The Song of Achilles - (P.S.) by Madeline Miller (Paperback)

The Song of Achilles - (P.S.) by Madeline Miller (Paperback) - image 1 of 1
The Song of Achilles - (P.S.) by Madeline Miller (Paperback) - image 1 of 1
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About this item

Specifications

Dimensions (Overall): 8.1 Inches (H) x 5.33 Inch (W) x 1.05 Inch (D)
Weight: .72 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 378
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Historical
Series Title: P.S.
Publisher: Ecco Press
Format: Paperback
Author: Madeline Miller
Language: English
Street Date: September 27, 2020
TCIN: 53756392
UPC: 9780062060624
Item Number (DPCI): 059-04-3504
Origin: Made in the USA

Description



About the Book



"P.S. insights, interviews & more" with author Q&A, discussion questions, and author essays.



Book Synopsis



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. 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.

"Mary Renault lives again!" --Emma Donoghue, author of Room



From the Back Cover



Achilles, the best of all the Greeks, son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful-- irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to 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 cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.



Review Quotes



"A masterly vision of the drama, valor, and tragedy of the Trojan War. Readers who loved Mary Renault's epic novels will be thrilled with Miller's portrayal of ancient Greece. This reviewer can't wait to see what she writes next."--Library Journal (starred review)

"A modern take on The Iliad, full of love and feats of glory and told in an open, lyric, loose-limbed fashion that should appeal to many readers.... Next up from Miller--the story of Circe...historical fiction fans, get in on the ground floor."--Library Journal

"Beautifully done. . ..In prose as clean and spare as the driving poetry of Homer, Miller captures the intensity and devotion of adolescent friendship and lets us believe in these long-dead boys...deepening and enriching a tale that has been told for 3,000 years."--Washington Post

"Fast, true and incredibly rewarding...A remarkable achievement."--USA Today

"Madeline Miller's brilliant first novel...is a story of great, passionate love between Achilles and Patroclus....[R]ewriting the Western world's first and greatest war novel is an awesome task to undertake. That she did it with such grace, style and suspense is astonishing."--Dallas Morning News

"One of the best novelistic adaptations of Homer in recent memory, and it offers strikingly well-rounded and compassionate portrait of Achilles....[Miller] injects a newfound sense of suspense into a story with an ending that has already been determined."--Wall Street Journal

"Powerful, inventive, passionate, and beautifully written. "--Boston Globe

"I loved it."--J.K. Rowling

"One of 2012's most exciting debuts...seductive, hugely entertaining....[I]magining the intimate friendship between Achilles and the devoted Patroclus...Miller conjures...soulmates. The resulting novel is cinematic--one might say epic--in scope, but refreshingly, compellingly human in detail."--Vogue

"The Song of Achilles...should be read and enjoyed for itself, but if Madeline Miller's novel sends the reader back to Homer and his successors, she is to be thanked for that as well."--Washington Independent Review of Books

"Wildly romantic [and] surprisingly suspenseful....[B]ringing those dark figures back to life, making them men again, and while she's at it, us[ing] her passionate companion piece to The Iliad as a subtle swipe at today's ongoing debate over gay marriage. Talk about updating the classics."--Time magazine

"[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

"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

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

"Although the details of the story are Miller's own, the world is one that all who love the Iliad and its epigones will recognize. Reading this book recalled me to the breathless sense of the ancient-yet-present that I felt when I first fell in love with the classics."--Catherine Conybeare, Professor of Classics, Bryn Mawr College

"At once a scholar's homage to THE ILIAD and a startlingly original work of art by an incredibly talented new novelist. Madeline Miller has given us her own fresh take on the Trojan war and its heroes. The result is a book I could not put down."--Ann Patchett, bestselling author of BEL CANTO and STATE OF WONDER

"Extraordinary... Beautifully descriptive and heartachingly lyrical, this is a love story as sensitive and intuitive as any you will find."--Daily Mail

"I loved this book. The language was timeless, the historical details were slipped in perfectly. I hope SONG OF ACHILLES becomes part of the high school summer reading lists alongside PENELOPIAD."--Helen Simonson, bestselling author of MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND

"In the tradition of Mary Renault... Miller draws on her knowledge of classical sources wisely... Well-paced, engaging and tasteful."--London Times Literary Supplement

"Mary Renault lives again! A ravishingly vivid and convincing version of one of the most legendary of love stories."--Emma Donoghue, New York Times bestselling author of ROOM

"Masterfully brings to life an imaginative yet informed vision of ancient Greece featuring divinely human gods and larger-than-life mortals. She breaks new ground retelling one of the world's oldest stories about men in love and war [and] extraordinary women."--Publishers Weekly (starred review), Pick of the Week

"Miller somehow (and breathtakingly so) mixes high-action commercial plotting with writing of such beautiful delicacy you sometimes have to stop and stare."--The Independent

"Miller's prose is more poetic than almost any translation of Homer... This is a deeply affecting version of the Achilles story: a fully three-dimension man - a son, a father, husband and lover - now exists where a superhero previously stood and fought."--The Guardian

"THE ILIAD turns on Achilles' pride and his relationship with Patroclus, but Homer is sparing with the personal--so much so that, though we believe in their friendship, we do not understand it. THE SONG OF ACHILLES brings light to their love. This is a beautiful book."--Zachary Mason, author of THE LOST BOOKS OF THE ODYSSEY

"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
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Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 5.33 inches width x 8.1 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.72 pounds
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4.6 out of 5 stars with 154 reviews
90% would recommend
22 recommendations

The way Stephanie Myer messed up a generation: same with this book

1 out of 5 stars
Would not recommend
Cute - 4 months ago, Verified purchaser
Horrible life lessons, unnecessary detail on traumas considering they are kids, and the characters are so flat and one dimensional. The writing may be pretty but the method and execution were not it.
Did you find this review helpful?

Not my taste

1 out of 5 stars
Abby - 7 months ago, Verified purchaser
I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't read it after a few chapters.
1 guest found this review helpful. Did you?

Book review

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Kool Kat Kelly - 8 months ago
Absolutely wonderful story!! Very detailed and you can almost imagine yourself right there in ancient Greece!
Did you find this review helpful?

amazing read

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
booker - 10 months ago
best book i’ve ever read!
Did you find this review helpful?

Beautiful Book

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
gretercam - 11 months ago, Verified purchaser
I absolutely love this book. Please do yourself a favor and read it!! It is crushing in an elevating way.
3 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

A tale of both war and love

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Sb15 - 11 months ago, Verified purchaser
If you enjoy Greek History, this is a phenomenal book. Despite reading about the Trojan War multiple times, this is a fresh take that delves into the life of Achilles.
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

My heart could not handle

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Maria Recinos - 1 year ago, Verified purchaser
I wish I could read this book for the first time again forever. I cried and cried when I finished it. One of my favorites
5 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

i am in love

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
readthesongofachilles - 1 year ago
My favorite book ever, coming from someone who isn't a greek mythology fan. Extremely beautiful writing and a heart wrenching yet happy ending. It may be hard to get into at first when everyone is being introduced, but the ending makes everything worth it and a second time through is just as good.
6 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

best book ever

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
jewel - 1 year ago
this book shattered my soul in a million different ways, i didn't even want to put it down when i finished :') pls read it if ur considering!!!
4 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

5 stars

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Ur mom - 1 year ago
AMAZING this book made me ball my eyes out
3 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

highly recommend! beautiful writing

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
shannen - 1 year ago, Verified purchaser
Lovely book with wonderful writing. Madeline Miller has done such an amazing job of adapting The Iliad. The prose is poetic and elegant without being pretentious. An emotional journey, and finally brings justice to this tragic tale.
4 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Beautiful

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Avila0624 - 1 year ago, Verified purchaser
This book is a must read. For someone who hasn’t read in years this book was amazing. Even after reading other books I kept thinking of Achilles and Patroclus
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Definitely worth the read; not at all what I expected (in a positive way).

5 out of 5 stars
Phenomenal Storytelling - 1 year ago
This was a book that I could *not* put down. The storytelling is absolutely fantastic, with strong tie-lines to plotlines from start to finish. The ending was bittersweet and left me wanting more.
3 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Wow

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Mia - 1 year ago
Absolutely beautiful.
Did you find this review helpful?

not your boring h.s. mythology read!

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
2cairnterriers - 1 year ago
ah! what an amazing love story! i was very pleasantly surprised to enjoy this as much as i did. i was hooked from the word go & could not put it down. i often think of mythology as sort of academic & perhaps dull, but this brought it to life. can't wait to read "circe"!
Did you find this review helpful?

Good at first, then meh

3 out of 5 stars
Would not recommend
Mama Geee - 1 year ago
I loved the beginning and then towards the middle, it was pretty dry. And to be honest, I was getting confused with all the Greek names. The love story was beautiful until it seemed to be drawn out.
1 guest found this review helpful. Did you?

Lovely

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Des - 2 years ago
Best book ever! Couldn’t stop crying :’)
3 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Great pick

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
DetroitV - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
Very well written, terrific read
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

A must have!

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Spider Man Fan 28 - 2 years ago, Verified purchaser
Such a beautiful story!
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

Gays in love

5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Claire - 2 years ago
Absolute favorite book in the world. Had my attention the entire time with such a great romance.
2 guests found this review helpful. Did you?

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