This book is absolutely captivating, and Miller's writing draws you in and keeps you there until the final ending page. A beautiful story of war and love from cover to cover, this book had me grabbing at some tissues. A great tale for anyone who loves lgbt themes and greek mythology!

A brilliantly devised look at the life of Achilles through the eyes of Patroclus. Both characters are given great depth in this way; always there relationship was mentioned, but never expanded on, but by doing this Miller has made them more alive than ever before. Things like the motives of the characters are set well in advance, so there is never surprise over the reason for their actions. Some changes were made to the original tale to accommodate all this, like the fact that Patroclus learned from Chiron when he never did. The author also subtly foreshadows certain events, like how no one has taken something from Achilles, but he thinks he would be mad (the taking of Briseus is what leads to his downfall). Even better is how much is added to Patroclus himself, for he was only ever a secondary character. All of this makes this a must read for those wishing for more than the Iliad provided.

Why did I let myself read this? As if I didn't know how it would end--me, sniffling and vainly wiping away tears to read the last few pages. The half bottle of wine doesn't help. The 3,000 years that have passed and my knowledge of the tale since boyhood don't help either. But it had to be done. I had to witness, bleary-eyed, the tragic beauty of a part of the story finally given deserving light. You should do the same, but be warned: the gods are cruel, and will tug viciously at your mortal heartstrings. UPDATE: Okay, I've had a few weeks to emotionally recover from this book. I still love it, I think it's a story that needed to be told, but I can be a bit more objective now. It does read a bit too much like a love story for much of the book, but Miller was trying to show that it is often love and relationships that drive huge human events like war. I think she could have brought us to the action sooner. Don't get me wrong--I loved spending so much time with Achilles and Patroclus growing up together, but the general reader needs some more conflict, which doesn't happen until you're almost halfway through the book. I have to agree with some of the other reviewers about Patroclus--he comes off a bit flat, and I don't really have a good sense of him as an individual until the end of the book, but he and Achilles were kind of lost in each other. Maybe they could have showed their individuality earlier on, along with the added conflict the story could have used, but how many self-actualized 16 year-olds are there? Re-tellings of epic stories are difficult. They get so scrutinized for trying to be a bit more human, more accessible than their ancient sources. Marion Zimmerman Bradley's The Firebrand had the same problem. How do you highlight a love story and personal struggles against the backdrop of one of the greatest tales of war and tragedy? It seems to be either a war tale with a love story subplot or vice versa. Everyone will prefer one over the other, but I don't know if you can effectively have both. You kind of just have to recognize the beauty in either angle.

This debut novel by Miller is a breathtaking read that can be viewed as a coming-of-age novel, mythology, a love story, historical fiction, or a fantasy/sf, all in one. Tracing the route of Patroclus, an exiled Greek prince as he finds acceptance, friendship, and eventually love with fellow prince Achilles. Events follow the pair to the walls of Troy, where destiny plays out, with dramatic and emotionally devastating results. Miller gives us believable characters out of the myth: Achilles is usually presented as either a brat or as a killing machine - here, he's a fun and sympathetic character, trapped between love and duty and honor. If you like this novel, check out Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" or Jo Graham's "Black Ships."

I enjoyed the tale told from Patroclus' viewpoint. He helps to humanize Achilles, whom I've always thought was somewhat of a brute from reading only Homer.

With its limited vocabulary and focus on puppy-love, surely this is a book for adolescents, not adults.

This is a fabulous book! The style of writing is very visual, and very accessible. I thoroughly enjoyed the retelling of the Trojan War, including the deep relationship between Patroclus and Achilles, which makes Achilles' actions much more understandable.

This book reminded me, slightly but favourably, of the work of the late and incomparable Mary Renault. The ending was perhaps a tad weak, but it is a joy to read an intelligent novel about classical Greece again. I await the author's next book and hope that she returns to the ancient world.

I think this is one of the best re-tellings of the story of Achilles, and the Trojan War that I've ever read - and I've read MANY. Madeline Miller brings be life to a classic myth, by casting it as a love story, told by Patroclus.

A very readable retelling of the the Trojan War. I found this to be well written and engaging and I will be looking for more by this author in the future.