the song of achilles ripped out my heart, stomped on it, spat in my face, poured salt all over the open wounds, then kicked my body across the universe and I still thanked it and asked it to do it again.
Pyrrhus really was what Achilles would have become if he hadn’t met Patroclus and been taken into the deep sea by his mother (also, Thetis’ backstory was sad and I wish we got to see more of)
I wonder that because from the first glances at Patroclus I could sense Achilles's gay heart stirring, and he spent so long on land. I like to think he would not have been such a Pyrrhus/Jeffrey monster if he went to the sea with Thetis.
I agree 100% - I mean I knew what Pyrrhus had done during the Trojan War - but the way Madeline Miller positioned him against the life & actions of Achilles. Showing the impact of their lives, love & family. Just one of the many reasons I love this book!!
My friend mentioned that Ms Miller wants to write about Apollo and Hyacinthus. Sadly i think there is very few material to start with. Maybe the gods will look down upon her benevolently and give her the source/sources she needs. Then all will be happy. 😅
Also I still don't understand how Madeline could do it, how her writing could be so captivating, so atmospheric, like at times I felt like I'm peeking at patrochilles on top of Pelion, feeling the breeze ,tasting the figs and hearing the music, and witnessing their summery smiles for each other, their stolen kisses and touches, it's magnificent how it takes you to this world with much simplicity and no pretentiousness... It's even more impressing how a single expression can tell a lot of their intimacy, their conversations... This and this and this... Oh god
@@bellamarie8764 my daughter bought this for me, together with Circe, I loved it, passed it on to a friend, regretted it immediately, and I have just ordered the hard back, 10yr anniversary edition, can’t wait to read it again, I’ll be sure to hold onto this one!
Also the ending is the most beautiful bittersweet hopeful sad ending ever, just the mere knowledge that they somehow reunited in the underworld, in the shades of Hades, no more obstacles keeping them away from each other, their love so great and poignant it inspires light in the darkness of the underworld.... So fucking beautiful, it makes up for all the pain and heartbreak and it's amazing how a single paragraph can be this healing and comforting, I'm so grateful to our queen Madeline
I loved the ending sentences that Madeline wrote so much, but I really wanted one last sentence afterwards. I feel like a good final line could have been Achilles saying only "Pa-tro-clus" (typed out in italics as Madeline did throughout the book) just to exemplify Achilles finding and recognizing Patroclus in the after world.
i actually had to WRITE my feelings in my journal after reading this book. my emotions were WRECKED!! i am a sucker for greek mythology and achilles and patroclus? their relationship was so special to me and i was floored after reading it. i literally used to stay up late at night listening to 'Achilles Come Down' by Gang of Youths because THE FEELS™, man!!!!!
Can we give more than 5 stars??? The Song of Achilles was a masterpiece! I read the Iliad when I was an undergrad so I also knew what was coming, and I wondered how she would handle Patroclus’s death. Pure art. The way you’re excited about this book reminds me of my own reaction. Only, I didn’t even know this was a romance when I first started reading it, so that was an extra surprise.
This is one of the greatest books I've ever read. I stayed up so late so I could finish it and sobbed for like an hour at 3am. Beautifully written, for sure.
It’s been almost five years since I first read TSOA and I’m still not okay, it’s just becomes something that grows with you (and every reread has new pieces of information that you may have missed the last time)
the extra “oomph” as u mentioned (like life during the afterlife) would have been satisfying but i feel it would cheapen the ending- we’re left with this hanging feeling to allow us to extrapolate and sit with the the ending of the book for awhile, that’s the beauty of it i feel!! also i think it emphasises how in the afterlife they are simply souls/pure energies, completely forgoing their mortal identity so dialogue that resembles that when they were on earth would then not feel like they have reached a perfect place together (forever!!!)
Lmaooo 10:45 (spoilery part!) is such a mood I literally thought it was gonna end badly and thank FUCK and heavens for what actually happened Also I really loved the talk between Patroclus and Thetis I never expected them to be even civil with each other and yet that conversation… it was truly something
This book utterly crushed me and made me feel more emotional than any other fictional work I have read. Last night, I sobbed my way through the last five chapters, running out of tears and inevitably finding more to shed. Madeline Miller's writing was phenomenally vibrant. As someone who was already familiar with Greek mythology, finishing each and every glorious chapter brought me greater feelings of dread for what I knew was coming. I think one of the reasons I found the book so powerful is that the dynamic of my own relationship is similar to that of Achilles and Patroclus in certain aspects, which led the twists and turns of the story to feel especially relatable.
A masterpiece. Soulmates has never fit a couple better. Patroclus, our soft selfless boy deserved so much more. And Achilles' whole I don't really care about anybody but you energy gave me life. Another woman screwed over was King Scyros' daughter, though she was pretty aggravating tbh. Also, their love is reminiscent of the couple in Young Royals on Netflix which also a masterpiece and you should check out. Great video, Elias :)
i watched young royals bcos they reminded me of patroclus and achilles 🥺🥺 thought i was the only one who sees them as my favorite boys AAAAHHHHH they will fit the characters of young achilles and patroclus so much if they ever made a series for TSOA 😭😭😭
@@wasteitonmin5848 yeah duuude if edvin and omar ever played patroclus and achilles in a TSOA movie my life will be complete. I willl be able to die happy. The love of both these pairs of boys is the purest and most beautiful I have seen in a long long time. YR was an instant obsession just like TSOA! Glad I'm not alone.
The audiobook is so great, the performance of the narrator was fantastic, he had such emotion in his voice. I really felt like Patroclus himself was telling me his story
@@Progress234 if you have an app like Libby that connects to your local library, you can listen for free if you have a library card. You may have to wait if someone has it checked out though. I think there are a few different library apps out there, so it’s worth taking a look :) if these kinds of apps aren’t available there’s always audible
as someone who knew about the story of the trojan war prior to reading TSOA, it was torture! i wished to reach into the book and beg them two to turn back and not go to war
I finished this book 30 mins ago and I feel dead inside but also so happy they got to be together at the end even though the story is tragic and heartbreaking
Any time I hear someone gushing THIS much about a book, I have to read it. And I read The House in the Cerulean Sea because of you and it’s now one of my all-time favorites, so I’m gonna trust you on this one.
i had the same apprehensions about reading this book. i'm so glad i caved in and read it. i just finished my 4th reread and i was still utterly crushed by the end 🤠 the "i didn't make him a god" 'but you made him' quote literally makes me sob everytime lol
I read The Song of Achilles in March and it actually changed my life. I have literally not stopped thinking about it since I finished it. Every time I think of patroclus and achilles my heart explodes I just hope they are so happy in the underworld together. They are my only thoughts now. Literally one of my all time favorite books. 5,000/5 stars
I knew the ending and every turn of the story too and every time Achilles said "What Hector has ever done to me?" I WAS SCREAMING BECAUSE THE PAIN WAS TOO MUCH. That ending killed me.
The beauty of The Song of Achilles lies in its simplicity and timeless tragedy. The way Patroclus and Achilles love each other is maddening, all consuming and yet so very human. It literally cannot grow old. Also, upon this glorious day, the masterpiece that is this book, turned 10. Here's to celebrating a decade of this piece of art by drowning in our tears.
I read this a couple of weeks ago and I had the same feeling. I wasn’t expecting it but it really hit me. It’s so well written. The prose is gooorgeous 😭
The thumbnail is chef's kiss! Same thoughts about the beginning. I remember reading it in school during breaks but couldn't really get past through the first few chapters. It was sort of slow and I wasn't able to appreciate Patroclus' voice yet. But I really liked the synopsis so I told my seatmate about it and let her borrow my copy. The next time i got back to her she was super excited. She finished the book before I did and cried right after. That made me want to continue and then, I got to experience a roller coaster ride.
i had the same experience as you, i read this because my book buddy forced me to, and when i read it, i was 30 pages in and i stopped and came back after a week because i didn't feel like i'm liking it, but as i trudged through it, at the last sentence i had to heave a deep sigh because of so many emotions! so happy you loved it too! in this household we believe in patrochilles supremacy
Ellias really said fuck Homer, Madeline Miller is the authority on the Trojan War 😂 Honestly I had JUST stopped crying after Patroclus and Achilles' deaths and then I got to the bit where Thetis wrote Patroclus' name on the grave and they met in the afterlife and I went right back to snot crying for an hour!!
I discovered this book after watching a character design for it on RUclips! I love Greek mythology so I jumped in even knowing the backstory and just fell in love with everything about this book. I truly hope even more people read it and fall in love
tsoa supremacy!!!🌟 I totally agree with you that patroclus is such a star in this book, I also loved him as the narrator and felt like he brought achilles’ character to life ✨
I first listened this then read it and then watched every review video on YT And then watched every fan art. This book I is just so beautiful. Now I wanna re-read it again.
I honestly believe madeline miller knows something about love the average human does not. this book fucking broke me when I first read it and im so happy its had a surge in popularity cause IT DESERVES!!!
This is one of my favorite books ever! It changed the way I saw The Iliad… tbh it’s the best fanfic ever written and it surpasses its source material. All the boob stores must feature it to make the world a happier place. (spot the typo iykyk 😈)
Agree with all your points!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I am a Classics major and I loathed the Iliad (compared to the Odyssey)… but oh my!!! This challenged me and changed me!! So thankful that I read this book. That I own this book. It’s gonna be one for the re-reading on a regular basis.
It also took me a month to finish this but that's because I didn't want it to end! It was only until they were at the actual war that I sped up my reading because I knew there would only be tragedy left lmao
I finished reading it yesterday and i've been lurking here and on pinterest to share everyone's pain. But this video summed it up so well. I literally found myself nodding and sobbing at every point he made from start to end because even i put off reading the book for the same reason and the audiobook pulled me back in and i'm just. This book is gonna give me such a nasty hangover omfg.
Okay so I’ve seen SO many people talk about this book and was never really convinced. BUT... now... hearing you talk about this book.. I need to read it now. I’m finally convinced 😂
The Song of Achilles has my whole entire soul!! This was one of my top reads of last year, as well as one of my all time favorites! I wish I was able to reread it for Late Night, but I hope to do so very soon to have my heart torn into a million pieces all over again🥺💙
i finished reading this book a week ago and i needed a couple of hours to recover right after closing the book. it was an instant 5-star rating for me too, and easily became a part of my list of fav books. patroclus is probably one of my favorite characters of all time! he went through a personal and emotional growth from the lonely, reserved boy to the generous, selfless man he became towards the end (and it was all bc of his love for achilles). if it weren't for patroclus' pov, i probably would not have fallen in love with achilles (the way patroclus describes him just made my heart wanna burst omfg).
This is the book that got me back into reading fiction. I'm so glad I read it, it kept pulling me in to read more and I tried so hard to take my time and not binge read the whole thing. Still read it in less than a week. It was so beautiful. I need more beautifully written tragic stories that break my heart and make me yearn for that type of love.
I just finished rereading this book today and IM WRECKED! your video is perfectly on time...all your thoughts basically summed up what I felt so thank you! ...I am going through the five stages of grief :( ATLEAST PATROCLUS AND ACHILLES CAN LIVE HAPPILY AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE! *play mystery of love by sufjan stevens to cry along*
I just finished the book but I’ve read that last part over and over again trying to get a little more out of it but it gave me nothing and now I feel empty but in a good way(maybe) now I’m in a hole of watching book reviews and wishing this feeling will never end
2 min has gone by already and I'm smiling like an idiot by the uncountable mentions of The song of Achillies!!!! and MADELINE MILLER IS MY FAVOURITE AUTHOR OF ALL TIME! also, take a shot every time Ellias says "Fucking deserve it"
I finished it the last week, and I'm still broken 💔 It's just so precious, their story, the pain and love that they transmit through the whole book it's just so perfect 😭😭
you know how when patroclus leaves the palace to find achilles and when he finds him, achilles says, 'i was hoping you'd come,' or smth like that??? if madeline would've paralleled that in the ending with him saying that, i would've BAWLED MY EYES OUT!! truly.
This book tore me to shreads. I finished it this morning and cried till my eyes dried out. I finished an entire roll of tissue no joke. This book deserves every bit of praise it gets. It is a masterpiece and I will duel anyone who thinks otherwise. The agonizing pain that you feel while reading the end I SWEAR. Outstanding. Phenomenal. What more can I say??!?!
I just want to say THANK YOU. I just read this book after your video but this is my all time favourite. While I do follow you channel and like all your videos but this one was so special. I cannot resist reading this one after seeing your video and I can't describe the experience. I don't think I (or anyone else) deserve to even rate this masterpiece. Some things are just meant to be cherished.
I just finish this book 3 days ago. And it really hit me so bad. I love the romance between Achilles and Patroclus so much. Its not spicy at all, but they so sweet. I wanna cry again. OMG!! 💞 5⭐ from me.
I also think that listening to the audio version of this book is crucial to the experience. When I read this for the first time, I read it in my language and even though it was translated beautifully and i was not disappointed, not for a second, I wanted the authentic experience aswell. I'm currently listening to the audiobook on youtube and oh dear god, the narrative, the famous quotes, all of it hits way different.
THERE IS A FANFIC WRITER WHO WROTE FROM ACHILLES PERSPECTIVE!!! It is called The Lament of Patroclus!! It is so good, it does an amazing job staying on track with madeline miller. I DEF ADVISE! it helped me heal. 20chapters !
I'm overly familiar with the illiad yet she still had me reading this as if it were truly her own story, i knew what was going to happen as most of us were but we still SOBBED
I wasn't vibing with the first third of the book. For me, things took off when Achilles and Patroclus officially joined the Trojan War. Achilles making that first kill with the spear. Ooofffffee! Things getting complex, relationships and characters getting more layered....oooofffffee x2 Every time Achilles said, "Why should I kill Hector? He's done nothing to me." Fucking damn! :""""""") Also I couldn't resist so here it goes: "Achilles Achilles Achilles come down, won't you Get up off Get up off the roof?" :"""""""""")
I was in the same boat, I had heard so many good things but as a greek mythology nerd myself who already knew the story of Achilles and Patroclus I was afraid I wasn't going to make it through with my heart still intact. I was right, but the journey and the quality of the writing was so amazing that I regularly reread it when I feel masochistic
I listened to Circe on audiobook and almost dnf-ed it... so glad I stuck to it one of my fav's now. Maybe it's a Miller thang :). Ok... I will go read it then... see you soon.
Reading this book also took me about a month! Partially because I picked it up right before my college entrance exams, but honestly more because every time there was a happy moment I wanted to savor it for however long I could. I’m very familiar with the Iliad and Greek mythology overall since we studied so much of it in class, so I KNEW where this story was going. I really didn’t want anything bad to happen to the characters, so I stopped many times as if I could prevent that from happening lol I agree with you that this book deserves everything and so do Achilles and Patroclus
I waited 3 MONTHS to watch this coz tsoa has been out of stock in our nearby bookstores 😭 & now I’m watching this whilst still grieving omg pls I don’t think I can move on, thank you for giving me the push to read this (I’ve been eyeing it for years!) 🖤
I read this book one month ago and I CRIED SO FUCKING MUCH. I stayed awake crying for 3 hours in the early morning. I felt the story and the characters deep down in my heart. The prose is beautiful, the characters are complex and lovely and the story is devastating. I don’t know what I was expecting of a Greek tragedy? A happy ending??? I AM HERE TO SUFFER
So I saw this book on booktube all the time, but I wasn't interested because I don't really care about greek mythology.. but after 8 minutes of this video, I went and read it. Now I came back here. I just finished it. I am not okay.
the song of achilles ripped out my heart, stomped on it, spat in my face, poured salt all over the open wounds, then kicked my body across the universe and I still thanked it and asked it to do it again.
Ooookaaayyyyy.....that's just gruesome.
That's so specific. 😂
That's a toxic relationship 🤣🤣
Exaggeration...lol
@Sofía Jiménez ? as someone who also loves some fanfics no you didn’t! stop lying lmao
Pyrrhus really was what Achilles would have become if he hadn’t met Patroclus and been taken into the deep sea by his mother (also, Thetis’ backstory was sad and I wish we got to see more of)
I wonder that because from the first glances at Patroclus I could sense Achilles's gay heart stirring, and he spent so long on land. I like to think he would not have been such a Pyrrhus/Jeffrey monster if he went to the sea with Thetis.
I agree 100% - I mean I knew what Pyrrhus had done during the Trojan War - but the way Madeline Miller positioned him against the life & actions of Achilles. Showing the impact of their lives, love & family. Just one of the many reasons I love this book!!
Facts, but that doesn't change my mind on wanting to slap him
@@dumpster_fire1755 same
She deserves a prequel
personally i will need madeline miller to write a novelization of every greek myth in existence
She should write one for Orpheus and Eurydice, I have listened to hadestown enough times and I desperately need something new (and good)
@@HRain-kv1iu PLEASE i would piss myself
YES
My friend mentioned that Ms Miller wants to write about Apollo and Hyacinthus. Sadly i think there is very few material to start with. Maybe the gods will look down upon her benevolently and give her the source/sources she needs. Then all will be happy. 😅
Well she did Circe and now she's doing Persephone as well so she very well might! I'd love for a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice
When Briseis said that Patroclus was “the best of the Greeks” I knew…💔
Exactly 😭 i was like oh crap didn't the prophecy say that the best of the myrmidons was gonna die.
!!!!
I knew when Achilles said Hector has done nothing to offend him but Hector can't say the same. 💔
Also I still don't understand how Madeline could do it, how her writing could be so captivating, so atmospheric, like at times I felt like I'm peeking at patrochilles on top of Pelion, feeling the breeze ,tasting the figs and hearing the music, and witnessing their summery smiles for each other, their stolen kisses and touches, it's magnificent how it takes you to this world with much simplicity and no pretentiousness... It's even more impressing how a single expression can tell a lot of their intimacy, their conversations... This and this and this...
Oh god
truly a masterful craft!!
bro i finished it a few days ago and this made me tear up LMAOO i already want to re read it
@@bellamarie8764 my daughter bought this for me, together with Circe, I loved it, passed it on to a friend, regretted it immediately, and I have just ordered the hard back, 10yr anniversary edition, can’t wait to read it again, I’ll be sure to hold onto this one!
My soul would have beautifully been crushed if the book had ended with
“Patroclus” Pa-tro-clus
OH MY GOD!!!!
I kept telling myself throughout reading it that this line would be a perfect ending
I’ve literally been thinking about that
Also the ending is the most beautiful bittersweet hopeful sad ending ever, just the mere knowledge that they somehow reunited in the underworld, in the shades of Hades, no more obstacles keeping them away from each other, their love so great and poignant it inspires light in the darkness of the underworld.... So fucking beautiful, it makes up for all the pain and heartbreak and it's amazing how a single paragraph can be this healing and comforting, I'm so grateful to our queen Madeline
I loved the ending sentences that Madeline wrote so much, but I really wanted one last sentence afterwards. I feel like a good final line could have been Achilles saying only "Pa-tro-clus" (typed out in italics as Madeline did throughout the book) just to exemplify Achilles finding and recognizing Patroclus in the after world.
Agreed! 🙁 because I thought about how I barely hear people say Patroclus in the book as it progresses- and their interactions dwindled to arguments 😔
AHHHHH
Yes, the ending for me was unsatisfying. I would have loved, loved, loved, for one more line of their reunion.
I kept hoping for a different ending, that they would live happily ever after!
Knowing the end for this book and going in the bravest thing we bookworms can do
This should be carved in stone or something
Even braver: rereading it ahah
TRULYYY
@@ellias read it last year. Had a book hangover for a whole month.
Find someone who holds you the way Ellias is holding TSOA in the thumbnail
ME finding someone to hold me the way i held TSOA!!!!!
ellias saying "AS IT FUCKING DESERVES" multiple times is such a mood!!!
AS IT FUCKING DESERVES!!!
i actually had to WRITE my feelings in my journal after reading this book. my emotions were WRECKED!! i am a sucker for greek mythology and achilles and patroclus? their relationship was so special to me and i was floored after reading it. i literally used to stay up late at night listening to 'Achilles Come Down' by Gang of Youths because THE FEELS™, man!!!!!
THIS AND THIS AND THIS!!! Achilles Come Down is the moment
seems like im in the majority when it comes to how we all feel with this book lol
Truly beautiful book. A female writer who could so movingly depict male-on-male love deserves to be called a genius.
Can we give more than 5 stars??? The Song of Achilles was a masterpiece! I read the Iliad when I was an undergrad so I also knew what was coming, and I wondered how she would handle Patroclus’s death. Pure art. The way you’re excited about this book reminds me of my own reaction. Only, I didn’t even know this was a romance when I first started reading it, so that was an extra surprise.
ALL THE STARS
This is one of the greatest books I've ever read. I stayed up so late so I could finish it and sobbed for like an hour at 3am. Beautifully written, for sure.
I too was crying after reading this masterpiece!!!🥺🥺🥺🥺♥️
HAHA SAME
“There you are, I’ve waited for you.” Omggg the perfect ending for me. Just reflected back when Achilles waited for him with Chiron. ❤️❤️❤️
It’s been almost five years since I first read TSOA and I’m still not okay, it’s just becomes something that grows with you (and every reread has new pieces of information that you may have missed the last time)
the extra “oomph” as u mentioned (like life during the afterlife) would have been satisfying but i feel it would cheapen the ending- we’re left with this hanging feeling to allow us to extrapolate and sit with the the ending of the book for awhile, that’s the beauty of it i feel!! also i think it emphasises how in the afterlife they are simply souls/pure energies, completely forgoing their mortal identity so dialogue that resembles that when they were on earth would then not feel like they have reached a perfect place together (forever!!!)
Lmaooo 10:45 (spoilery part!) is such a mood I literally thought it was gonna end badly and thank FUCK and heavens for what actually happened
Also I really loved the talk between Patroclus and Thetis I never expected them to be even civil with each other and yet that conversation… it was truly something
This book utterly crushed me and made me feel more emotional than any other fictional work I have read. Last night, I sobbed my way through the last five chapters, running out of tears and inevitably finding more to shed. Madeline Miller's writing was phenomenally vibrant. As someone who was already familiar with Greek mythology, finishing each and every glorious chapter brought me greater feelings of dread for what I knew was coming. I think one of the reasons I found the book so powerful is that the dynamic of my own relationship is similar to that of Achilles and Patroclus in certain aspects, which led the twists and turns of the story to feel especially relatable.
A masterpiece. Soulmates has never fit a couple better. Patroclus, our soft selfless boy deserved so much more. And Achilles' whole I don't really care about anybody but you energy gave me life. Another woman screwed over was King Scyros' daughter, though she was pretty aggravating tbh. Also, their love is reminiscent of the couple in Young Royals on Netflix which also a masterpiece and you should check out. Great video, Elias :)
i watched young royals bcos they reminded me of patroclus and achilles 🥺🥺 thought i was the only one who sees them as my favorite boys AAAAHHHHH they will fit the characters of young achilles and patroclus so much if they ever made a series for TSOA 😭😭😭
@@wasteitonmin5848 yeah duuude if edvin and omar ever played patroclus and achilles in a TSOA movie my life will be complete. I willl be able to die happy. The love of both these pairs of boys is the purest and most beautiful I have seen in a long long time. YR was an instant obsession just like TSOA! Glad I'm not alone.
@@ornacharles6362 AaaHhhhh that's so true! I'll be so happy if they ever made a series 😭😭😭 I just finished Young Royals and I need MORE!!!!!
@@wasteitonmin5848 same, it better get a season 2 or I will riot. I will burn down Netflix HQ. For legal reasons, that's joke.
@@ornacharles6362 hahahhhahah 6 episodes are not enough for me 😭😭😭
The audiobook is so great, the performance of the narrator was fantastic, he had such emotion in his voice. I really felt like Patroclus himself was telling me his story
Where can I listen to it?
@@Progress234 if you have an app like Libby that connects to your local library, you can listen for free if you have a library card. You may have to wait if someone has it checked out though. I think there are a few different library apps out there, so it’s worth taking a look :) if these kinds of apps aren’t available there’s always audible
This shade of green compliments you very well
as someone who knew about the story of the trojan war prior to reading TSOA, it was torture! i wished to reach into the book and beg them two to turn back and not go to war
I just finished it and MY EYES ARE REDDDDDD. I started crying from 30th chapter till the end. I just couldn't stop.
I finished this book 30 mins ago and I feel dead inside but also so happy they got to be together at the end even though the story is tragic and heartbreaking
Any time I hear someone gushing THIS much about a book, I have to read it. And I read The House in the Cerulean Sea because of you and it’s now one of my all-time favorites, so I’m gonna trust you on this one.
It's so unfortunate about the author of House in the Cerulean Sea because the book was so wholesome.
@@hannahharrison111 What’s up with the author?
Look up "tj Klune controversy indigenous schools" on Reddit. It's not pretty
@@hannahharrison111 it really is :/ I loved that book sm
i had the same apprehensions about reading this book. i'm so glad i caved in and read it. i just finished my 4th reread and i was still utterly crushed by the end 🤠 the "i didn't make him a god" 'but you made him' quote literally makes me sob everytime lol
I read The Song of Achilles in March and it actually changed my life. I have literally not stopped thinking about it since I finished it. Every time I think of patroclus and achilles my heart explodes I just hope they are so happy in the underworld together. They are my only thoughts now. Literally one of my all time favorite books. 5,000/5 stars
finished this an hour ago and I'm going through the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
I knew the ending and every turn of the story too and every time Achilles said "What Hector has ever done to me?" I WAS SCREAMING BECAUSE THE PAIN WAS TOO MUCH. That ending killed me.
The beauty of The Song of Achilles lies in its simplicity and timeless tragedy. The way Patroclus and Achilles love each other is maddening, all consuming and yet so very human. It literally cannot grow old.
Also, upon this glorious day, the masterpiece that is this book, turned 10. Here's to celebrating a decade of this piece of art by drowning in our tears.
TSOA and Ellias? this is going to be iconic
i will be re-reading TSOA after two months. I just need to marinate my feelings first so i can re-experience the authentic pain hahahaha
I read this a couple of weeks ago and I had the same feeling. I wasn’t expecting it but it really hit me. It’s so well written. The prose is gooorgeous 😭
The thumbnail is chef's kiss! Same thoughts about the beginning. I remember reading it in school during breaks but couldn't really get past through the first few chapters. It was sort of slow and I wasn't able to appreciate Patroclus' voice yet. But I really liked the synopsis so I told my seatmate about it and let her borrow my copy. The next time i got back to her she was super excited. She finished the book before I did and cried right after. That made me want to continue and then, I got to experience a roller coaster ride.
i had the same experience as you, i read this because my book buddy forced me to, and when i read it, i was 30 pages in and i stopped and came back after a week because i didn't feel like i'm liking it, but as i trudged through it, at the last sentence i had to heave a deep sigh because of so many emotions! so happy you loved it too! in this household we believe in patrochilles supremacy
this is it!! the only video on youtube to give me serotonin to the levels of mount everest!!! i just LOVED ITTTT!!!!!!
Ellias really said fuck Homer, Madeline Miller is the authority on the Trojan War 😂
Honestly I had JUST stopped crying after Patroclus and Achilles' deaths and then I got to the bit where Thetis wrote Patroclus' name on the grave and they met in the afterlife and I went right back to snot crying for an hour!!
IF ONLY THERES A PARAGRAPH ABOUT THEM IN THE AFTERLIFE SO ITLL BE A FULL CIRCLE??? YEEEESSS but nonetheless this was 20/20 i agree with all you said!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My daughter's named Briseis 🥰
Patroclus leading the story was IT!! I couldn't have read about Achilles alone.
I discovered this book after watching a character design for it on RUclips! I love Greek mythology so I jumped in even knowing the backstory and just fell in love with everything about this book.
I truly hope even more people read it and fall in love
YESSS, I literally just finished this books 2 days ago and it became one of my new all time favs as well!!
tsoa supremacy!!!🌟 I totally agree with you that patroclus is such a star in this book, I also loved him as the narrator and felt like he brought achilles’ character to life ✨
I first listened this then read it and then watched every review video on YT And then watched every fan art. This book I is just so beautiful. Now I wanna re-read it again.
I honestly believe madeline miller knows something about love the average human does not. this book fucking broke me when I first read it and im so happy its had a surge in popularity cause IT DESERVES!!!
This is one of my favorite books ever! It changed the way I saw The Iliad… tbh it’s the best fanfic ever written and it surpasses its source material. All the boob stores must feature it to make the world a happier place.
(spot the typo iykyk 😈)
hahahahah the typo from his story😂😂
@@ivygram716 oh yes. 😭😂
ahaaha
I like how you’re matching with the book.
Agree with all your points!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am a Classics major and I loathed the Iliad (compared to the Odyssey)… but oh my!!! This challenged me and changed me!! So thankful that I read this book. That I own this book.
It’s gonna be one for the re-reading on a regular basis.
It also took me a month to finish this but that's because I didn't want it to end! It was only until they were at the actual war that I sped up my reading because I knew there would only be tragedy left lmao
I finished reading it yesterday and i've been lurking here and on pinterest to share everyone's pain. But this video summed it up so well. I literally found myself nodding and sobbing at every point he made from start to end because even i put off reading the book for the same reason and the audiobook pulled me back in and i'm just. This book is gonna give me such a nasty hangover omfg.
Okay so I’ve seen SO many people talk about this book and was never really convinced. BUT... now... hearing you talk about this book.. I need to read it now. I’m finally convinced 😂
The Song of Achilles has my whole entire soul!! This was one of my top reads of last year, as well as one of my all time favorites! I wish I was able to reread it for Late Night, but I hope to do so very soon to have my heart torn into a million pieces all over again🥺💙
i finished reading this book a week ago and i needed a couple of hours to recover right after closing the book. it was an instant 5-star rating for me too, and easily became a part of my list of fav books. patroclus is probably one of my favorite characters of all time! he went through a personal and emotional growth from the lonely, reserved boy to the generous, selfless man he became towards the end (and it was all bc of his love for achilles). if it weren't for patroclus' pov, i probably would not have fallen in love with achilles (the way patroclus describes him just made my heart wanna burst omfg).
It’s so good! The voice actor for the audiobook is incredible. One of my favorite I’ve ever heard.
This is the book that got me back into reading fiction. I'm so glad I read it, it kept pulling me in to read more and I tried so hard to take my time and not binge read the whole thing. Still read it in less than a week. It was so beautiful. I need more beautifully written tragic stories that break my heart and make me yearn for that type of love.
I just finished rereading this book today and IM WRECKED! your video is perfectly on time...all your thoughts basically summed up what I felt so thank you! ...I am going through the five stages of grief :(
ATLEAST PATROCLUS AND ACHILLES CAN LIVE HAPPILY AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE!
*play mystery of love by sufjan stevens to cry along*
Next up, Circes (by the same author) also an amazing book!!
I just finished the book but I’ve read that last part over and over again trying to get a little more out of it but it gave me nothing and now I feel empty but in a good way(maybe) now I’m in a hole of watching book reviews and wishing this feeling will never end
Oh gods, I can already say that this video is going to be wholesome
I saw you screaming in your ig stories and i screamed right along with you once i saw what book you were holding
2 min has gone by already and I'm smiling like an idiot by the uncountable mentions of The song of Achillies!!!!
and MADELINE MILLER IS MY FAVOURITE AUTHOR OF ALL TIME!
also, take a shot every time Ellias says "Fucking deserve it"
It took me like a month to get over TSOA. I even watched a play on it on YT 💀
It hurts so much but it's so worth it to read again and again. The characters seem so human, they all have flaws, regrets.
THE WAY U STRUGGLED IN THE LAST FEW SECONDS OH MY GOD 😂😂 thanks for including that in it just made my night
I finished it the last week, and I'm still broken 💔 It's just so precious, their story, the pain and love that they transmit through the whole book it's just so perfect 😭😭
I read this for the book club too and its now my favourite book of all time. Those last 50 pages are the best writing I’ve ever experienced.
you know how when patroclus leaves the palace to find achilles and when he finds him, achilles says, 'i was hoping you'd come,' or smth like that??? if madeline would've paralleled that in the ending with him saying that, i would've BAWLED MY EYES OUT!! truly.
also, the beginning of the book starts with my and last word in the book is sun. idk if it was intentional, but nonetheless, madeline is a genius.
This book tore me to shreads. I finished it this morning and cried till my eyes dried out. I finished an entire roll of tissue no joke. This book deserves every bit of praise it gets. It is a masterpiece and I will duel anyone who thinks otherwise. The agonizing pain that you feel while reading the end I SWEAR. Outstanding. Phenomenal. What more can I say??!?!
The video I've been waiting for😩💓
I am not an enemy of Ellias, because I adore so much Song of Achilles that I too can't express my emotions 🥺😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I just want to say THANK YOU. I just read this book after your video but this is my all time favourite. While I do follow you channel and like all your videos but this one was so special. I cannot resist reading this one after seeing your video and I can't describe the experience. I don't think I (or anyone else) deserve to even rate this masterpiece. Some things are just meant to be cherished.
EXACTLY!!! im SO glad!! love this so much for you
I just finish this book 3 days ago. And it really hit me so bad. I love the romance between Achilles and Patroclus so much. Its not spicy at all, but they so sweet. I wanna cry again. OMG!! 💞 5⭐ from me.
I love the bloopers at the end.
Just finished this and Circe, easy 5 stars for me!
One of my all time favourite books . Can't love it enough....💖💖
I also think that listening to the audio version of this book is crucial to the experience. When I read this for the first time, I read it in my language and even though it was translated beautifully and i was not disappointed, not for a second, I wanted the authentic experience aswell. I'm currently listening to the audiobook on youtube and oh dear god, the narrative, the famous quotes, all of it hits way different.
THERE IS A FANFIC WRITER WHO WROTE FROM ACHILLES PERSPECTIVE!!! It is called The Lament of Patroclus!! It is so good, it does an amazing job staying on track with madeline miller. I DEF ADVISE! it helped me heal. 20chapters !
This book destroyed me. I've never cried over a book more, sad tears, happy tears, overwhelmed tears, this book really had it all.
I absolutely loved this book! I literally hurt so much when. I was reading the end. I was literally destroyed
I'm overly familiar with the illiad yet she still had me reading this as if it were truly her own story, i knew what was going to happen as most of us were but we still SOBBED
Your bloopers make me feel so much better about stumbling over my words in my own videos. And they crack me up!
I keep rereading the book again when I feel numb as a reminder that I can actually break down crying over a historical book
Yes was waiting for this💕💕💕💕
Hello :D
I wasn't vibing with the first third of the book. For me, things took off when Achilles and Patroclus officially joined the Trojan War. Achilles making that first kill with the spear. Ooofffffee! Things getting complex, relationships and characters getting more layered....oooofffffee x2
Every time Achilles said, "Why should I kill Hector? He's done nothing to me."
Fucking damn! :""""""")
Also I couldn't resist so here it goes:
"Achilles
Achilles
Achilles come down, won't you
Get up off
Get up off the roof?"
:"""""""""")
I was in the same boat, I had heard so many good things but as a greek mythology nerd myself who already knew the story of Achilles and Patroclus I was afraid I wasn't going to make it through with my heart still intact.
I was right, but the journey and the quality of the writing was so amazing that I regularly reread it when I feel masochistic
this video is a whole mood 😭 i finished tsoa 6 months ago and i still cry everytime i think abt them :(
I listened to Circe on audiobook and almost dnf-ed it... so glad I stuck to it one of my fav's now. Maybe it's a Miller thang :). Ok... I will go read it then... see you soon.
I would have loved for the final line to be from Patroclus to Achilles, saying, “I promised.” AAAAAH
Reading this book also took me about a month! Partially because I picked it up right before my college entrance exams, but honestly more because every time there was a happy moment I wanted to savor it for however long I could. I’m very familiar with the Iliad and Greek mythology overall since we studied so much of it in class, so I KNEW where this story was going. I really didn’t want anything bad to happen to the characters, so I stopped many times as if I could prevent that from happening lol
I agree with you that this book deserves everything and so do Achilles and Patroclus
I read this book recently and it broke my heart into tiny pieces 😭❤️ It is so beautifully written 🥺
Finally, you got to read it! I was curious if you read this book before but now I know your thoughts and I feel like I can share the joy in it!
I waited 3 MONTHS to watch this coz tsoa has been out of stock in our nearby bookstores 😭 & now I’m watching this whilst still grieving omg pls I don’t think I can move on, thank you for giving me the push to read this (I’ve been eyeing it for years!) 🖤
yay!! glad you came back and LOVED THE BOOK!!!
I read this book one month ago and I CRIED SO FUCKING MUCH. I stayed awake crying for 3 hours in the early morning. I felt the story and the characters deep down in my heart. The prose is beautiful, the characters are complex and lovely and the story is devastating. I don’t know what I was expecting of a Greek tragedy? A happy ending??? I AM HERE TO SUFFER
So I saw this book on booktube all the time, but I wasn't interested because I don't really care about greek mythology.. but after 8 minutes of this video, I went and read it.
Now I came back here.
I just finished it. I am not okay.
finished the book last week and I was completely devastated 😭 truly my best read of 2021 if not of all time!! Love your take on the book tho 🤍
I can’t lie the first 20 pages I had expectations too, but because I was stuck on a train and finished my other book I “had to” read it AND OH MY GOD
I am so glad that you love it TT 💜 💕
It's also one of my favourite books ever
UGH i NEED to pick up this book right now omg 🥺
Loved the audiobook❤❤❤