Song of Achilles, The
Miller, MadelineThe classic tale of Achilles and Patroclus, this exhilarating retelling breathes life into the world of Homer's Iliad. Recounted from Patroclus' perspective, we accompany the friends through their childhoods, to court life and finally to the siege of Troy.
Legendary characters, gods making their presence felt and prophecies to fulfil combine to create a compelling and enjoyable story for both the classicist revisiting the familiar tale or a newcomer to Home. Winner of the Orange Prize 2012. [Larger font]
Comments from Groups
This book was enjoyed by all the group. The story element outlined some of the main events of the Illiad which none of us had read, but it sparked our interest. We liked the way the characters and and story seemed to be real and were well rounded and developed to give a 3 dimensional view of this historic series of events. The way the author developed the love story of Achilles and Patroclus was both passionate and dramatic, which most of us found very moving. In many ways this was a page turner perfectly suited for the modern reader. Auckland 037 The only person who did not like this book was the one who chose it! Everyone else couldn't put it down, and one person cried at the end. Whangarei 017 A very thought- provoking and multi -layered book. Written from a different perspective from the story we all knew well, or so we thought. There were many messages here that translate into modern life. A very good set of discussion questions. Wanaka 013 This book was a very well written and compelling read that was hard to put down. Despite the book being completely different from anything our group has read before, it was enjoyed by everyone. Tauranga 034 We found this enjoyable and a fascinating read. For those unfamiliar with Greek history and myths, it is a good introduction. We recommend it as a love story, a tragedy and for how greed and power can destroy people. A story for today. Te Horo 002 We were surprised, that once into the book it was a real page-turner! Dunedin 022
Pages
352
352
Year
2012
2012
Reviews
19-04-2023
Group really enjoyed this book. A modernized and sensitive insight into warfare.
03-09-2022
Enjoyed by most. Quite a bit of discussion around Greek Gods in general.
03-08-2022
Quite a divisive book. Some people really enjoyed it, while others just couldn't get into it. Quite a lot of discussion about whether or not prior knowledge of Greek classic literature had a bearing on your enjoyment of this book.
06-05-2022
This was a challenging read, but well worth the effort. Wonderful descriptions of characters. A well known story, beautifully retold.
16-10-2021
Everyone in the group enjoyed this book and it stimulated a good discussion. We loved the writing, specially some of the descriptive passages, and the author's creation of a world in which gods, godesses and centaurs are involved in the lives of human beings and decide their fates.Some of us had read relevant parts of The Iliad and were impressed by the way Miller used this as a source while centering her novel on Patroclus, a minor character in Homer.Some found the graphic descriptions of violence and death difficult, though these are certainly there in The Iliad.