The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles

A Novel

Madeline Miller

HarperCollins · Print & ebook · August 28, 2012

A New York Times Bestseller “At once a scholar’s homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art….A book I could not put down.” —Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House A thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War from the bestselling author of Circe A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad.

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Who it’s for
A Greek myth retold with romance, history, and a quietly tragic pull.
Themes
mythology, love, heroism
Pacing
Fast

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For younger readers: Lore, Lovely War, Icarus

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About this book

A New York Times Bestseller “At once a scholar’s homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art….

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A book I could not put down.” —Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House A thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War from the bestselling author of Circe A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer’s enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller’s monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction’s brightest lights—and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes. “A captivating retelling of The Iliad and events leading up to it through the point of view of Patroclus: it’s a hard book to put down, and any classicist will be enthralled by her characterisation of the goddess Thetis, which carries the true savagery and chill of antiquity.” — Donna Tartt, The Times

Myth, Recast

A Greek myth retold with romance, history, and a quietly tragic pull.

Come here for

  • Mythic retelling, classroom-ready
  • Layered ancient-world mood

Expect

  • Achilles and Patroclus at the center
  • Ancient world texture, readable sweep

Where it sits

Gay Romance68%
Ancient-World Romance47%
Ancient Historical Fiction39%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • The Classics
  • Historical Fantasy
  • Fairy Tales & Myths
  • Literary Fiction
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Ancient-World Romance
  • Gay Romance
  • Lesbian Romance
  • Coming-of-Age
Authors
Madeline Miller
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
August 28, 2012
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
mythology · love · heroism
Reading lane
The Classics