Friday, September 14, 2012

Rachel's Review of The Song of Achilles


Orange Prize 2012: The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller 

My Review 5/5 stars
On the outside, this book is a retelling of Achilles' actions in Troy; however, Miller has incorporated deeper elements to the well-known story. The Song of Achilles is a celebration of Achilles' humanity, rather than of his God-like martial skills. It is a touching love story between Achilles and his companion Patroclus. It is a story of forgiveness for human flaws. And it shows the reader that sometimes the best part of the story is forgotten in legends. Above all, it's one of those books that sucks you right in...and then leaves you breathless when it's over. Although Song of Achilles is technically fantasy, it is also a book that can be enjoyed by literary snobs and by people who don't know much about Greek mythology. I loved it.

This review is reprinted from my blog: Resistance is Futile.

1 comment:

Trish said...

I'm so glad to hear you loved it too! I listened to this as an audio book a few months ago and was completely mesmerized.