The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller -- Restarting August 15th 2025

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their difference, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess.

But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear

[Meaghan]

Hey guys! I got an early start to the book, and I'm posting my updates now!

[Meaghan]

4%
(view spoiler)[That oath is definitely going to be brought back up later. (hide spoiler)]

[Meaghan]

12%
(view spoiler)[I'm loving Patroclus' character growth already! (hide spoiler)]

[Meaghan]

24%
(view spoiler)[I'm kind of wishing the pace would pick up (hide spoiler)]

[Meaghan]

48%
(view spoiler)[This book is becoming a countdown to Achilles' death and it's so saddening to read. (hide spoiler)]

[Meaghan]

89%
(view spoiler)[I can't believe I forgot that Patroclus dies for Achilles in the myth, and now I was totally surprised by it ): (hide spoiler)]

[Shav]

I'll be joining :)

[Shav]

10%
(view spoiler)[Poor Patroclus, it wasn't his fault he was born simple. And what's even wrong with being simple? But it's good to see that Achilles finds it alluring. (hide spoiler)]

[Shav]

22%
(view spoiler)[I'm so glad Patrocles and Achilles aren't seperated from each other. I really wonder when Achilles is going to turn into a God and how that will happen. And I also think that Patrocles has something special about him, but no one knows it yet. (hide spoiler)]

[Jordan]

I was waiting for my copy from the library to get in, but now I can finally read this book! I've heard so many great things about it! :)

[Shav]

So excited you're also going to start reading it :D

[Jordan]

I started it a few hours ago, but I'm only about 50 pages in. I'm going to try and do an update every eight chapters or so :)

How are you liking it so far?

[Shav]

Jordan wrote: "I started it a few hours ago, but I'm only about 50 pages in. I'm going to try and do an update every eight chapters or so :)

How are you liking it so far?"

At first I thought it was kind of confusing but now it's pretty good

[Jordan]

Awesome! How far along are you? :)

[Jordan]

23%

(view spoiler)[
The book begins Patroclus as a nine year-old prince, who can not live up to his father's expectations. During a festival that his father is holding, many males compete in sporting events, one of them running. The winner of the race was a boy close to Patroclus's age named Achilles. His father then goes on to comment something along the lines of "that is how a son is supposed to be. Patroclus has never been very athletic or very talented in any of the things that his father thought made an important son. Even as the prince, and due to his small stature, he was often picked on by the other boys of the kingdom. One day, a boy tries to steal a pair of dice, which was a gift, from Patroclus, and tired of being bullied, he shoves the boy down a hill. Unfortunately, the hill had rocks sticking out everywhere and the boy struck his head on one, which killed him. Patroclus is then exiled from his homeland and is sent to live with Achilles and his father, King Peleus. When he arrives there, he becomes ostracized from the other boys that Peleus has taken in, but he constantly finds himself watching Achilles. One day when Patroclus skips morning drills, Achilles finds him and tells him that Peleus is upset and is thinking of punishing him. In order to prevent this from happening, Achilles allows him to join him in some of his own lessons and allows him to use that as an excuse.

The day before Achilles is to go and train with Chiron, Patroclus and Achilles are sitting on the beach, when suddenly, Patroclus kisses Achilles. Which in turn, causes Achilles to run off.

The next day Achilles leaves for Chiron and Patroclus decides to go with him a few hours after he has left. Once he and Achilles are reunited, they go with Chiron to train.

I'm really like this book! I've always been intrigued by mythology, so hopefully I continue liking this book :)
(hide spoiler)]

[Jordan]

30%

(view spoiler)[

Achilles and Patroclus are now fifteen years old and have spent the last several years with Chiron. One night Achilles and Patroclus got intimate and neither said that they regretted it. Not soon after that, a messenger is sent to Achilles, saying that he needs to return home for an important meeting. After Patroclus and Achilles pack up their belongings, they began their journey back to the Phthia.

(hide spoiler)]

[Jordan]

54%

(view spoiler)[
When they get back to Phthia, they learn that Helen has been abducted and that a war is being waged because of it. Thetis, Achilles' mother, tries to prevent him from going to war by hiding him as a girl in another kingdom. Two prophecies are revealed: one of them is that Achilles will die if he goes to Troy to fight, the second one is that he will lose his talent and waste away if he does not go to war and fight. Achilles decides to go to war and fight, then to be miserable. They are currently on a boat that is heading to Troy. (hide spoiler)]

[Shav]

Damn you read fast!

[Shav]

58%
(view spoiler)[I feel really bad for Patrcocles, it's like he has numbered days with Achilles and they barely talk now and I'm afraid it's just going to get worse. And how is Patrocles supposed to enter Troy with Achilles eventually? He'll probably be killed easily. But he probably wouldn't mind. (hide spoiler)]

[Shav]

59%
(view spoiler)[Achilles is turning in a monster slowly but surely. Maybe he will die a bit like a god. (hide spoiler)]

[Shav]

62&
(view spoiler)[ The Fates had said nothing about me-nothing about how long I would live. I woke Achilles, in panic.
"I will be there," he promised.
Does he mean that Patrocles will die first? Oh my goodness (hide spoiler)]

[Jordan]

Haha, I just didn't really have a lot to do yesterday, so what's better than reading? :)

[Jordan]

76%

(view spoiler)[ They have been in the war for four years so far. Achilles is the one that mainly fights on the battlefield and Petroclus decides to use the knowledge that he learned from Chiron to help in the infirmary tent. Thetis has also revealed another part of the prophecy; Achilles will die after Hector has been killed.

Also, Briseis, an Anatolian farm girl that was captured in a raid, has become a companion to Patroclus. Though he is not interested in her in a romantic way, she reveals that she would marry him and have his child. Patroclus politely turns her down, much to the relief of Achilles.

(hide spoiler)]

[Shav]

Jordan wrote: "Haha, I just didn't really have a lot to do yesterday, so what's better than reading? :)"

True!!

[Allison]

25%

(view spoiler)[ I, much like the boys, want their time with Chiron to never end (hide spoiler)]

[Allison]

50%

(view spoiler)[ I am glad that Patroclus and Achilles can still have calm moments before the storm (hide spoiler)]

[Allison]

75%

(view spoiler)[ Is this the war prize I remember being mentioned in the myth? Yes, yes it is. (hide spoiler)]

[Allison]

100%

(view spoiler)[ I am crying a lot right now. Montages always get me in the end. The tears started coming and they didn't stop. (hide spoiler)]

[Jordan]

100%

(view spoiler)[

Achilles refuses to fight in the war because Agamemnon disrespects him, which causes the Trojans to advance. It gets to the point that the Trojans have infiltrated the camp. In a panic, Patroclus offers to fight in his place, who then kills many people, but falls to Hector. In a rage, Achilles goes and kills Hector and drags his body around the walls of Troy. Thetis appears and claims that Achilles has angered Apollo. Paris then uses Apollo's assistance and kills Achilles with an arrow. Before his death, he wanted his ashes mixed in with Patroclus's. Not long after, Pyrrhus, the twelve year-old son of Achilles, causes Troy to fall. In the end, Thetis allows Patroclus to join Achilles in the underworld.


This book was so good! :D
(hide spoiler)]

[Shav]

96%
(view spoiler)[Poor Patrcoles. He sacrificed himself for Achilles' honor and now he won't find peace. But I wonder if Thetis will give him peace now.. (hide spoiler)]

[Shav]

I'm kind of confused... I thought this book had something to do with the Wooden horse

[Jordan]

Oh, are you referring to the Trojan Horse? That happens in the Trojan War, but since this book was mainly focused on Achilles and Patroclus's relationship, it didn't really mention anything about it.

[Shivam]

I read this book last month and I cried reading this thread. Thank you guys

[Abi]

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Reading from the 15th of January 2017

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

[Maddie]

Joining.

[Karen]

I've got a it behind with one or two BRs so I might be a little late to this one.

[Maddie]

not sure if I'll have this from the library in time but im definitely reading it.

[Karen]

Got a head start and 15% in I confess to being a bit uncertain. Patroclus seems to be falling in love with Achilles and I wasn't really expecting this. Suppose we need some background, but it's not the most gripping start.

[Karen]

25%-that went more quickly than I thought it would.

[Maddie]

uhm karen please put spoilers... you're spoiling it for me..

and don't you know that patroclus and achilles are gay?

[Karen]

40%-delaying. An odd encounter-kind of depressing.

[Karen]

Maddison wrote: "uhm karen please put spoilers... you're spoiling it for me..

and don't you know that patroclus and achilles are gay?"

Have edited my previous comment. I assumed that people would know the story so references to obvious events wouldn't be spoilers. Sorry if that's not the case.
It's a long time since I read the Illiad but I recall the relationship being hinted at only.

[Karen]

50% - this is richly written but an awful lot of time has been spent setting up what we know is coming. New audience perhaps makes this needed.

[Karen]

78%-the depiction of war is graphic, but remarkably sensitively handled. I really like the way Miller is reimagining a character that people assume to know.

[Karen]

Completed-review on home page.

[Maddie]

wow still no spoilers karen!!! please edit them so I don't read your updates? put the spoiler tags around them please

[Karen]

Maddison, sorry, but I don't get how my comments are spoilers. Please let me know which parts of my comments aren't already mentioned elsewhere-such as on the info given about the book-and then I can consider amending them.

[Maddie]

Oh sorry I just assumed they were spoilers because you posted your progress too sorry

[Maddie]

I'll be starting this one tomorrow or the next day I think :) I'm picking it up from the library then.