jayvdw's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was already very familiar with the story of Achilles, having read Heroes and Troy by Stephen Fry. But the interpretation of the original story by Madeline Miller made this story so much more than just another hero's journey. I really enjoyed that the main focus of the book wasn't on the Trojan war, as this story has been told numerous times.
Some other things that I really liked about the book were < spoiler> the change from Achilles being invulnerable, to just being a genius fighter who is still vulnerable to attacks. , the way gods were presented as selfish and unethical, and the conflicted depiction of Odysseus, as a person with his own motives and drives.
The ending of the book was perfectly executed. While reading I was wondering how Madeline Miller would pull this off, but she clearly exceeded my expectations.
For my rating: I loved the book, but I have two minus points. First, the book sometimes felt a bit too slow-paced for my liking. Secondly, the book missed a certain spark to get 5 stars. I only felt this spark in the last 4 chapters. For this reason, I gave it a 4.5.
Graphic: War, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
odette_tbdk's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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
athenian_frog's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Some phrases are a little repeated (a lot of feet references LOL) but I found the romance overall to be very loving and emotionally satisfying. I found that part of what made Achilles beautiful to me was Patroclus’s perspective/attention to detail, and I think that’s lovely. As they grew close, I appreciated how Achilles always seemed to carve place for Patroclus at his side, and would make an effort to communicate honestly.
The latter half of the book involving the war is particularly strong. My favorite side characters were probably Briseis, Odysseus, and Thetis. I think the author did a good job of making them strong on their own!
A few people found Patroclus to be a bit lacking/soft, but I think it was his gentleness that won me over. While he didn’t do much fighting until closer to the end of the book, he still did a significant amount of verbal maneuvering with the other characters to his or Achilles’s benefit. From his attempts to connect with Thetis to the exchanges with the members of the war camp, I enjoyed the way Patroclus interacted with the rest of the cast the most.
All in all I enjoyed it a lot, probably one of the few Booktok/Booktube books I’ve read that has ever maintained it’s place so close to my heart.
Please consider the content warnings below!
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Medical content, Rape, Blood, Child death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Slavery, and Vomit
Minor: Transphobia
- Deaths, especially those in war, are described in a fair amount of detail -women are taken from raids to be enslaved to enemy soldiers -Vomit and illness, medical content especially visible when a plague rips through a war camp -there is one instance of rape that is vaguely described that a supporting character undergoes. -there are two instances of very dubious consent/sexual coercion that occur regarding the main leads, not with each other. -it is mentioned that men who dress as women are extremely looked down upon -sex is typically not very detailed, even between lead characters. Usually some allusions to what is going on but not much else.taryn_g's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, War, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Sexual content, and Slavery
genevieve_eggleston's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: War, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Death, and Gore
Minor: Slavery, Rape, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
madelinedalton's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: War, Violence, Blood, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape
turtleraces's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, War, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
cturn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Death, Slavery, Genocide, Grief, Violence, Infidelity, and War
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual violence, and Medical content
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Sexual violence, Murder, Medical content, Violence, Pregnancy, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, War, Slavery, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Gore, and Grief
theashtree's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Rape, Child death, Slavery, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Cursing