The Song of Achilles

A Novel

By: Madeline Miller

Narrated by: Frazer Douglas

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

The legend begins...

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. “The best of all the Greeks”—strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess—Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine—much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles’ mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller’s page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career.

©2012 Madeline Miller (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

Critic reviews

“[Miller] makes a persuasive argument for the timeliness of her subject. …Miller’s winning debut focuses on Patroclus, a young prince living in Achilles’ golden shadow. Miller also gives voice to many of the women who were also consigned to the shadows.” ( Publishers Weekly, Spring 2012 Preview, Top 10 Literary Fiction)

“You don’t need to be familiar with Homer’s The Iliad (or Brad Pitt’s Troy, for that matter) to find Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles spellbinding....her explorations of ego, grief, and love’s many permutations are both familiar and new....[A] timeless love story.” ( O magazine)

“A psychologically astute Iliad prelude featuring the heady, star-crossed adolescence of future heroes Patroclus and Achilles.” ( Vogue)

Great book!

I chose this as a recommendation from the podcast Mythsbaby. Loved it from start to finish!

Wonderful

I was amazed how much this story effected me. This was my first 5 stars, in all categories, the overall process, performance and the story. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is beautifully written, and the performance done by Frazer Douglas brought it to life, for it completely enraptured me. I listened to it within 2 sittings, in a single day and I plan to re-listen to this story again. This was a great read/listen. I have Madeline Miller's second book, Circe already downloaded. Happy Listening everyone.

beautiful tale of heartbreak

such a wonderful story, narrated by a brilliant man who added depth that the story alone did not have.

Incredible story and performance

Frazer Douglas' narration brought the story to life. Smooth and engaging, sad and beautiful. a worthwhile listen.

I wish all mythology were written this way

I have always enjoyed mythology, but this book took what I knew and made it more intimate and personal. Not everything in the book matches what I have read elsewhere, but this book made the characters more real than any telling I have read before. Epic poems like the Iliad are stories of great warriors and battles, and of gods and men. This book is told within the grand scope of the Iliad but focuses very effectively on just a few characters. It is not afraid to give these characters motives and feelings that are not explored in the classics, and that is exactly what makes it great. Aside from that, it is a very sweet, touching love story. I knew how the story had to end, but that did not diminish the joy of the journey at all.

My goodness. What a book.

Best book I have read for a long time. Very moving at times especially the end. A personal take on a well known story.

Magic.

Legendary!

This is possibly one of the greatest books I have ever read. I loved how it brought to life gods and mortals with such ease. This book should go down in history as a legendary retelling of the Illiad, as worthy a companion as Petroclus himself.

Intensely satisfying listen

This book was fantastic.
I dropped one star because the narrator made Achilles sound like Boston Brahmin and it was just a little harder to fall in love of him that way. I did like that Kairon sounded like Sulu.
I love that it's 2018 and we are still listening to the stories of heroes from myth; i don't think Achilles would have wanted any less.

One of the greatest love stories I've ever read

This was a page turner to end all. I couldn't pull myself away from it. The writing was gorgeous, the narration was perfect, and the story had me from beginning to bittersweet end. I've never found myself rereading a book. I will be rereading this one.

Utterly Captivating

Cried like a baby over a death that happened something like 3000 years ago. Miller managed to make this story and its characters come to life. The narrator is excellent, although his "female" voice is not great (as none of them seem to be).