The Song of Achilles

a novel

378 pages, 416 sidor

På English

Publicerades 7 november 2012 av Ecco Press.

ISBN:
978-0-06-206061-7
Kopierade ISBN!
OCLC-nummer:
773303923
Finna ID:
jakobstad.f947cf69-3bf0-44b2-b9da-9ee546838d9c

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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.

35 utgåvor

recenserade The song of Achilles av Madeline Miller (Bloomsbury modern classics)

None

Pretty early on I get a song in my head. Not "Achilles Last Stand" or "Temporary Like Achilles" or "Tales of Brave Ulysses", but Regina Spektor's "Samson". The idea of love redeeming a tragic hero simply by making him strong enough to leave herodom behind.

And the history books forgot about us
And the Bible didn't mention us
Not even once


It has its flaws, for sure. I'm not a big fan of the way it first lets us follow Patroclus fall in love with every aspect of Achilles and who he is - and doing it quite well, for a myth riff - only to then fast-forward through 9 years of siege and daily slaughter to the final act we know must come with Achilles just making the occasional cameo. It feels like the first half and the second don't quite mesh. But when it's good, it's …

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betygsatte den

Ämnen

  • Trojan War
  • Greek mythology
  • Fiction
  • History
  • Trojan War
  • Achilles
  • Patrocles
  • LGBT+
  • Romance
  • Fantasy
  • Mythology

Platser

  • Turkey
  • Troy (Extinct city)
  • Greece