Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

6 reviews

saintmare's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Listened to the audiobook.

I think this book is nearly perfect. It's clear a lot of research went into this book and the tone matches the fact it's a Greek retelling. At some points I thought some descriptions were a bit too repetitive, though it matched with the tone of the book. I think the scope was well chosen and executed. The prose was lovely, at points drawing from the descriptions in epics.

In some way, this book is limited by the fact it's a retelling. You cannot divorce Achilles and Patroclus from their roots, from the violence of their origins and by portraying them as more sympathetic than they sometimes are in their original stories to focus on their bond, a choice is made. It's perfect for this book, but it's a limitation, one I can't describe it better without talking in circles.

I recommend this book nonetheless. It did make me cry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, and War

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Ableism, Fatphobia, and Transphobia

By transphobia, I mean specifically transmisogyny.

At one point Achilles hides dressed as a girl himself. TL;DR, the other heroes mention that one of the greatest blemishes on a man's honour is be to be a man pursuing femininity, which is also leveraged against him later. This, of course, reflects the misogyny in the society but the way it was worded did make my skin crawl personally. Achilles and Patroclus himself aren't weird about this, though.

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

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

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

nannahnannah's review against another edition

DNF @ 10%.

Warning:
Discussions of rape in this review.

I was so excited for this book. It seems to be everywhere, and everyone loves it. My disappointment is … massive.

My first impression was that the writing was, in fact, very good. I have seen quotes from The Song of Achilles around my socials, so I know Madeline Miller can write, but her prose really is gorgeous. Unfortunately it all became flowery and empty when her lovely writing was reserved for describing Achilles, and that only. It left a sweetly sick taste in my mouth. 

But I could live with that, of course.
What made me stop reading was the overwhelming presence of misogyny and the rape. I understand this takes place in ancient Greece, and that women didn’t have the best lives, I do, but this is also supposed to be a YA book, and I think the author maybe forgot who she was writing for when trying to make her book … I don’t know, historically accurate or something. I’m well aware Zeus, for example, “ravished” many mortal women, and the book does mention his “conquests”, too, but at one point early on in the backstory, a human man rapes a goddess, and we see the man’s side. [Spoiler used for disturbing content:]

We hear about the men advising him how to do it … how to catch her and hold her down. We hear about how for a year she had to stay with him and be raped over and over again. And after all that, the narration has the audacity to say, “An ordinary wife would have counted herself lucky to find a husband with Peleus’ mildness …”

I’m a survivor, and I just can’t handle this. I don’t really care how great the love story of Patroclus and Achilles is. I’m going to read something else.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Fatphobia

also: taking the side & pov of the rapist

maeverose's review against another edition

Not for me. Plus it had a specific kind of gore that I personally can’t handle so no thnx (my fault for not checking content warnings first…)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Fatphobia, and Vomit

Brain gore (graphic) I’m sure I missed content warnings bc I only read 3 chapters..

nerdkitten's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Excrement, Vomit, and Pregnancy

dniespal's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

Increadible tale of two lovers whose fate is already sealed. Madeline Miller was able to writte a breathtaking story which will make you not want to put the book down even if you are already well versed in the myth of Achilles and Patroclus. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Medical content, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Alcohol