From the Bookshelf of Queereaders…

The Song of Achilles

Madeline Miller

Start date: January 1, 2013

Finish date: February 28, 2013

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Jun 07, 2020 Mike rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A beautiful epic love story that is so rich and wonderful I hated seeing it end. That ending...just about broke me into tiny little pieces.

Not only is the story nearly perfect but the language too. Madeline Miller is a story teller and a poet. I love her imagery and phrasing. Definitely one of my favorite books I've ever read. The love between Achilles and Patroclus felt genuine and complex. Then she throws in a cold angry mother who happens to be a goddess. So good.

The only part that frustrated ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 28, 2022 Justine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

it’s pretty amusing to think that a story about ancient Greek mythology could be considered fan service, but that’s essentially what this is. i could practically hear the crowd cheering and gasping whenever a piece of the Iliad or Odyssey was mentioned. if that doesn’t sound like fun, then this book probably isn’t for you, even if Miller’s writing is evocative and grand in its own right.

if you recoil from contemporary retellings of these myths, then you will probably have a hard time with this. ...more

Like · see review

Feb 09, 2013 Lani marked it as gave-up-on · review of another edition

I wanted to like this so badly but I just can't finish it.

I enjoyed the beginning of it even though it didn't seem especially well written. Others have said it read like fanfiction and I'd have to agree. The retelling of this story was interesting enough to keep me reading for the first quarter or so but then it started dragging horribly and I just didn't buy the romance. ...more

Like · see review