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A review by kindredspiritreads
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book has been on my TBR since it came out in 2011. I love Greek mythology so anytime I see a book that incorporates it, that book gets added to my TBR pretty quickly! This particular novel is a retelling of the story of Achilles and the Trojan War. It is told from the perspective of Patroclus, a young exiled prince who becomes Achilles’ life-long companion.
It breaks my heart a little to say that I did not love this book as much as I thought I would. This book has been hyped up a lot since it came out so I had very high expectations for it. Perhaps my expectations were too high?
Overall, I enjoyed this retelling. Miller’s writing style is unique and it took me a minute to adjust to but once I did, I enjoyed it. She put human flaws on display in this novel in a very visceral way and they felt raw and real. However, the book just didn’t grab me. It’s one of those things that I can’t quite put my finger on but I just didn’t find myself devouring every page like I expected I would be with this book. Nevertheless, I do plan on reading her second novel which also focuses on Greek mythology.
It breaks my heart a little to say that I did not love this book as much as I thought I would. This book has been hyped up a lot since it came out so I had very high expectations for it. Perhaps my expectations were too high?
Overall, I enjoyed this retelling. Miller’s writing style is unique and it took me a minute to adjust to but once I did, I enjoyed it. She put human flaws on display in this novel in a very visceral way and they felt raw and real. However, the book just didn’t grab me. It’s one of those things that I can’t quite put my finger on but I just didn’t find myself devouring every page like I expected I would be with this book. Nevertheless, I do plan on reading her second novel which also focuses on Greek mythology.