i knew how the book would end and anything Achilles said that would prove him wrong in the end stung. For instance when Patroclus is telling Achilles about the boy he killed and Achilles said "No one has ever tried to take something from me" (not exact quote but something along those lines) and i was thinking * little do you know the love of your life is going to be taken from you * and all the times he said "what has Hector every done to me?" so naively, because he will take Patroclus' life from you and i could not take it! My heart was broken.

This book is a masterpiece.

I finished reading today, I’m traumatised and sad

I also didn’t find it as emotional as everyone said it would be BUT it was a very beautifully written book and I’m excited to read more by her.. I gave it a 4/5☺️

I think a why reason the characters aren’t particularly nuanced and their isn’t too much complexity or emotional depth with this book is because Madeline Miller writes it in a similar style to that of Greek classics. It reminds me very much of The Iliad and The Odyssey in the way it’s written and the way the characters are described. The short sentence structure, the time skips and uses of imagery (there are some verbatim Odyssey quotes embedded within TSOA), I think she intentionally mimics the original texts to create a much greater impact with her retelling. And, of course, Miller was a student of the classics before she turned to writing. I don’t know, just a thought. I suppose Circe has so much more character complexity because it’s not modelled after a specific text, Miller can take more liberties and create this character.

*spoliers This book made me weep like a child. I was angry at Thetis and Apollo. The last paragraph that made me snap, really.

A went into the book with only the expectation that it would make me cry. And I cried multiple times. And then the last few pages had me hysterically crying for 15 minutes. Maybe I'm just too emotional

Here because I just finished the book last night and I’ve been so sad since. It was a nice ending but left me feeling empty

“I want things to hurt me” Lol. Me too. Tf

I broke down and sobbed in the middle of the school hallway. Then I cried in my first period class. Then I wailed in my second period class. ET CETERA. This book had a huge impact on me because I am super into greek mythology and so the characters were really close to my heart. I liked the Song of Achilles more than Circe, but I can see why other people would have different tastes. This book was just perfect for me.

I think Circe is her masterpiece but Song Of Achilles is beautiful and incredible in its own way.

This book destroyed me

I agree!!! Totally not as emotional as people had described to me. I liked the book and it was easy to get through not boring at all but I didn't feel the same intensity of heartbreak as I have with other books.

This book utterly crushed me and made me feel more emotional than any other fictional work I have read. Last night, I sobbed my way through the last five chapters, running out of tears and inevitably finding more to shed. Madeline Miller's writing was phenomenally vibrant. As someone who was already familiar with Greek mythology, finishing each and every glorious chapter brought me greater feelings of dread for what I knew was coming. I think one of the reasons I found the book so powerful is that the dynamic of my own relationship is similar to that of Achilles and Patroclus in certain aspects, which led the twists and turns of the story to feel especially relatable.

to the people who genuinely think Song of Achilles is a good book I’m genuinely curious: why? (btw spoilers ahead) I mean, I get it’s entertaining, but good? The writing style was ok, the main characters didn’t really have a personality, and the story was rushed and simply didn’t have the effort to be believable at most times. For example, the only trait Achilles has for half of the book is being absolutely perfect and liking Patroclus, and Patroclus only traits are being a not perfect (relatable) version of Achilles and liking him. There is no plausible explanation for why Achilles chooses Patroclus IMMEDIATELY after they met, since that meeting wasn’t really that significant. And they have zero chemistry, except for when they are touching. Every other conversation is the author TELLING us (show not tell people cmon) they “told everything to eachother” . What also didn’t make any sense was like, Patroclus, a kid who was described for the entire book as skinny and weak pushed a bully and he just??? Died??? Then they went to Quiron for training (mind you, he’s older than some gods. He trained the greatest heroes of Greece) and when he sees Aquiles training he’s like: I have nothing to teach you, you are better than Hercules. THE KID IS LIKE 13. Also he said he would teach healing to Patroclus but then it was forgotten and they spent a 3 year vacation doing... Nothing? Picking herbs? And whats with the book trying desperately to portray Achilles father as good and kind when he raped his wife for a whole year? What? Sure, the book starts getting good at the end but... Then its done. Just as the characters start to show a little more personality, and like, cmon, the relationship between Patroclus and Briseis is way better and interesting than with Achilles which is weird considering how she barely appears. But we can SEE they bonding (Patroclus saves her life, they teach eachother stuff, have conversations, shes witty and funny and he sees more than just her appearance) And the author want us to believe that Patroclus who never got in battle doesn’t even know really how to manage a spear killed ZEUS SON because he... broke... his neck.... falling. Cmon man. The ending was spectacular but then, that was it. This is not to bash in any way the author or the book, I’m just curious to hear other opinions on why did you like it since I really wanted to ^^

i just finished this book and i agree that i felt disconnected from the characters a bit, but that is very similar to the greek classics. i’m glad i read the odyssey before this or else i would’ve been more disappointed. i thought the writing was phenomenal.

I agree it wasn’t as emotional as everyone made it out to be but I loved it nonetheless, I’d like to hear your opinion on They both die at the end. That was hyped up to be so sad and when I read it I was so disappointed, i didn’t resonate with either of the characters and it felt like a waste of time, so picking up this book after that made me love this one so much more. This is probably one of my favorites, I felt it was so well written so hearing that you liked Circe even more makes me excited to read that next!

⚠️SOME SPOILERS⚠️This book was heartbreaking but beautifully so, the fact that Achilles and Patroclus have been by each other’s side every day of almost every hour for 10+ years only to lose each other in the end because of pride is so sad. I also think that Achilles’ character developed but not in a positive way I think the older he got the more self centered and conceited he got as well. He became obsessed with his honor and was willing to do anything to protect it, even willing to let Briseis be raped for it, and I just found myself thinking so many times throughout the book “Achilles, dude, wtf happened to you”. And I think in the end his pride is what doomed him. He was so obsessed with the his honor and reputation and pride that he let Patroclus, knowing he can’t fight, go to battle for him. On the other hand whereas Achilles’ character development was negative, I believe Patroclus’ was positive. He went from being a shy scared boy who was insecure and did not talk much, to a man who stood for what he thought was right and helped the people that he believed needed to be helped. He did not care that he could risk his relationship with Achilles by standing up to him, he knew the Greek were in danger, he knew Briseis was in danger, so he did something about it. I think that is why he is my favorite character, because he is so kind hearted and cares so deeply and we watch him grow into himself more throughout the book and gain more confidence in himself.

this book traumatized me, i’m still sobbing about it

I just finished this book and i'm just so empty... don't know how i'm suposse to concentrate in school after finishing this book

I felt exactly the same! I read the song of achilles yesterday and I was expecting a lot more. Everyone was talking about how it broke their hearts and stuff but it didn't really make me feel sad. Of course the book is super cool, and I enjoyed it, but it is not one of my favs. It was worth reading, though. Totally recommend it :)

I read this book because my roomate had it, and did not know what it was going to be about.....I was not ready to cry so much!

I've read the Song of Achilles 2016, it was on display in a table at a book store where I usually go to. I've bought it for some reason I'm not really sure why, and I did not regret spending my money over it. As a young kid, growing up, we tend to develop mostly the perspective of our culture and environment, and biased tends to foster under this circumstances. But reading this book, it was an eye opener, with slow pace yet satisfying development. I remembered how much I was rooting for them and hoping for the best of them, even though the Iliad tells us otherwise. Circe was a different genre and left me a different taste after I've finished the book, and should not be compared to the Song of Achilles. I've finished the book last year and it was beautiful and strong, pack with its own emotion, but I strongly feel that the Song of Achilles should not be compared to Miller's other work. It's like comparing Apple and Orange Both are good and both are sweet But a totally different fruit. So next time when you plan to read the Song of Achilles in particular, please keep an open mind and free yourself of expectations.

I just finished this book and I am not okay. Please somebody hug me!

I agree! I was sad that I wasn’t as emotional as I thought I would be

I just finished it today, I was kinda expecting to cry and feel this intense heartbreak that people were saying it was. I didn’t really cry, I just felt a bit empty. I agree with the points you made in the video!!! 💖💖💖💖

EXACTLY!!! Omg, you put it into words so well bcs when i read it, i did feel a bit sad but i was somewhat underwhelmed and i didn't know what it was the book was lacking for me. Its still a beautiful book but I would have liked it to be a bit more character driven, something intrinsic and personal between the characters. While i know patroclus & achilles loved each other, i couldn't tell how deep. If that makes sense. Through gestures and conversations and patroclus' own intimate feelings. Nonetheless, it's still a 3.75/5 for me.

Their story is absolutely beautiful. But I was really disappointed because a lot of people were saying it’s so sad and that they cried but I couldn’t even tear up reading it even tho I cry A LOT . It’s just I don’t know not very sad ?

I got depressed. Whenever I think about the book, I instantly cry and weep like a child. It was more hard when your report in Mythology subject is about The Trojan War. It was pain.

The music was very peaceful

When I was a kid I allways loved to read but now that Im older Ive kind of drifted away from reading but during covid 19 i needed something to do so I got back into reading and so I started of with the Harry Potter books but now I've finished them I need something else to read. Now I'm kind of loving the whole dark academia aesthetic that's probably how I found this review so now I'm going to be reading the song of achilies. Sorry for the long comment no one is going to care anyway I don't think lol but nice review anyway 👍

Finished reading last night. It's beautiful.

I’m glad I read this before it kinda got ~trendy~ on book tik tok because I’ve found a lot of reactions to it are theatrical haha it definitely made me cry and the ending is “happy” but still left me feeling a little empty. It did reignite why I loved reading and have been chasing the feeling Song of Achilles gave me ever since 😂

Wait is that The Lunar Chronicles in the background? Love that series

I loved the poetic way of writing. And the last part of the book (a few chapters) had me crying. I have never cried because of a book before. I was heartbroken. I loved Circe too! Though it was different, like you said maybe she was more of a real person. But I wouldn’t necessarily say Miller’s writing improved. It’s just different in style. I loved them both tremendously. I think I would recommend reading The Song of Achilles first and after that Circe. Can’t wait to read other books by the writer. I read something about Persephone? Would love that!

Thanks for the quick review

Am i crazy bc i do not feel that special love and passion between achilles and patroclus? Sometimes im wondering if i read another book bc i really didn’t get the hype??

Awesome video! Would you recommend this book to be read with the actual book or listened to the audiobook ? I am listen to the audiobook and I am halfway through it and it’s pretty boring. The exciting part is that going to to war and talking about the other characters like Paris and Helen and Menelaus and Agamemnon and the Trojan War. Who is Patrocles was he an important Greek character like Achilles or Paris or Helen? Also I also like the way that the author is writing how in Greek times it was perfectly normal for boys to like boys. But who is Achilles besides him being a super great fighter blonde dude? I don’t understand what everyone is raving about this book. I am just trying to finish it.

Personally I thought this book was just okay. It was well-written, clearly, but I think I went into it with the expectation I was going to cry and in the end it didn't really make me feel anything. I wasn't that attached to any of the characters because they weren't written as particularly nuanced or complex people (I think Madeleine Miller was trying to incorporate the style of ancient greek myths, and I have to admit: she nailed it).

It wasn’t that emotional, but I enjoyed the intimacy, the detail and the way it was written. It was easy to follow and also delightful to listen to (audiobook). I like that it wasn’t written entirely modern and can say that this book has some of my favorite expressions of love, care angry and again love in the way of being honest and communicative. The relationship wasn’t easy and yet it felt almost seamless. It was a 4/5 for me. Idk what would make it a 5 per say

I agree with your thoughts! Thank you.

Just complete this book, and im sobbing right now 😭😭

I read this book last year and I am still recovering

i just started it [i'm not into these kinds of books but i wanted to give it a try]

I also read Circe before the song of Achilles but I like this book more than Circe. This book made me cry multiple time and gave me ecstasy of reading.

I really enjoyed this book I finished reading it a few days ago definitely a great read 😊🌟

i stress buyed it in amazon now i need to make sure its a good one or else i dimt have space to keep it

I just didn’t thoroughly enjoy it - it may have been the fact that I had very high expectations from so many reviews but I finished it and thought “is that it?” It was definitely a great read but I didn’t find it emotional as people said it was.

3:36 me too...i like to be hurt by stories this book isn't enough for me

Are you kidding… a B+…? This book was a huge A+++ for me 😭 It was so easy to read, and then plot lines all flowed super well together. I’ve just fallen in love with this book.

I agree it didn’t hurt as much but I did love it- I think my watching of Troy the movie might’ve taken a bit away from my experience of reading this....

What age range would you say this book is for? I got it as a Christmas gift but I’m 13 so I don’t really know if I’ll understand/if I should read it

i loved the way the story was told, i really enjoyed the style. the only thing that annoyed the hell out of me was the tense changes. it consistently switched back and forth between present and past tense with no explanation whatsoever. it was so annoying to me but that was the only thing i disliked, the story and style were beautiful.

Can I read this book in english if I am not a native speaker ?

Okay so I’m thinking of buying this book and I’m new to like making reading into my hobby and I love it lmao but I just read CMBYN because I watched the movie and I fell in love with the story and I fell so in love with the book and it made me cry a lot so I was wondering if this book would be a good book ?

Truth is, it was a great book. Unfortunately, as well as other things, some people will like it, and some people would not. Personally, I think the book was good, and it became my favorite so far. I don't think it was just some fanfiction from The Iliad that was made by just some random fangirl. It was a book that showed how even the most flawed people who made plenty of mistakes can still love each other to an extent. It showed that love is raw, and lethal. It was not something very pleasant, but it was something that will give you a lot of grief and pain. Basically, even it was based from a greek story that was from ages ago, it still showed how cruel the world can be, and the people in it. That despite being Achilles a demigod, or a Patroclus being an exiled prince, the book thoroughly showed how human they were, so human. Especially whenever they were together. Where they could easily lay their walls bare, and trust each other. There are also comments that said they didn't have chemistry with each other. Personally, I think they did. Achilles was someone described to be beautiful, and perfect at everything. In fact, even Patroclus hated Achilles at first, before coming to love him. Since Patroclus was belittled to be someone as "weak" even if he was so much more. This made them be perfect for each other, because what Achilles didn't have was to be found in Patroclus, and what Patroclus didn't have was to be found in Achilles. When it comes to Patroclus being wholly dependent to Achilles like a "housewife" like most people say. He is not. Absolutely not. In fact, he was the bravest one out there. Even braver than Achilles. He was kind to everyone, and treated them all equally. He may not be good at fighting, but he was good at everything. Even in the end, he was the one went to war instead of Achilles, since he couldn't stomach the fact that people would die because of him. Because of his biggest flaw, his stupid pride which also killed Patroclus. He was also the one who saved countless of women from men who only treat them as slaves, especially Briseis. The bond that they had with each other was immaculate, and it showed how Patroclus was well trusted with others. To the point where even wounded men in the war would gladly let him treat their wounds, because he was the only one who was that good at medicine, and made treating them hurt less. Although, the mentions of women being treated lesser than men no longer surprised me. Since it was a book based from a greek literature after all. Where women are getting disrespected here and there, and we can't do anything about it, since it was from a text that was written by a dead person years ago. We can't blame Madeline for this, since literally half of greek mythology was built on non-consensual practices. I also think that Madeline tried to stick with The Iliad's main story line, and she didn't try to change much from its plot. Otherwise, it would just be a shitty fanfiction. It was a re-telling of The Iliad through Patroclus' eyes after all, so we are expected to see the scenarios in his point of view. Their love was imperfect, and raw. That made everything beautiful. Just like how we would love someone and be blinded by their flaws. It was realistic and grounding. I've been reading ever since I was a child. From story books, fairytales, non-fiction, and fictions books - all genres basically. I made sure to understand them all deeply, which basically made me highly critical of everything I read, and no book would ever make me feel like this book again. I also recommed reading The Iliad before this book, since it was based from that literature. I could still go on, but this had gotten very long. Just like to add, the book resonated well with me, because I deeply related with the characters. I was prideful just like Achilles, to the point where I would end up hurting people due to my ego and pride. I was also ostracized and physically weak like Patroclus, but I excelled in medicinal knowledge in practices. That's why I understood their complexes very well. This book made me feel like I wasn't the only one who carried such flaws in the world. That's why the greatness of this story would entirely depend on the reader. For we all have various experiences and flaws that can affect our reading experience towards a book. So, please whenever you read a book, make sure to remove any kind of expectations.

I finished it today. Im sad

i'm half way through this book and i'm a little... underwhelmed. i was expecting a slow burn romance but it was not it, and Patroclus as a character is kinda boring, like i don't know what’s his personality besides being Aquiles's partner. anyway i'm just in the middle so i'm going to keep reading to see if i change my mind

Tbh the first half felt like a fan fiction. And i mean that the writing style felt like 2009 wattpad. The second half was better bcs of the emotions I guess. But i thorougly loved it. Circe though was a waysss way from that it was so good.

Please can you recommend books that are thoroughly heartbreaking....yeah same I also want things to hurt me....song of Achilles hurt me like knives..but yes I want more heartbreak..

Where did you get your pin on your jacket?

Is it a happy ending? I need to know this before I start reading it

Exactly! I was a bit underwhelmed, especially because I read Circe first and I feel the writing and story development is much better. Another thing that bothered me about Song of Achilles is that Miller characterizes Patroclus as passive, self-doubting, and almost weak until the very end. I would have liked to see him come into his own and be separate from Achilles in a way. In the Iliad, he is a strong warrior in his own right. The book also had pacing issues and I feel like the majority of events are consolidated into the last chapters which makes them feel rushed and lacking in emotional resonance.

Ik this is off topic but you look... like, _exactly_ like Christin Millioti

I felt very meh towards it, thinking it’s another “Hellenic mythology” inspired book with no actual Hellenic representation (not saying it’s not great but PJO is actually very insulting to Hellenic culture in some parts), but was pleasantly surprised to find out the author was actually so focused on making sure it was good in terms of Hellenic rep, that she closely supervised the Hellenic translation of it! Now I am actually sort of excited to read it!

Please tell me if it can be enjoyed by someone who doesn't like pure romance at all and only likes romance when it is mixed with another genre.

i finished it today and i can’t eat anymore

I wonder if you only listened to the audiobook? You kind of seemed to have the details of Patroclus’s exile wrong and I think that the idea that there was no depth of the characters couldn’t be more wrong. You like Circe more, and this makes me excited to read it, as I’m a woman and loved song of achiles.

Love this review, I felt the same honestly I was not that sad

what is the saddest book you've read

Love your review!❤️

May I know what books you would recommend that have hurt you emotionally... you know just for... um... research purposes. :p

As I’m reading the comments I’m realizing that this book is probably gonna make me cry (I just started it today) I hope I don’t 😀

I agree with this rating but I’d just give it a solid B because the characters (the hero’s per-say) were dazzled with glitter and spice throughout the book so it wasn’t giving much rawness as I was hoping for. Overall I think The Song of Achilles was overrated and I didn’t cry at all. I was really hoping to, because of the emotional hype this book got. No doubt, it was pretty sad the way the author concluded this book.

Thank you so much for your review. It is obvious that you have so much to share. I just wish you would speak a little slower in way where you just take your time. And the music is kind of distracting. Other than that keep making these informative and fruitful reviews.

Maybe it’s bc I never cried bc of a book yet or bc I’m a mythology addict and therefore already knew what was going to happen but I didn’t cry. It was sad, yes, but especially the death scenes weren’t that emotional to me that like 1. everyone said and 2. I would start crying. I obviously disliked Agamemnon but in the end I also started to dislike Achilles bc of his actions. The „only“ moment that I found really powerful and emotional was when Briseis confronted Achilles after Patroclos‘ death. And in general I think all the sentences after his death were not really that detailed and emotional which I think is kinda sad bc I would’ve loved a very detailed moment of Achilles seeing Patroclos Body. In general both their deaths and grieving were so hyped up but in my opinion not that emotional and detailed as I personally wanted it to be. Also I think that everything before the war and shortly before Patroclos death had all the romantic and passionate moments. I just had really high expectations bc on tiktok for example this book was so hyped but I got kinda disappointed and sometimes think that Circe was kinda more interesting and exciting. Still liked the book and I’m glad I read it, but probably not my favourite

*I'm stone cold and I want things to hurt me* That made my mind stutter 😂🤣

Is the song of achilles dirty ??

1:40

I feel like I’m the only person who just thinks this book is okay. I like the story but I felt like the writing was kind of flat. I also felt like Achilles was just so 1 dimensional and I could care less about him. To me he had no personality. The writing was just straight forward and I prefer more flowery/poetic writing or ya/na writing. Idk I was expecting a lot more I guess? Idk I wish I loved it but it felt so flat to me 😬

I just finished it and im annoyed, sad, happy…IDK LOL

Hmm I guess the alphabet doesn't start with a for you :/

Your really pretty 😊

Aren't you the mother from how i met your mother?

How is this spoiler free?

You summarized all but the last 30-40 pages of the book. I'm not sure how this is spoiler free. I did really enjoy the review though and fortunately I had read the book before watching this.

please no misleading titles! I did not wanted spoilers :(

SPOILER ALERT: But is Achilles like bisexual in this book cuz he has that kid with Deidamia ?

I've just finished listening to this on audiobooks. Initially I was confused, the narrative is read by a male, who seems to read the part of a female. Soon, it dawns upon me that the female is a 'gay' male and so is history's legendary mighty warrior. They both get temporarily 'turned' by the same female, temporarily, because the both declare they didn't like 'it' or were unwilling in the encounter. Then I came to the conclusion that this version, derived from the Iliad, was concocted by a female author, was a narrative of dominatrix, a female dominance in a homosexual man's world. I found the end anticlimactic, Achilles heel legend disregarded, so now we would have had no achilles tendon, if it were down to this narrative. Brad Pitt would never have wanted to play the part of Achilles, and he might have missed out on the wooden horse sorte, which was hardly featured anyway.

this book is overhyped

ew

why booktube so white tho

It wasn’t that emotional, but I enjoyed the intimacy, the detail and the way it was written. It was easy to follow and also delightful to listen to (audiobook). I like that it wasn’t written entirely modern and can say that this book has some of my favorite expressions of love, care angry and again love in the way of being honest and communicative. The relationship wasn’t easy and yet it felt almost seamless. It was a 4/5 for me. Idk what would make it a 5 per say