Reviews tagging Self harm

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

147 reviews

miastegner's review

adventurous dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

one of my cousin’s favorites! 
•it could’ve used less misogyny in the way things were framed & overlooked (even with generous leeway for consideration of the time period and what might’ve been the main character’s honest point of view) 
•I really appreciated that it didn’t shy away from the queerness of the story, and watching their love for each other evolve as they grew up was really beautiful
•the ending made my cry a little just like my cousin said it would (albeit only after all the death, at

Spoiler

the mother’s slow acceptance of her son’s chosen partner and eventual willingness to add his name on the grave).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Gore, Death, Blood, Sexism, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Self harm

myaphrodiite's review

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this is such a beautiful book, once you start you never want to put it down. this book shows greek mythology you’ve rarely seen and a pure love story that will definitely leave you in tears (i needed tissues before i even finished this book).

this book shows that love is pure no matter what gender you are, where you come from, your background, your looks and even your skills. love is love and this story shows this to the reader. the love between an exile and a prince, forbidden by their stereotypes but welcome by their hearts.

the amount of passion and emotion in this writing is breathtaking, it is by far one of the most beautiful books i’ve ever read, although it shattered my heart i will love it forever. i would recommend for everyone to read this book as it is a piece of art.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, War, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Child abuse, Murder, Rape, Self harm, and Slavery

Minor: Kidnapping, Torture, and Animal death

maybeimali's review

adventurous emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death, Self harm, Slavery, and War

dragonbornsandwaffles's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If you're like me and haven't read the Iliad before reading this, be prepared for a lot of heartbreak with this book. Had heard great things but no one warned me in advance and it was really, really hard to get through. Beautifully written, but painful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Self harm, Gaslighting, War, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Transphobia

sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and War

Moderate: Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Self harm

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

steffan_tastic's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Never have I ever bawled my eyes out at a book, until now. I started crying with about 50 pages to go. It has been 20 minutes since I finished. I am still crying. Beautiful and heart-wrenching. I know I will think about this book for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Grief, and Rape

captainoliimar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Abandonment, Death, Incest, Outing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Minor: Self harm, Biphobia, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, and Suicide

leob's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Honestly, I overhyped this book. Don't get me wrong, it was enjoyable, but that's about it. Maybe it's because I knew the original story and liked that one more (the way it was told, I mean) - I cried twice listening to it the first time... I only got teary once with this one. I was expecting much more, but eh, I think this author is just not for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, War, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Animal death, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Classism, and Rape

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Sexual content

froggybex's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

i cried. i loved it. the only reason of the docked .25 is bc i preferred pat barker’s depiction of brieses 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Slavery, Blood, Rape, and War

Moderate: Self harm, Vomit, Trafficking, Medical content, and Sexual content

kt2e56's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Beautifully written. There is no doubt about Madeline Miller’s skills as a writer. I actually think from a technical standpoint, she’s one of the most gifted writers we currently have. She has just such a way with words and even as someone fairly well-versed in Greek mythology who knows how this all ends, I was hooked as if this was a cast of characters I’d never heard of before.

I read Circe first and I found it to be much, much more relatable due to my own personal history and experiences but this book was just as spectacular. I love that this was all told from the point of view of Patroclus. He’s compelling and it’s lovely to see his own story fleshed out. His love for Achilles is touching but I think Achilles eventually becomes so unlikeable that it’s hard to see what Patroclus still sees in him and why he still so readily would give up everything for him.

And Achilles himself is seen as complex here! Which is fine! Complex is good and I’m glad that he wasn’t always the attentive, loving, nurturing boy that Patroclus fell for and believed in. I think the story of Achilles here (and eventually Pyrrhus although he’s a much more extreme example) is a fascinating look at masculinity. Achilles is beautiful and sensitive and kind. He loves music and pretty things and nature. We see this throughout. But it isn’t until he starts demanding the treatment he believes he deserves and stamping out all that’s beautiful and tender about him that he could be seen as great and powerful by the world around him. He believes he’s entitled to greatness and he reaches a point where he really buys into his own hype and doesn’t care who he’s harmed as long as he gets what he believes he deserves as this pinnacle of masculinity, the best of the best. He can only become a hero by embracing cruelty and he’d rather be a hero and be remembered by everyone than remembered only by his love, Patroclus: the only person who ever really knew him at all.

I’ll be thinking about this book for awhile. It’s hard not to. It’s so rich and textured. I’m giving this a 4.5 instead a 5, only because I started to grow a bit numb from reading cruelty after cruelty and atrocity after atrocity but I can absolutely recognize that that has nothing to do with Miller’s skill as a writer, and has everything to do with my own personal preferences. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Sexual assault, Death, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Misogyny, Injury/injury detail, War, Violence, Rape, Blood, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Outing, Animal death, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking