I can’t for the life of me sit still with the ending. It’s happy, but not in a sense that it makes you feel happy. They reunite, but you don’t get to see their emotions or thoughts. Just that two shadows reached for each other and light spilled in.
It’s beautiful, it really is, but I am just so empty and sad right now. I cannot praise Madeline Miller enough, this book shines a love in your heart and rips it out, rubbing salt on the wound.
The development of their relationship and how it ends in just gut wrenching grieving is so raw and tender.
Anyone have thoughts on this book.😭
I had some questions I would love your guy’s thoughts on.
- What was everyone’s first reaction to Thetis, and how was this impression changed throughout the book?
- What are your thoughts on Deidamia?
- What made you cry the most?
- Favorite line?
- What endeared you to Patroclus and Achilles love story?
These are my thoughts:
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Terrifying, much more terrifying than her version in the Iliad. Her being tied with the sea tied in with the vivid description of the damp salty air of Peleus’s palace made her seem omnipresent, at least wherever the sea was. Her role as a mother was what redeemed her for me, hiding Achilles on Scyros, getting him favors from Zeus, and finally showing her grief at the end of the book. But she also did some NASTY stuff. The whole situation with Deidamia, Pyrrhus seems partly her fault. Her being nasty towards Patroclus, but again, redeemed in the end for me.
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I feel for Deidamia and for Lycomedes as well. But what Thetis did with Deidamia to Achilles was sick. Deidamia was so manipulative in a way that you would understand why Achilles and Patroclus would pity her. She’s a woman in a world where she has little to no power, so they pity her. But then she uses that pity to manipulate Patroclus into bed. Gross Deidamia. But the line that she lost Achilles, and will eventually lose her son to Thetis as well, and Lycomedes’ reaction to it. Yikes that hurt.
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Achilles grief after Patroclus’ death. I must’ve reread that part again and again. How he couldn’t go fight Odysseus because he would’ve had to let go of Patroclus’ body. Him being suicidal with Penthesilia and Hector. His endless crying. I couldn’t help but flip back to the beginning of the book where they had just met. God it hurts.
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Undoubtedly, “In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun”
It’s a happy ending. Almost. You know they reunite, and you know that’s all they would’ve wanted. You know they’re happy in the underworld together. But the ending line doesn’t lessen the pain nor the impact of the death and suffering that led to it. It’s a beautiful line and a beautiful way to end the book on a happy note without lessening the grief that came before. I hope they’re happy being gay together in Elysium.
- I was endeared to them by their first small interactions. You see it from Patroclus’ perspective, but it isn’t hard to understand it from Achilles’ point of view. How they constantly sneak glances at each other, how Achilles would catch Patroclus look at him. You can totally imagine Achilles going “oh who’s that boy, oh he’s staring at me, why won’t he talk to me? Oh he killed someone, I wonder how he feels”.
Their first interaction in the storage room indicates that Achilles noticed Patroclus’ absence and specifically sought him out. When Patroclus can’t even imagine why Achilles would be interested in him, readers can tell why. “He’s surprising”. The small glances across the room, his rumor of a darker past, how he doesn’t act like a yes man unlike the other boys.
Oh and the gay panic kiss on the beach. Someone mentioned that Achilles might’ve ran because they kissed on the beach, where Thetis could see them. So he ran from his mom to do damage control. But also because “holy shit he kissed me what do I do, um idk I’m fast just run Achilles run”
And the cave scene. The moment Achilles learned his mom couldn’t see them. When Patroclus turned around to look at Achilles’ beauty like he had done many times before, and seeing Achilles was already staring at him, with anticipation and expectation. I wonder how Patroclus retold that part of the story to Thetis…. “So then he learned you couldn’t see us, so then that night we um, well he umm”
by FlounderReasonable27
37 Comments
I found it very underwhelming tbh. It was bound to end up the way it did, so without the suspense of “what’s gonna happen??” I didn’t really feel emotionally invested
I loved it. Listened to the audio book a little while back after having read it once and I honestly forgot how fucking violent the second half was. I mostly only remembered the mounting sexual tension of the first half of the book.
Patroclus was a much more sympathetic character than Achilles, who ended up being quite the murderous type once the war got going. I thought it was a great book, and it made me go and read her other releases. I would highly recommend Circe and Galatea if you enjoyed this book, though they definitely hit different.
I cried everytime I thought about the book for 2 weeks straight after I read it in 2014ish? 🤣
This one is on my list.
That ending line is one of my favorite book quotes ever
Solid read. Was sad to hear about Madeline Miller’s struggles with long COVID. Her Washington Post article was very eye-opening.
I listen to this as an audiobook and it finished right when I was pulling into the parking lot of the grocery store. Had to sit in my car and sob for 10 mins before I could go in!
Yes, I felt exactly how you did. Although for me I did not read the illiad in high school so….. 🙄🙄🙄🙄 I knew >!Achilles would die, but not Patroclus, and not how he died, and was definitely not prepared to watch his ghost agonizing over the loss!< [am I putting spoilers on a thousands year old story? Yes, watch me 😂]
It is one of my favorite stories. Miller truly has a gift with words and story telling. You can really tell she studied ancient languages. The flow of the words is impeccable. The tenderness and agony of a true love, god she did it so well. And the last what, 20 pages? Absolutely wrecked me.
Have some tissues and we can weep together 😭😭🤧
Fave book I’ve read in years. Think about it constantly. Recommend it to practically everyone I know. Love Madeline Miller’s writing and can’t wait for her next book. I saw a social media post that it will be about Persephone. (And read Circe if you haven’t already!)
This book was a huge bore for me. I really struggled through it. I got a bit teary at the end. In the way that I might get teary at a 30 second commercial because they hit the right buttons. I wouldn’t recommend the book to my friends who read
What’s worst for me is that I already read the illiad so I knew what was coming and I stilled cried. Though I guess the end was a happy one since they reunited in Hades realm but still.
It felt trite and overwrought. I guess a lot of people who’d never read the Iliad were really surprised, but it washed out a lot of the story and culture. Mostly a letdown.
I adore this book
When I finished this book, I walked up to my partner, hugged her and told her I loved her.
Few months later she read it, and did the same.
The bittersweet finale really made us feel love. The book wasn’t the best one I read this year, but no other made me feel like this.
I finished it on a plane and the flight attendant had to ask if I was okay. I wasn’t.
I literally just finished it, not 2 minutes ago. The beginning and end were hands down my favorite read of the year.
If you loved it I’d definitely recommend Circe by the same author. I might enjoy it even more
One of my favorites. Even on my third reading I still cried at the end.. Madeline Miller is amazing.
My thoughts are: read Circe next!
I knew the ending and it still gutted me.
The end of Circe was “happy” ish but made me unsettled and sad. I loved both Circe and Song of Achilles so much.
Such a beautifully written book.
And Circe is awesome too.
Looking forward to her next book.
I’m familiar with the Iliad but unlike some of the other commenters here I still enjoyed TSoA a fair amount. I thought it was a nice, modern take on the story.
Circe seemed a lot more aimless to me, so I would also be in the minority for not recommending that one.
If you’re interested in exploring the original texts a bit more, I really recommend Emily Wilson’s iambic pentameter translation of the Odyssey that matches the number of syllables in the original text. It reads really smoothly and beautifully.
I enjoyed it, although I thought that Patroclus had basically zero characterization or development outside of his feelings for achilles until the end of the book. Until then he felt extremely boring and one note.
I think that perhaps he is supposed to be an audience surrogate or something, which truthfully is one of my least favorite tropes in literature.
That’s being said, I enjoyed just about everything else about the book and seeing characters from the Iliad from such a personal point of view was really great.
I couldn’t stand it. Found Achilles and patroclus relationship boring, weird, creepy and stilted. Really don’t get the hype.
Am I the only one that didn’t like the song of Achilles? I only see people praising it but I honestly didn’t get the hype and even the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus seemed so dry to me
Try *Atonement* next
Favorite line? “I am made of memories.”
It just has me ugly crying on the floor every time. 350 pages of buildup all for that one line to land in the most heartwrenching way.
I actually don’t think I need more of an ending, it was perfectly satisfying. We know our boys belong together. I don’t need to read more to know they’re getting an eternity together and that’s better than any mortal HEA could be in a way.
Oh my god when I got to the last few pages of this book I literally had to put it down to save it from being thrown at the wall. I’ve never had such an intense emotional reaction to anything I’ve read. I knew what was going to happen but my god did it blindside me with how well she wrote it.
I have to reread this. I don’t remember it impacting me at all, but to be fair my brain is mush.
Playing the game Hades after reading Song of Achilles was an interesting experience: for me, it helped a bit with emotional force of experiencing the story. I don’t want to spoil anything but if you checkout Hades (by Supergiant games) there are some supporting characters that will leap out when you see them.
I just read this book!! I liked it and have good things to say as well as some criticisms, but overall, it was pretty good!
1. At first, I felt very bad for her because of how she was assaulted and basically held as a prisoner to her husband for a year. But the book constantly reminds us of her divineness, her contempt for mortals, and emphasizes how menacing she is physically. So I think that had the intended effect of readers noticing like oh, she is not some benevolent being, and that she could kill anyone at any moment 😭 Now, throughout the book I disliked her more and more because it seemed she was mistreating Patroclus for something outside his control, as well as TAKING!! Deidameia’s child from her. Like wtf? And said child…grew up to be extremely.. well, awful. So she’s a grade A asshole in my book and not even the ending really redeemed her. She’s like the typical “boy mom” if you know what that is and ugh I hate them.
2. I also felt bad for Deidameia when she got her kid taken but dislike how she coerced Patroclus into sleeping with her. Like wtf barely anybody respects consent…sigh.
3. I didn’t really cry but I guess one of the saddest parts to me is how Monoetious treated Patroclus…idk it just struck a chord to me. Also when the slave girls from the raids had to LITERALLY live amongst the same men who slaughtered their fathers, brothers, etc. Like i just cant even imagine. Awful.
4. My favorite line is “Wherever, wherever, wherever.” Like it just expresses how no matter what, nothing else matters as long as Patroclus and Achilles are together. I have soo many more lines that I loved too.
5. What endeared me to their love story I guess is how you have this emotionally neglected boy Patroclus, who deals with a lot of issues and this “perfect” got it all boy Achilles who fall in love 😭 and the way Achilles sticks up for him. Honestly and wholeheartedly. Them never lying to each other, so many beautiful pieces of dialogue and prose that the author wrote. For example, “I have no need to forgive you. You cannot offend me.” Jesus christ it hits me in the heart.
The few criticisms of the book that I have are…it is a bit unrealistic to have Patroclus just go along with Achilles killing innocent farmers etc. He’s portrayed to be somewhat of a pacifist and he obviously dislikes the whole war and yet he ignores his morals to be with someone who brags about being a killer. I know different values etc but like…especially after what he did to Breiseis idk how Patroclus forgave him. He literally says in the book he’ll never forgive him, then forgives him lol. Pacing also could’ve been better but overall i really liked the book.
This book kept popping up as a must-read, and curiosity came when I wanted to see how the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles would be portrayed (Greek Classical writer’s views). I found Deidamis to be irritating, and many times arrogant. As well as Thetis, but there were times when I could somewhat understand wanting and doing (selfishly) what was best for Achilles. Her accepting her son’s wishes and coming to terms with their reunion was something I did not fully expect but did show her character growth. My favorite scene was when Achilles came back covered in blood and Patroclus looked for his wounds only to realize it wasn’t his blood. Their connection and obstacles were what endeared me to their love story. I had bought the book to read during my travels last summer, with the expectation to read it during my 14-hour flight. To my surprise, I finished it after my second flight. This was when Achilles was first sent away. The flight was roughly 4 hours and I had to continue reading the book and ultimately finishing it that night. Miller’s writing style and wording made it quick hard to not finish reading the book so quickly, I didn’t cry but was blown away by how much I could visualize everything.
I didn’t really like it to be honest. I didn’t feel much emotion at all throughout the book. I didn’t like the writing style. I think when you start using “and this and this and this” instead of actually describing something you’ve gone too far with trying to be concise. The world felt very small to me as well, like I was reading the description of a play and every scene was shrunk down to what fits on the stage. The characters also felt dead eyed and soulless to me – I think because of the lack of any humour making everything feel somber.
Hey, if you’re interested in a recommendation, check out Mary Renault’s Alexander the Great trilogy.
I’d like to say, that to me the true tragedy was thetis’ story. If you think about it her being strict to Achilles and pretty much devoid of emotion is because of peleus (that is Achilles’ dad, right? It’s been a while since I’ve read the book) raping her and stripping her of her dignity – like, she was a goddess ! and highly regarded ! and then some mortal decides to use her for his glory and she never gets any justice for it. In a way, I think she tries to take this out on Achilles, because he serves as her “revenge” or something similar. Which is why she was so upset when he started getting close with Patroclus, because if Achilles decides to forego his life as a soldier to stay with Patroclus, what becomes of her sacrifice to have him?
This is my next book to read and I can’t wait. It seems intense.