The Song of Achilles

[Trisha]

This thread is to discuss The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

Pages: 352 pages

Length: 1 Month (May)

Participants: Helene, Raviteja, Ushashi, Pervinca, SarahKat, Frezita.

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

[Ilse]

Hi, Alyana send me the ebook so I can read it with you all! I’m excited :)

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

I have this on hold from the library in every possible format. Hopefully one will come through soon! If it doesn't I'll just buy it in a few weeks.

[Angela]

I'd like to join, if I may? Thanks!

[Ilse]

Angela wrote: "I'd like to join, if I may? Thanks!"

Ofcourse, you're welcome to join :)

[Angela]

Fab! This is my first buddy read. I have wanted to read this book since finishing "Circe" last year.

[Ushashi]

Hi everyone and welcome Angela. Buddy reads are really nice.

I will possibly start this around the middle of the month. Till then looking forward to hearing what you all think.

[Angela]

Today's the day! Hooray!

[Raviteja]

Ushashi wrote: "Hi everyone and welcome Angela. Buddy reads are really nice.

I will possibly start this around the middle of the month. Till then looking forward to hearing what you all think."

Ditto!
I will also be starting around middle of the month.. I will keep an eye on all your thoughts till then!

[Tiana J]

Hi all! I have been wanting to Buddy Read a book so Im excited to start here. I will starting the book tomorrow and hope to finish within a week.

[Helene]

Hi 🙋‍♀️ I’ll also start about the middle of the month with this one. Have been looking forward to this one for a long time 😊😊

[Ilse]

I’ll also start about the middle of the month with this one :)

[Pervinca]

I have another buddy read appart from this one, so since most of you are gonna start it at the middle of the month, i'll read it as soon as i finish my other buddy read. Very excited for this one, i've been hearing wonders about it!

[Zach]

Hi all. I’ll be joining as well. It’s a book I’ve been interested in. Since everyone is starting around the middle of the month, I will as well

[Dorothy]

May I join please? I read it last year but remember it well, It will be a change for me to be ahead of the group for once!

[Frezita]

Like many of you, I'll be starting this book in mid-May as I'm waiting for my copy to arrive. And then hoping to read Circe.

[Pervinca]

Okay, so i ended up reding this one first. I absolutely loved it, it's so well written. I could not put it down. If only, i would have wanted some more romantic moments in this. But i enjoyed it a lot.

I'll share deeper thoughts once everyone has read it! I don't wanna spoil anything. Hope you like it as much as i did!

[Ushashi]

I've started with the audiobook. Reached chapter 10. So far I'm liking it. I haven't read 'The Iliad', only know the outline of the story. Has anyone here read that? There must be quite a lot of differences between the two. (view spoiler)[ I always imagined Achilles to be a grown-up man during the Trojan war, but by the looks of it here, he is going to war at the age of sixteen. Was it the same in the original? (hide spoiler)]

[Dorothy]

I was forced to read The Iliad in Latin at High School, many many years ago!

[Nidhi]

If we are talking about the song of Achilles, I just want to say that it is probably one of my favourite books and it broke me so much that I was crying in the bathroom for half an hour after I finished it haha.

[Ushashi]

I am near the end of the book. Mythology is generally not my genre, but I'm really enjoying this. (view spoiler)[ Initially Patroclus's admiration of Achilles was seeming like an infatuated boy who could see no wrong in his beloved. But as the story progressed and the characters get older, their relationship matured into something really beautiful.
The chapter where Patroclus first goes to war is beautifully written. It captured the true horror of the scene, and I felt it did so because it was seen from the POV of someone not interested in the glory of the war. I really like Patroclus's character. Achilles seems comparatively one-dimensional. (hide spoiler)]

[Pervinca]

Ushashi wrote: "I am near the end of the book. Mythology is generally not my genre, but I'm really enjoying this. Initially Patroclus's admiration of Achilles was seeming like an infatuated boy who could see no w..."

I completely agree with you. I love Patroclus' POV, but sometimes i wish we could hear certain things from Achilles POV as well, specially when they are in Troy. It would add a bit more of dimension to the charachter, making it more human. But i loved their relationship, as well as how it evolved, and how Patroclus talks about it!

[Nidhi]

I think the reason why we don't hear from Achilles' character is because the whole story is more from just what Patroclus experienced and thought about. Because it's more about seeing Achilles from his eyes, all his greatness and all his faults, from the perspective of a person who loved him

[Nidhi]

But that's just my opinion and I agree it would give more dimension though.

[Ilse]

Nidhi wrote: "I think the reason why we don't hear from Achilles' character is because the whole story is more from just what Patroclus experienced and thought about. Because it's more about seeing Achilles from..."

Yes, exactly! It would give him more dimension, but I do think it's best that it's written from the perspective of Patroclus, since that makes the most sense.

[Ushashi]

I agree with all of you. Having Achilles's POV might have given him more dimensions, but single POV works so well in this book. (view spoiler)[ I was wondering what Miller will do after Patroclus's death (I knew it was coming, and still it felt so sad), but she is amazingly sticking to his POV. Last few chapters to go, and I am sure it'll be a tearjerker. (hide spoiler)]

[Nidhi]

yes oh my god the ending

[Ushashi]

Finished. Things don't often make me feel sadness and anger at the same time. These last few chapters did. (view spoiler)[ Achilles's rage was heartbreaking and yet how he dealt with it was cruel. Losing Patroclus turned him into a person that even Patroclus would not have liked. The story never said if he felt any guilt over his death. I think he should have. His ego was partly responsible for it, besides all the prophecy.

And I can't even start with Neoptolemus.

I felt the best message in the story was that Patroclus, the only man not after glory or honor in the war, is arguably the best person. Miller actually showed the power of kindness in a war and glory story. (hide spoiler)]

[Pervinca]

Ushashi wrote: "I agree with all of you. Having Achilles's POV might have given him more dimensions, but single POV works so well in this book. [spoilers removed]"

Yes, completely have to agree there. (view spoiler)[ I was also wondering what she would do when Patroclus dies, and while a part of me wanted to read that from the perspective of a desolated Achilles, i'm glad she stuck with Patroclus: it's his story, and he does a very well job at describing his lover and what happens and how pained he was from seing Achilles this way. I was heartbroken. The ending was beatifully written, even though i was expecting a more romantic reunion (like jumping into each other's arms calling their names ahahaha, but it was a beautiful way to end it anyway). (hide spoiler)]

[Helene]

Ushashi wrote: "Finished. Things don't often make me feel sadness and anger at the same time. These last few chapters did. Achilles's rage was heartbreaking and yet how he dealt with it was cruel. Losing Patroclu..."


(view spoiler)[ I completely agree. It was his pride and ego and want for fame and glory that ruined it all. I can understand how he would loose his mind over it, but the way he treated hectors body after and his behavior to other people and Briseis particularly got me so upset. She had loved Patroclus too. That ending though. I cried so hard <\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Ushashi]

Helene wrote: (spoiler).."

After reading this book, I now want to read more of Iliad retellings. (view spoiler)[ Briseis's ending was so sad. I was hoping she would make it in the sea and at least one character will have a good ending, but alas! I am planning to read The Silence of the Girls sometime, which is from Briseis's perspective. That might be interesting.
I felt Achilles was far too arrogant, and Patroclus was his anchor. Neoptolemus is a vision of what Achilles could have been like without Patroclus. (hide spoiler)]

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

I finally started reading this! It will probably take me the rest of the month to finish it. I've been obnoxiously busy recently. I am really dreading/looking forward to the ending just based on all of your general comments (not clicking on spoilers yet)!

I read the Iliad and the Odyssey years ago. I have the cool fake leather fancy ones. I may have to revisit them after this because I'm realizing I remember next to nothing.

I'm enjoying this so far! Patroclus is an interesting choice of narrator.

[Dorothy]

Helene wrote: "Ushashi wrote: "Finished. Things don't often make me feel sadness and anger at the same time. These last few chapters did. Achilles's rage was heartbreaking and yet how he dealt with it was cruel. ..."

"Silence of the Girls" is very good.

[Angela]

Just getting underway too. I loved Circe.....really looking forward to her writing from a man's perspective.

[Raviteja]

I love that you are all enjoying this book so much.. With how things are with my work and life at this point, I don't see myself reading book soon.

Sorry for dropping out and I hope to read another book with you all the next time.

[Ilse]

@Raviteja that’s okay, don’t worry!

[Helene]

Completely understand. Sometimes life happens 🤷‍♀️ I’m sure when you have time someone else will be wanting to join you reading this anyway as it’s such a popular book ☺️

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

Finished with 1 day to spare! (view spoiler)[ Really enjoyed it but not as much as the "hype" says I should have. I found some parts a bit slow or repetitive. I really loved Patroclus as a character, but Achilles didn't bring much to the table for me. The ending was really good and I read the last 75 pages or so really fast. But the rest of the book I found myself easily putting it down in favor for other things after I had read the minimum number of pages per day to finish on time. (hide spoiler)]