Bookseller Reviews
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A book truly like no other
Madeline Miller’s retelling of the myth of Achilles is honestly one of the greatest books I’ve encountered.
Moving, poetic and utterly compelling. I felt b... READ MORE
beautiful
while the story is one we all know and is tragic, it is Miller's writing that is the standout of this book and the way she uses word to inflict emotions in... READ MORE
Being talked about for a reason
I don't usually give in to bluster of reading what is popular, but Song of Achilles sounded right up my street.
I thought I was prepared but I wasn't.
A... READ MORE
Magnificent fiction
I was overwhelmed by how much I enjoyed this book. It was glorious to see such a skilful adaptation of the myth of Achilles, especially one which didn't at... READ MORE
The best retelling of any Greek myth
Following Patroclus and his blossoming love story with the Greek hero Achilles from their orphaned roots to the famous battle of Troy.
This has been in... READ MORE
Incredible Writing
“He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”
The Song of Achilles is a retelling of the story of The Trojan War from the perspective of Patroclus, the fam... READ MORE
Synopsis
Winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction
'Page-turning ... Nothing strikes a false note in her intricately created world.' - The Guardian
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 differences, 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's 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.
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- ISBN: 9781408891384
- Number of pages: 368
- Weight: 256g
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
Customer Reviews
View allBeautiful and tragic
A new take on the Iliad, and a fantastic one at that! The Song of Achilles retells the story of Greece's (debatably) greatest hero from the point of view o... READ MORE
One of my all-time favourites!
Initially, this is not ones that I would have picked up on the blue alone, despite really loving all things greek myth. The Song of Achilles was one that I... READ MORE
Literally the best book you’ll ever read
I cannot put into words how incredibly stunning this book is. It is also the only book to ever make me cry.
It is so touching, but full of adventures and a... READ MORE
Misogynistic
There are multiple rapes in this book that is written in a way that can only be described as apathetic. I understand that it is set in Ancient Greece, but ... READ MORE
Emotional damage
This book hurt, it had you in emotional stability up until around 20 padges to the end. 10/10 would recomend and would do anything to read it for the first... READ MORE
wow!
This book made Madeline Miller one of my favourite authors; the way that they write and structure their books has me in awe and i could hardly put this boo... READ MORE
beautifully brutal
i have been wanting to get back into reading for a while, having never really connected with it before. this book has changed my life, i have never cried s... READ MORE
Utterly Heartbreaking
10/10, would really recommend this book to anyone who wants to who loves a bit of gay love and wants to have their heart ripped out of their throat and sob... READ MORE
100% recommend
The Song of Achilles is a beautiful retelling of the original greek myth and honestly broke me into a thousand pieces in the best way possible. I felt so c... READ MORE
Heartbreakingly beautiful
What to say that hasn’t been said before? This is just a beautiful book, a love story like no other, so wonderfully told by Miller. Do give it a read if yo... READ MORE
Beautiful and Timeless
‘The Song of Achilles’ is a retelling of Homer’s the ‘Iliad’ and told from the perspective of Achilles companion, Patroclus. It focuses on the evolution of... READ MORE
Amazing
Sad, gay, and it slaps, what more would you want in a book? As a massive fan of Greek mythology, this is an amazing read, highly recommend
Loved
I loved this book.
My favourite book
An absolutely beautiful story about the life and relationship of Achilles and Patroclus. Miller uses so many gorgeous phrases and quotes- I am going to re... READ MORE
An interesting mythological tale!
I love historical fiction novels, but I found myself limited in the era’s I have been reading. I really wanted to branch out and managed to do that with th... READ MORE
Emotive, gives a new perspective on a famous hero
Beautifully written! Is short and wonderfully detailed; it allows you to discover a new side to a well known hero. Full of passion, war and gods.
Magnificent
When it comes to Greek mythology I find a lot of the time the sheer amount that the mythology itself contains is very intimidating. But 'The Song of Achill... READ MORE
My new favourite book
Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. Heart warming and heart breaking.
Emily T
I finished this book an hour ago and still haven’t stopped crying, it has easily became my favourite book, it’s a beautiful yet heart wrenching book but th... READ MORE
Beautiful
I wish I could read this book for the first time again! It’s a book that I just could not put down & will recommend to everyone! Tear-jerking & heartbreaki... READ MORE
Incredible!
I absolutely LOVED this book! It was a rollercoaster of emotions from happy to sad to angry sometimes all within one chapter.
It was a book that made my l... READ MORE
Heart breaking!
Even though I knew from the mythology what was going to happen this book was written in such a beautiful way that it still managed to break my heart and ma... READ MORE
Beautifully written and devastating
Going into this book I had no idea what to expect. I’d managed to avoid anything I saw about this book on social media despite seeing it mentioned very oft... READ MORE
Stunning
Absolutely stunning
Absolutely enchanting and heartbreaking
Absolutely adored this book and couldn’t put it down. This is one I’m telling everyone I know to read and will happily re-read in future myself.
Beautiful retelling
Really enjoyed this retelling of the legendary story of Achilles. Beautiful language and heart in this one.
A book that will stick with you
If you're looking for a book that will leave you thinking about it for weeks after reading , this is the one for you! I'm usually not a fan of first person... READ MORE
Stunning, sublime and addictive
Madeline Miller knows how to build a readers trust, draw them in, get them helplessly addicted and then hit them where it hurts... the heart. And yet we al... READ MORE
An emotional read
Having read Circe first, I had high expectations of the writing in ACHILLES and I was not disappointed. Madeline Miller’s writing makes me just sink into t... READ MORE
Heartwarming and heartbreaking
I’d seen a lot about this book over the past year or so, I saw a lot of extremely positive reviews all over my socials so I thought “why not?” and bought i... READ MORE
My Heart Aches
Telling the story of Achilles and Patroclus, Miller shapes the characters into a romance based off of previous tellings of their friendship (or possibly re... READ MORE
Amazing- made me cry
I love how this book is written from the perspective of Patroclus ,as it allows for a moving insight into classic story of Achillies. The Song Of Achillies... READ MORE
Incredible, beautiful storytelling
Miller crafts this classic tales of greek mythology and narrates it in a way to make you fall in love with the story, (and the characters). The love story ... READ MORE
The song of achilles
Broke my heart into more pieces then atoms in the universe. My favourite book with out a doubt and made me cry soooo much.
Beautiful!
I’d heard of this book for a while before reading it and finally decided to purchase it. I can say with confidence it is one of the best purchases I’ve mad... READ MORE
Brilliant!
ABSOULTE TOP NOTCH. Made me cry and laugh. i recoomendddddddddddddddddddd. AHHHHH may have to re read it
I SOBBED
the language in this book is beautiful and then at the end it’s heartbreaking and so well put together you can see how each detail down to the smallest yet... READ MORE
Beautiful
This book is by far my favourite it’s beautiful written and the story is absolutely amazing I can’t recommend this enough especially if u love Greek mythol... READ MORE
Brilliant
10/10
An amazing read!!
a must read!
Madeline Miller poetically portrays the adoration shared between the two ,and the greek tragedy that follows. Once you finish it you’ll want to reread it a... READ MORE
BEST BOOK EVER
can’t praise this book enough, made me sob whole heartedly
A nice novel!
A nice novel!
A new favourite
I can see myself reading this over and over again, and that rarely happens for me. Definitely a new favourite I will rave about forever!
I loved this
I read this book in a matter of just a few hours, I wasn’t able to put it down. It was as if I was there watching romance blossom and relationships formed ... READ MORE
A unique Greek love story
Not what I was expecting, I thought the middle was a bit dull and slow however the beginning and end were spectacular. I would still recommend to read if y... READ MORE
WOW
Such a beautiful book!! Literally so cute! I enjoyed it so much.
PLEASE READ THIS BOOK
This is by far the best book I have ever read. I put off reading it purely because I know NOTHING about greek mythology but I love the way the author tells... READ MORE
Best book I’ve read in a while
I’d seen this all over social media and thought I’d give it a try, at first I found it quite hard to get into but the last quarter of the book is amazing! ... READ MORE
brilliant book
This book. It was definitely one of my favourite books I have ever read but I am absolutely heart broken after that ending! I cried my eyes out- Patroclus’... READ MORE
A modern day classic
Beautifully told. I can see this being studied as a classic in the future. Will have you in tears at the end but its worth it.
Read itttt
Such a good book never cried so much cause of a book :)))
Different from what I usually read
I started reading this book blindly without knowing what is it about. I honestly just found the cover intriguing. However, it is absolutely beautiful. I’ve... READ MORE
Astonishing
I thought that this may be a somewhat difficult read but it wasn't. We have all heard of "Achille's Heel' but I actually knew very little of Achilles. This... READ MORE
beautiful heartbreaking read
Once I’ve seen videos trending on booktok about this book I knew I had to get it. As soon as I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. Truly an amazing ... READ MORE
So pure
The love in this book is so pure and wholesome but I also loved the fact it showed that sometimes love isn’t enough for someone to choose you over everythi... READ MORE
Well written
I brought the book back in august, but only finished reading now in october. the pacing in the beginning was a bit slow for me but slowly grew quicker when... READ MORE
This Book Broke My Heart And Shattered My Soul
This book is the greatest thing i have ever read, and i read plenty. the love between Achilles and Patroclus is like a melody so sweet that even the birds ... READ MORE
Loved it
This retelling of the illad was beautiful prose and a wonderful read
Heartbreakingly beautiful
This is one of my favourite books of all time. I've never laughed so much or cried so much over such a beautiful story. I read the Iliad years ago so I kne... READ MORE
Heartwarming and heartbreaking
Cannot recommend enough. A true love story.
Simply fabulous
I read this a few months ago. My knowledge of the Trojan War is minimal at best and usually I do like to have an idea of the background. But no matter, I j... READ MORE
the upmost beautiful book there is
i didn’t think a book could be so heartachingly beautiful
Enjoyable
The story of Achilles and Patroclus, from childhood until death.
I really enjoyed it, I knew very little about that part of history. In my opinion, the pr... READ MORE
The Song Of Achilles review.
The book was great. I read it in one sitting and ended up crying for 2 hours after. I loved Achilles' and Patroclus' relationship.
A beautiful story
Miller has such a lovely writing style. She's found a way to breathe life again into a story that's been retold too many times to count
amazing
One of the best books i have aver read. Think about it daily, recommend to everyone
Left me broken in the best way…
This book is amazing!! I borrowed it from a friend to read and I absolutely loved it!! It breaks your heart but in a way that you feel grateful for being b... READ MORE
Wonderful
Feel this book got a little over hyped from tiktok but regardless its still so good, some really beautiful quotes in it that made me sob, love Madelines wr... READ MORE
It was perfect!
It was such a good book! Though i did cry myself to sleep when i finished it. Definitely a 5 star book, cant wait to read more greek mythology books
incredible!
this book honestly brought me to tears! if you like anything to do with greek mythology, this book is for you. even if you have no clue about greek myth i ... READ MORE
My Book of the Year
I’m telling everyone I know to read this. Absolutely fell in love with the characters and writing style of this engulfing and tragic story - 5* for sure
Such a fantastic read!
I'm not usually one for books but this was an easy read and honestly couldn't stop once I started. The story is fantastic and I enjoyed every second of it.... READ MORE
Fantastic Book.
Gripping & beautifully written. I didn’t want to put this book down!
I’ve always loved Greek Mythology so this book was a welcomed treat.
Would really ... READ MORE
Beautiful and emotional love story
A masterfully written book, full of love and devastating emotion. The book is enthralling and you won't ever want to put it down
Overhyped
I honestly couldn't finish this. It's very rare for me to give up on a book, it's only ever happened twice (the other is The Luminaries in case you're inte... READ MORE
Surprised in a good way
I thought that as the book is very well known I’d be disappointed,
But the story is amazingly written.
I like how we can really learn about the character... READ MORE
A future classic
To say im obsessed with this book is an understatement. Miller is now a must buy author in my book!
One of my favourite books ever
I love everything about this
The song of achilles
The song of achilles is a trully gorgeous book. The writing is absolutely incredible and the ending is equally devastating and beautiful. The characters, a... READ MORE
deep and beautifully written
The song of achilles is a trully gorgeous book. The writing is absolutely incredible and the ending is equally devastating and beautiful. The characters, a... READ MORE
Must read
I read it in one sitting, thank you tik tok for forcing me to read this and reintroducing me to the world of reading!
Honestly amazing!
It did not disappoint AT ALL. 5/5 would recommend.
An entertaining, easy read
An interesting take on the Trojan War, through the eyes of Patroclus.
I haven’t read the Illiad, so this book was a good insight into the Trojan war- i l... READ MORE
oh my god.
SUCH A GOOD BOOK. Will never shut up about it. Ever. Must read if you love gut wrenching historical friction. Contains things such as love, war, betrayal, ... READ MORE
Loved this!
What a great read this was. It had me hooked from the beginning all the way through to the end. I've always been a fan of Achilles, and reading this gave m... READ MORE
Beautiful, romantic and heartbreaking. Unforgettable.
This was a novel which encapsulated a sort of devastation that can only be compared to a Shakespeare tragedy. I would say this can be described as a modern... READ MORE
I love this book so much
Amazing. Just amazing. Would read again and again and again. Beautifully written - will always remember reading this book and will recommend to anyone
Love and friendship
My friend let me borrow this book from her and it is one of the few books that made me cry.
Its heartwarming and heartbreaking. Its a story of love and ... READ MORE
Sublime
Other reviews go into the detail of the plot and historical setting, so I shan't repeat, but quite simply, this has spoiled me for all other books for the ... READ MORE
Overrated
I’m a Greek mythology lover and after having read Mythos by Stephen Fry, I wanted to fill the void. This book was unbelievably boring, I couldn’t finish it... READ MORE
amazing just amazing
i love all of madeline millers work so when i found this i ran straight to the shop (which happened to be in an airport believe it or not) and got it and f... READ MORE
It made me cry!
Amazing story telling such amazing characters and I cried so much when I finished it.
A beautiful story
I didn’t know anything about this book before I read it and it isn’t what I usually read. But I loved it. The characters are easy to feel for and I couldn’... READ MORE
Amazing
Beautifully told story and opens up new world for those new to greek mythology
Amazing
So beautifully written. Will be reading a lot more times
Amazing!
Since beginning to read this book I have not been able to put it down!
Classic
Such a favourite book of mine i love it so much
absolutely amazing
the best book i’ve ever read. a beautifully told story about the forbidden yet unbreakable love of the two characters. never has a book left me feeling so ... READ MORE
Stunning
One of the most beautiful books I've read in years. The story and characters blew me away.
Heartbreakingly beautiful
This book was so beautifully written, and utterly heart wrenching, I cannot recommend it enough
Engaging
Really enjoyed this, great way to re-write Greek mythology in an engaging, largely mythologically correct way
the book that broke me and forever will break me
I love this book so much to the point I started screaming and crying how sad the ending was and I need to know how they are in the afterlife
You won’t be the same after reading this book!
This book changed my life, really truly it did. Phenomenal writing, gut wrenching twists, a beautiful re-telling of a classic.
I recommend this book to a... READ MORE
I have never read a book full of such raw emotions
'He is half of my soul, as the poets say'
We all know the story of Achilles and Patroclus but I have never before read a love like theirs! Miller captur... READ MORE
Beautiful
Loved this book so much. Beautifully written.
Enjoyable
I did enjoy reading this book. It was very descriptive and well written. I must say though, it is again OVERHYPED like the rest of the books recommended on... READ MORE
Beautiful
This is my all time favourite book. The writing is so beautiful and despite it being a retelling of one of the oldest stories ever told, Madeline Miller br... READ MORE
Oh My God!
I yearn for love like this
Achilles my beloved
My first fictional read on Achilles. I really enjoyed this story and the direction it took, allowing Achilles to be fleshed out with some humanity alongsid... READ MORE
Captivating
Eternally grateful for Madeline Miller spurring my journey into classical mythology. I picked this up after Circe and was again immediately immersed by the... READ MORE
Live, Laugh, Love Song of Achilles!
Found this book on TikTok, was interested in it mainly due to its connection to Greek Mythology but didn't think much of it as I saw many people sobbing ov... READ MORE
An excellent read
This book seemed lovingly crafted by the author. I loved the detail, the descriptions, the cast of characters - I was there with the two as their relations... READ MORE
Couldn't finish it but for all good reasons
I picked this up thinking "oh I vaguely know this story" but whout taking a second to elaborate on that.
The writing is fantastic, and the storytelling is ... READ MORE
Life changing
I’ve never ever enjoyed a book more. It is the most heartbreaking and loveable book ever. The way Madeline describes their love in detail is incredible you... READ MORE
First book to ever make me cry
Honestly going into this book I wasn’t sure I’d like it, wasn’t till I revisited it that I honestly grew to love Millers writing style, it can be a little ... READ MORE
This book is way overhyped
The writing generally isn’t as great as everyone makes it out to be, neither is the plot line, it really bothers me how much it strays from the original st... READ MORE
Gripping all the way through
Amazing world building. I haven’t been this gripped reading a book in a while this had me hating and loving the characters becoming overly frustrated and u... READ MORE
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