This is really good to know. A lot of people have offered other suggestions or ones closer to the original epic, so I'm looking forward to seeing these characters and how they actually are.

Nice to know Thetis wasn't so bad and it is unfortunate she was painted this way. Also, even in Miller's interpretation, with how much Patroclus helped, I would have expected him to get more. Nice to know he did get the credit he deserved.

Circe is the one everyone recommends, if you haven't read it yet! She's in the process of writing another, I've learned from this thread. Other than that, there are a lot of suggestions people have offered in the comments, so they're worth sifting through. My list got a lot longer after posting this! Safe travels and happy reading!

Would you like me to link you some posts that dislike the book? I think you’ll enjoy it there more than a post that enjoys the book. Whether it’s bah humbug-ers fleshed out critiques, I’m sure there’s a place you can enjoy being a miser.

Thanks for saying this. I appreciate it. I try to stay fairly nice, but this is what I really wanted to say 🥲

I’ve commented several times when other people critiqued and even agreed with them. I literally put in my post that this was useful to help me start reading again. It really just sounds like you want to complain and criticize someone else’s joys and feel holier than thou. There are lots of posts on this subreddit and in Reddit for that.

Same! I always wanted to go deeper into the two, but it feels intimidating, especially since it’s been a while since I’ve practiced any book analysis. But I think starting off with some modern ones ones, some easy reads, will eventually give me the courage, and understanding, I need to return to the originals! I do remember enjoying the odyssey, but as someone who hadn’t read for a long time, I knew it would be difficult to dive right in to the text. So, the book and all the suggestions in the comments will be nice buffers.

Ooo, I’m going to put all these books on the list. So many good suggestions after a short sighted post. Thank you for sharing!

Yeah, that’s a bit part of it. Like, there’s an opportunity to pick it a part and critique it, I’m sure I’ll do that some day, but heck, I’m just so glad to be reading SOMETHING again.

You’re welcome to find a post about how awful it is. I’m here to share sentiment with those who enjoyed it. There are plenty of hate posts, or you can make your own. No need to poop on someone else’s party just because you have a different opinion.

I wonder for how many people, the book works because they don’t know much about these characters otherwise. I imagine that Patroclus was more interesting, as anyone with a name in Iliad usually is, but other than a reading of the odyssey and some other I can’t remember, I’m not well versed in the Iliad. So I get a blank slate to start with, and can take these characters as kind of a fan fiction almost, honestly. I’ve referred as “a retelling” in some other comments, but I didn’t read it with that idea in my head. I assumed it would be far different from The Iliad, and I think the disconnect, and ignoring some other things (I also thought Patroclus was a flat—he gets more interesting in the end when he starts to become his own person and interact with people and gets out of Achilles shadow—and has a conflict with and major contrast to Achilles), is the reason I still enjoyed it. Sometimes I just want a good story and I’ll ignore everything else, to be honest, so I can understand the reasons to dislike it, I think.

I hesitated in it since I know it’s talked about a lot, but these recommendations were worth it and I’m glad I did 😭

I think your stance is more common than you might think? There have been a couple of comments that reflect this and I don’t disagree with it. For me, the lightweight relationship is both a pro and a con. It’s a con because, like, yes, I want to see this fleshed out. I want to emotional intimacy and struggle, not the boy crush and shallow views for a couple who literally grew up together. But I also like that it was very surfaced because I wanted a good story and a moderately happy ending. I wanted something lightweight and easy to read and digest, an escape, a book where there’s a bit of “magic.” I like the heavy hitters, I do, but at this point in time, I really just wanted a book that pulled on my heart strings in all the right ways without dragging me down too much. I’m not saying it couldn’t have been pulled with a deeper insight to the two, because your point is really valid, but I don’t know, I think I wanted it and so I didn’t mind putting away some qualms.

Lots of recommendations in this post! You'll have to sift through the comments, but it'll be worth it!

Same! I definitely had to schedule my reading time and then suddenly, I was losing track of time reading it.

I just picked it up today. I was going to read a book in between to give myself a breather and prepare for the difference in writing, but gosh, I'm thinking I might just go all in.

Thank you for the recommendation! Lots of good ones here on greek mythology and such--I'm very excited.

I honestly wanted to gush more! It was good to get it off my chest, lol.

A small one, yes.

I love this, I’m so glad I wasn’t the one ugly crying. I didn’t know Achilles’ story and had never heard of Patroclus, but as soon as I knew the prophecy, I knew what was going to happen (like many, I’m sure), but it still fucking hurt. And leading up to it and wondering how and why, and then finally! Just. Whew boy.

I’m learning that her writing divides folks—I wasn’t aware. Fun to see some other opinions and recommendations with them!

I get that. I mentioned in my post that I typically have to schedule time or make a goal to read daily, but I know once I get on the roll, it becomes easier. I’m unfortunately not very good at summarizing, so I’ll just post what was in goodreads:

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

I can agree with the under developed romance. I think that’s a reason I want more—I wish I’d seen more of them fleshed out.

It’s a slow start… it all kind of quickly happens, especially towards the end… even still, sometimes you just can’t get into it and that’s okay! Circe, I’ve heard, is very different if you still want to try Miller’s writing. I can’t vouch for that one yet!

I have a huge interest in anything psychology related—will definitely add Shay’s book to the list as well. Thank you!

Yeah! High school really kills a love for reading and makes you forget it can be pleasant (and should be most of the time, hopefully). Somehow my love for reading turned into “I have to read deep things and speculate over every detail.” There’s a time and place for that (like reading a book for the second time, lol), but gosh, by the end of high school, I understand why most people stop reading (or never start).

Like, now that I’m on a roll, eventually I do want to read more challenging, introspective stuff. But I don’t want to lose sight of this feeling, this happiness in a book.

Thank you for the recommendations! Heading to the library this week and will see if I can find them! Thanks so much!