus are, but unless you're keeping track of weeks and years that get skipped over, it can be hard to track.
I will say I also thought that Madeline Miller had written other novels beforehand. Her writing is really skilled (even more than authors I've read who've been in the industry for 20+ years) that I was surprised to learn this novel was her first. It will be interesting if she sticks with Greek Mythology, moves to different mythologies, or branches out.
I see why it gets the love that it does, and it is well deserved. This is a retelling of Achilles and Patroclus. Throughout the whole story, even knowing how it ended, it felt comfortable. A blanket on a cold day, a hug after a long week, a good cry after a bunch of stress. I honestly can't say that I have ever felt that while reading a book. In my opinion this is due to the writing. Madeline Miller could've written this how I find a lot of gay males are written, where thoughts when they look at the male body are extremely sexual. I'm very happy to report that this isn't the case. From the very beginning Patroclus describes Achilles like how Hozier, WLW, or NBLW describe women, with such a poetic tone. It was refreshing.
I like the addition at the back of this particular edition which includes names and backstories of the characters featured in this book (I'm assuming taken from the Iliad). I didn't feel the need to read these, as I was honestly just here for the gay stuff.
On that note of names, the reason I was originally going to give this book a 4.5 is two of my main issues.
1) I don't know how to pronounce anyone's names aside from Achilles. Could I have looked it up like I did for The Witch's Heart? Yes. I though thought that the pronunciation would be included with the outline of the characters at the back, but weren't. I'm fine having to look up how to say one name (Angrboda was the only one I had to in TWH), but there was about 20 characters I had to keep track of.
2) Time jumps around a lot. Near the end of the book, we get told what the ages of Achilles and Patroclus are, but unless you're keeping track of weeks and years that get skipped over, it can be hard to track.
I will say I also thought that Madeline Miller had written other novels beforehand. Her writing is really skilled (even more than authors I've read who've been in the industry for 20+ years) that I was surprised to learn this novel was her first. It will be interesting if she sticks with Greek Mythology, moves to different mythologies, or branches out.