The Song of Achilles: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Madeline Miller (Author), Frazer Douglas (Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher)

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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.

Listening Length

11 hours and 15 minutes
Author

Madeline Miller
Narrator

Frazer Douglas
Audible release date

March 6 2012
Language

English
Publisher

HarperAudio
ASIN

B071Z4HWXM
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	11 hours and 15 minutes
Author	Madeline Miller
Narrator	Frazer Douglas
Audible.ca Release Date	March 06 2012
Publisher	HarperAudio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B071Z4HWXM
Best Sellers Rank	#189 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #7 in Literary Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #9 in Historical Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #26 in Historical Fiction (Books)

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Vanessa

Decent retelling of Greek myth but…

Reviewed in Canada on September 29, 2021

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I love mythology and I was excited to read this. I think part of the problem was this book was so hyped it couldn’t live up to the expectations set by others. That is my own issue.

I also find feet disgusting so the protagonist narrator going on and on about his foot fetish disgusted me to the point I struggled to continue in places.

The final problem I had was the constant sexual assault of every female character ( except one who is herself a rapist). There are also few female characters and this doesn’t pass Bechdel. I understand part of this is the source material but I’ve read Circe by this author and there’s a graphic rape scene in that as well. The author just seems to like them.

The overall writing style is enjoyable and I appreciate new life being given to old stories. I also like that there is mlm or gay representation.

Unfortunately due to the sheer amount of sexual assault on this book along with the creepy foot fetish I will be regifting my copy and don’t intend to reread it.

15 people found this helpful

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Margaret

Incredible story!

Reviewed in Canada on March 4, 2021

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This is my new favourite book. I did not have much previous knowledge of Greek mythology/the Trojan war, but the progression of this novel was at the perfect speed to understand all the context needed to get to the point where the war began. The telling of Achilles and Patroclus' love over the span of years/decades was beautifully done by Miller. Her writing style is so lovely. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who love a good love story with twists of fate and sacrifice.

12 people found this helpful

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SKB

Different Take on Achilles' True Love

Reviewed in Canada on December 7, 2020

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As someone who has read both Homer's The Iliad and The odyssey, I was very skeptical reading this book, and it took me a very, very, very long time to buy it.

I'm glad I finally broke down as I truly enjoyed the tale of Achilles and Patroclus' love.

Homer didn't mention anything about a romance between the two in The Iliad. However, there have been many scholars and historians (both classic and modern) discussing them being lovers.

The Song of Achilles was in Patroclus' POV, and we saw the humanity of a son of a goddess. It follows their growth from their youth through to the Trojan War. Their lovemaking scenes were only hinted at off-page.

If you like mythology stories or anything about the Trojan War, I feel you'd enjoy this, but I would not compare it to the masterworks. Nothing compares to that.

If you are not familiar with The Iliad, I would read that first or understand what happened/who was involved/where it took place.

10 people found this helpful

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Amazingly Written

Reviewed in Canada on July 11, 2021

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Troy, Helen, Achilles, and Paris have long been an interest of mine especially in light of my fascination with archaeology and the discovery by <strong>Heinrich Schliemann</strong> in the early 1870s of what experts now believe to be the ruins of the actual city of Troy. I've read several books about Troy, Helen, the War, and Achilles over the years and found them all interesting in different ways. I've watched several movies and even a series about the famous city and enjoyed paintings and sculptures depicting the beautiful and deceptive Trojan horse. But this book is the first plot line I've encountered told by Achilles' friend (sometimes referred to as cousin), Patroclus, even after his death and the death of Achilles.
Despite my long list of material, I never really thought about Achilles as possibly having what we would now refer to as a gay relationship but when you think about it, it rather makes sense. The Greek soldiers were encouraged to have lovers amongst their ranks in the belief that they would fight harder to defend them and they were considered the fiercest warriors of their time. In the movie with Brad Pitt, Achilles is portrayed as being a ladies man yet there is that intense relationship he has with Patroclus, his cousin, that hints that there may be more to it. This story has him completely uninterested in woman and totally manipulated by his goddess mother, not the nice lady from the movie.
This story is not full of over-the-top explicit sexual scenes. On the contrary, it is tenderly written without being offensive to anyone who prefers not to read what might be called vulgarity. It is also one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. So while the story may be familiar, there are twists and variations in this particular one — a centaur educating Achilles and Patroclus and a complete glossing over of the Trojan horse, to name a few — that someone who enjoys reading about this ancient time, legend, and its characters will find enough to stay thoroughly engaged. It took me a couple of days to read but was difficult to put down.

8 people found this helpful

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Mike

Engaging Story

Reviewed in Canada on February 21, 2021

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Bravo Ms. Miller! Very engaging story. Index of characters at end is a useful reference, both for this book and future reference. I read this with google earth at hand and was able to find many of the locations referenced, which for me added to the story. This combined with Ms. Miller's interview made me feel I could understand the the journey made to get to Troy, as well as the local geography the characters would be fighting on. While I recognize there could possibly be some small amount of writers initiative taken with some of the local geography, a rough map in the back would not have hurt my feelings.

4 people found this helpful

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erika

Poetic and beautiful writing ♡

Reviewed in Canada on March 17, 2021

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I ended up finishing this book in just a few days because I found myself so drawn into the narrative. I have aphantasia and sometimes feel it's difficult to enjoy books because I can't visualize settings or scenes at all, but the writing in The Song of Achilles included descriptions beyond vision. Perhaps I couldn't visualize it, but I could almost taste and smell everything, not to mention feel what they felt.

Genuinely this was just an absolutely beautiful and touching book that now contains some of my favourite lines in literature ever. ♡ If you're on the fence about this book, PLEASE just go ahead and give it a read ! ♡

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Theo

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2019

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I’m going to assume that you’re familiar with the Iliad because it’s been out a while, so, Spoilers, I guess?

The Song of Achilles is a retelling, one which takes the myth and runs with it. Here Achilles really is the son of a sea nymph, he is trained by a centaur, and gods play their part in the lives of man.

I used to know my Classics a lot better that I do now - Roger Lancelyn Green’s books were a staple of my childhood library - so this was a book which unfolded for me. I remembered each plot point as we hit it, so I’m entirely the wrong person to ask if it makes any logical sense. It probably doesn’t. It certainly could have done a better job of selling ancient motivations to a modern audience.

The story is told by Patroclus, a prince and, when he begins this story, unlikely candidate for Helen’s hand in marriage. I am super here for a room full of men deciding what will happen to a teenage girl, as you can imagine. This is a male story, though, and Miller doesn’t attempt to change that.

However, when Patroclus inadvertently kills another boy, he is exiled to the court of Peleus where he falls swooningly in love with Mary Sue Achilles, who’s super perfect at everything (as one expects from a demi-god). Thetis, Achilles’ mother, really hates Patroclus. The boys go off to learn things on a mountain. They are swoonily swoony. They come back. Thetis hates Patroclus. Then she hides Achilles because she doesn’t want him to go to Troy as he will be killed.

Once the war actually begins, a good half way through the book, things improve, in part because there’s actually things happening. There is air of inexorability to the whole thing which really gets into its stride in the last third as we make the drive towards what is fated to happen (and we’re no longer reading rambling scenes about how swoony teenage Achilles is).

When Miller hits the predetermined narrative events, she’s good. When she’s making her own way between, she’s… less good.

For a book which treats the gods as real, there’s an awful lot of “something’s happening because the gods are displeased” conversations, followed by “here’s the solution to that” conversations. Obviously there’s no one correct version of many of the myths, but sometimes Miller takes the path of most boredom, such as the demand for the sacrifice of Iphigenia. Apollo’s appearance on the walls of Troy especially charmed me, so the omission of the gods involvement in other ways, even as a background, felt disappointing.

I am also critical of the characterisation. Odysseus is great, true, but everybody else? Eh.

Achilles lives his whole life chained to the prophecies made about him, but whatever this does to him remains unexplored. He’s just some guy. Admittedly one who is super good at everything and jolly good looking. And when we’re reading the narrative of a boy, then man, who is in love with him, I’d really have preferred to grasp the appeal.

Thetis is especially poorly done. Like her son she is chained to the pronouncements of the Fates, but here she is a pure JustNoMil. She’s such a central figure in the original myth - the Trojan war begins because of a prophecy made about her: the son of Thetis will be greater than his father, hence “marriage” to Peleus, hence somebody not doing the invitations right, hence golden apple etc etc etc

I was also unreasonably annoyed that Miller chooses to not use the one thing everybody knows about our demi-god: that he really should have invested in some foot armour. Google assures me Homer doesn’t include the story of Thetis’s attempt to make her son invulnerable and immortal, but Homer doesn’t include Achilles’ death, either. Or the romantic relationship between him and Patroclus. It felt like a massive oversight rather than a deliberate decision.

The beginning was interesting if not grippy. Then it got a bit dull. Then a bit duller. Then, by the end, it was very good indeed. I don’t rule out reading Circe, Miller’s second full length novel, but I could just as easily not. Overall?

3 stars

159 people found this helpful

H J Mac

I can't gush enough about this book.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2018

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OMG, I held my breath for the second half of this book. My memory of the events was enough to know what had to happen, but that simply doesn't spoil a thing.
She's managed to take everything we know of the story from the existing texts and build a world that is thoroughly absorbing and beautiful. It's a story of epic soul binding love, so beautifully rendered.
I really enjoyed how there was no modern lens put onto the story. She just tells it. Ideas and concepts that mean something to us would have been meaningless to the ancients, and behaviours we find unacceptable were normal. So some bits are difficult, there's human sacrifice, and slavery including sexual slavery, but nothing is gratuitous or too graphic.
Just read it it's beautiful.

92 people found this helpful

Trish Pea

I wasn't looking forward to reading this book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

I didn't choose to read this book. It was chosen for me as a book-club read. I don't like books about mythology (school in the 1960s put me off for life.) Or ancient history, or wars in any period of history, apart from maybe the two world wars. So, I bought this book with trepidation, not knowing what to expect. I didn't quite believe all the good reviews, and thought I would hate it.

I actually loved it. This is a beautifully-written, very descriptive book. It was easy to read, and a real page turner. I felt that I learned a lot about ancient Greece and the Trojan war. I can't fully remember the story of Achilles from school (it has been erased from my memory, along with Jason and the Argonauts, and the Minotaur) but I loved this re-telling and couldn't put the book down. The simple, striking cover is beautiful too and I would thoroughly recommend this book. A wonderful read.

61 people found this helpful

READ IT

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2016

Verified Purchase

A very short review, I'm afraid. Not worthy of this book.

Does this count as historical, or mythological, or pure fantasy? Don't care - brilliant, brilliant book. It was positively painful to read it if I'm honest but I couldn't put it down. One of those books that I felt a true and consuming sense of loss for a few days after reading it. Recommended to EVERYONE.

129 people found this helpful

comm88

Utterly unreadable!!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

How is it that really crappy books are garlanded with "incredible" awards and lavished with undeserved praise???? This thing is really, really crappy. It is puerile in its writing style and it is sooooo boring!! I couldn't stomach it, let alone finish it. Life is way too short to waste on such hollow and unrewarding nonsense. It's a book that leaves you feeling: "Frankly, I really, really don't care!!" I didn't care about or for the characters. I didn't care for the plot, such as it is. I don't care about the author. And I sure don't give a tinker's cuss about the content. Yep. Really that bad. Honestly, do not waste your time on this garbage. Or your money. Go for a walk. Go to the gym. You could even go shopping. But give this book as wide a berth as you possibly can. You will, I guarantee, be far happier with any other choice you care to make!!

32 people found this helpful

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The Song of Achilles: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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