ny times book review song of achilles

The wrath of Achilles, it declares, "hurled headlong down to Hades the sturdy souls of many heroes, but makes their bodies into feasts for birds and dogs.". Too often by far, "The Song of ...

Miller spent 10 years writing this book, yet her smooth prose conceals the painstaking research she has clearly put into it. This is a deeply affecting version of the Achilles story: a fully three ...

A former high school teacher with a master's degree in classics, Ms. Miller's most successful book is "The Song of Achilles," a love story between two young men, Achilles and Patroclus.

The Song of Achilles is an engaging story about the Trojan War, a retelling of sorts of The Iliad. I didn't love it the same way I loved Circe, but it was well worth a read nonetheless since it's a solid, well-written book. In The Song of Achilles, Miller eschews dealing with the legend of Achilles and his infamous heel (explaining later ...

Kindle $13.99. Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062060624.Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence.

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Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. Here he is nobody, just another unwanted boy living in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. Achilles, "best of all the Greeks," is everything Patroclus is not—strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess—and by all rights their paths should ...

Achilles wants to be revered and loved by the masses, whereas Patroclus sees the quiet dignity and beauty in being a human being who loves and cares for others. This novel does muddy the waters of 'the truth' a little further than they already are. I admit stopping to Google whether Achilles was real (most likely nope), Patroclus (nope ...

Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. December 8, 2018January 5, 2019 ~ The Book Habit. "I conjure the boy I knew. Achilles, grinning as the figs blur in his hands. His green eyes laughing into mine. Catch, he says. Achilles, outlined against the sky, hanging from a branch over the river. The thick warmth of his sleepy breath ...

The Sweet Spot Summary. The Song of Achilles reimagines the story of Achilles and Patroclus from Homer's The Iliad. It follows the pair from childhood to the onset of the Trojan war and through ...

The tale of Achilles and the Trojan War told from the perspective of Patroclus. Winner of the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction Gaining a different perspective on an old story by placing a minor character in the narrator's seat is not a new technique, but it's one that Madeline Miller uses superbly in her debut novel, The Song of Achilles.Throughout the book she outlines the mythological life of ...

The Song of Achilles: Characters - 4.5/5. As mentioned earlier, the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is one that many aspire to have. They share an unwavering honesty, fearlessly addressing each other's toughest questions and steadfastly supporting one another, regardless of external opinions. Miller skillfully explores the delicate ...

The Song of Achilles Review. The Song of Achilles is centred on two main characters: Patroclus and Achilles. Patroclus, a prince, is exiled from his home lands at a young age after accidentally killing a boy. He is fostered by Peleus, father of Achilles, and is at first ignored by Achilles and all the other boys fostered by Peleus.

An inseparable bond is soon forged, despite risking the gods' wrath. From being trained together in the arts of war and medicine by the centaur Chiron, to marching into battle in Troy, the boys gradually become men and find themselves torn between love and duty. A gorgeous, sweeping epic, to be sure, but not one that immediately appealed to me.

The Song of Achilles is an easy read for anyone looking for a classic twist on Greek mythology. The plot moves smoothly, and as a reader, it will feel as if you've grown up with Achilles and Patroclus. I do wish Miller had written in some more detail, but I know as an author, her style does develop better in her second novel Circe.

The Washington Independent Review of Books. Miller does not change the accepted events of the story, but she does present an interpretation of Patroclus in The Song of Achilles that differs from the image found in the Iliad. Homer describes Patroclus as warlike, illustrious and godlike. In Miller's book, he is unloved by his father, and ...

In her novel, Circe's deceptively soft voice produces grave consequences. When sailors wash up on her island, she welcomes them with wine and food, and they mistake her for a mortal. After a ...

RATING: 5/5 Stars. Plot: 5/5 stars. Characters: 5/5 stars. World: 5/5 stars. Pairing: Figs + wine. He would sail to Troy and I would follow him, even into death. PLOT. Before I get into the plot, I have to say I found it interesting how this book is named for and about Achilles, yet told by Patroclus. Though he is the narrator and undoubtedly ...

20 Books of Summer 2022: Book 4 This may be an unpopular opinion, but Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles is a lukewarm rehashing of The Iliad, devoid of the spark and creativity that Miller showed in Circe.As I wrote in that review, I enjoy retellings of myths. I don't feel especially attached to any particular version, and new twists and angles on established characters are a fun way ...

The Song of Achilles does not, in fact, belong to Achilles at all. The not uninteresting conceit of Miller's book is that it's narrated by a character who is both central to the action of the Iliad and curiously shadowy: Patroclus, Achilles' highborn companion … The real Achilles' heel of this book is tone — one made disastrously worse by the author's decision to metamorphose an ...

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller was released on September 20th, 2011 and became one of the most talked about novels by word of mouth. The queer relationship of Achilles and Patroclus won the hearts of many. It is a reimagined origin story of the epic Trojan War. It is a devastating love st

5/5: This was an extremely soul-consuming read, and the ending had me sobbing. My personal opinion of this work is that it is a well-written, heartbreaking book that will leave you attached to the 2 main characters as well as the world that Madeline Miller so skillfully crafts.

Peter Flude for The New York Times. " We Were Liars " came out in 2014, so when the book's author, E. Lockhart, saw that it was back on the best-seller list last summer, she was delighted ...

4/5: what can I say, I love the concept of Patroclus and Achilles. but this book did not break me nor was nearly as sad as everyone makes it out to be

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Performances in N.Y.C. Advertisement Supported by The classic coming-of-age novel has become a compelling, if imperfect, musical about have-not teenagers in a have-it-all world. By Jesse Green For ...