Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

80 reviews

odette_tbdk's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Tengo sentimientos encontrados con este libro, por una parte me pareció muy emocional y profunda la relación que tenían Aquiles y Patroclo, pero el ritmo de la historia no me convenció del todo. Hacia el final del libro el ritmo fluyó muy bien, pero el principio es difícil de continuar, la vida de Patroclo de niño y en sí todo el proceso que les lleva a la guerra de Troya es bastante lento y tedioso. Pero aún así, me hizo sentir muchas cosas y también me enseñó de mitología (cabe aclarar que yo no sé nada de estos temas), así que sería injusto darle mala calificación por eso.

Me faltaron personajes femeninos que no giraran en torno a los protagonistas, pero eso ya no es culpa de la autora, simplemente no hay muchos porque así es la mitología. Cuando lea Circe tendré lo que me faltó aquí.

En general, un libro muy triste cargado de mitología y de referencias muy extensas a los ornamentos, política y costumbres de la época. Tedioso a ratos pero al final te deja con un buen sabor de boca (en parte). Buena lectura.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Grief, War, Child death, Medical content, Violence, Rape, Pandemic/Epidemic, Homophobia, Slavery, Xenophobia, Sexism, Death, Genocide, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Torture, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Animal death

pjdotcom's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, Grief, Torture, Gore, Blood, Sexual assault, Death, Rape, Body horror, and Pregnancy

purechaos's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Physical abuse, Slavery, War, Cursing, Deportation, Genocide, Gore, Sexual harassment, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Grief, Xenophobia, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual content

chelle22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Torture, Animal cruelty, Cultural appropriation, Child abuse, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death, Cursing, Grief, Incest, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Slavery, War, and Self harm

nilsnoether73's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Un conte tràgic i lleial a la versió original amb certs desviaments i expansions (òbviament). M'ha agradat el fet que el misticisme fos semi-realista; ha ajudat a arrelar la història. Tot i que en algun moment m'he perdut en el batibull de personatges, sí que he pogut distingir i recordar en tot moment els més importants.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Violence, War, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Torture, and Rape

Minor: Homophobia

kathrynleereads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I’m not going to lie… this book was a chore for me. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was that I didn’t like, but every time I put it down, I felt absolutely no desire to pick it back up again. 

Song of Achilles is one I had such high hopes for after hearing so many amazing things about it, but I just didn’t feel drawn into the story. 

With every multi-year time jump, I felt as if I had whiplash. If I’m adding correctly the book spanned a total of 18 years (ages 9 to 27 for Patroclus), which was just too wide a time frame. 

Because of the time jumps, Achilles’ character development felt spotty and incomplete. Patroclus, on the other hand, seemed to go through all of his character growth within the final few chapters, which was just as jarring. 

Speaking of the final few chapters…

I’ll admit, I did shed quite a few tears at the end of the book, but that’s only because of the characters’ reactions to everything that unfolded. 

Spoiler

I didn’t even fully follow what happened to Patroclus until Menelaus carried him back into camp, at which point I went back and reread the prior chapter. 

One second Patroclus was in the chariot, and the next he was at the wall of Troy, being surrounded by the Trojan army. 

I understand that Miller was demonstrating the draw of power in the scene, but it was so out of character for Patroclus that it took me right out of the story.

The only aspect of this book I have no complaints about is Briseis. Her character helped demonstrate the severity of war atrocities, while also helping mark time.

Briseis’ friendship with Patroclus was the only thing that kept me reading this book. 

She was so kind and understanding, even after the horrors that she had gone through (and was yet to go through) because of the war. 

All in all, I think this book was just not for me. Reading other reviews for The Song of Achilles, I recognize all the aspects that are being applauded, I just think Miller’s writing style was not for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, Blood, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and War

Moderate: Torture, Child death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death and Bullying

sirenricobooks's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, War, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Child death, Death, Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexism, Torture, Classism, Grief, and Homophobia

Minor: Animal death, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Outing, Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery

vnfhcxksiw's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, Slavery, War, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Genocide, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Sexual violence, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and War

angeldevoursliterature's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Medical content, Bullying, Slavery, Misogyny, Murder, Animal death, Gore, War, Torture, Sexual violence, Grief, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Physical abuse, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Cursing

rllbth's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Torture, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and War

Moderate: Bullying, Xenophobia, and Slavery

Minor: Classism