LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
A beautiful new limited edition paperback of The Song of Achilles, published as part of the Bloomsbury Modern Classics list.
The god touches his finger to the arrow's fletching. Then he breathes, a puff of air - as if to send dandelions flying, to push toy boats over water. And the arrow flies, straight and silent, in a curving, downward arc towards Achilles' back.
A breathtakingly original rendering of the Trojan War - a devastating love story and a tale of gods and kings, immortal fame and the human heart.
Winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012.
The Bloomsbury Modern Classic Series
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The Song of Achilles Synopsis
Winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction 2012.
Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles's mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
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Press Reviews
Madeline Miller Press Reviews
'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 Christmas Books
'Mary Renault lives again! A ravishingly vivid and convincing version of one of the most legendary of love stories' Emma Donoghue, author of number one bestseller, Room
'Original, clever, and in a class of its own ... an incredibly compelling and seductive read' Independent on Sunday
'A remarkably fresh take on one of the most familiar narratives in western literature' The Times
'Extraordinary ... Beautifully descriptive and heart-achingly lyrical, this is a love story as sensitive and intuitive as any you will find' Daily Mail
'Sexy. dangerous, mystical' Bettany Hughes
'If I were to give a prize for the best work of fiction I've read this year, this would be the runaway winner. As a first novel, it heralds the arrival of a major new talent' A.N. Wilson, Reader's Digest
Author
About Madeline Miller
Madeline Miller has a BA and MA from Brown University in Latin and Ancient Greek, and has been teaching both for the past nine years. She has also studied at the Yale School of Drama, specialising in adapting classical tales to a modern audience. The Song of Achilles is her first novel.
Author photo © Nina Subin
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