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What Members Thought
More like 3 1/2 stars. First person narrative in Patroclus voice. It has the good things and the flaws of a first novel. The author is passionate about the subject but tells more than she shows. The best part is the period with Chiron. The whole Troy affair is too long and doesn't have the strenght of a strong voice narrating the behind the scenes drama. The reader knows the tale and kinda expects something different. I expected something different. The relationship between Patroclus and Achille
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Achilles and Patroclus: you know it can't end well, but it can be told well and this does that. I especially liked the attention to reality in the casual brutality of the culture, while the myth remains, so that yes, Achilles *is* larger than life, the son of a goddess. I did love that Briseis played a large role in the one of the few happy parts of the story, and that Penelope, while never actually appearing, was clearly always on Odysseus's mind.
One of my favorites this year. ...more
One of my favorites this year. ...more
3.5 stars, rounding down to 3 bc she can take it. This book was . . . perfectly fine. It read more easily than I expected, but didn't wow me. I'm not a big Greek mythology person, and this book didn't turn me into one. The first half is pretty romantic, the second half is brutally boring. The women we meet are mostly mischaracterized to further the plot and make A & P seem better/more noble. But, overall it was okay.
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This was a bittersweet read since, of course, we all know the story of Achilles and how it ends. However, the relationship and love between Achilles and Patroclus, and later, the special relationship with Briseis, is refreshed by an author with a keen eye for bringing the classic characters of mythology alive.
Miller's Circe was one of the best books of the past year and I enjoyed this earlier effort. ...more
Miller's Circe was one of the best books of the past year and I enjoyed this earlier effort. ...more
So I really liked this book. I bawled at the end. That said, I thought the approach to the homosexual relationship was pretty immature, especially considering this was an accepted practice in Ancient Greece. I like the references to Greek literature and language, but they were pretty low-level. That said, the perspective and story were inspired.
Jul 11, 2012
Siobhan
marked it as to-read
Jul 29, 2017
Lauren loves llamas
marked it as to-read
Nov 24, 2017
Megan
marked it as to-read
May 08, 2018
Liz Dean
marked it as to-read
Aug 03, 2018
Garria
marked it as to-read
Jan 30, 2020
Dina
marked it as to-read
Jul 30, 2022
Anna
marked it as to-read
