ONTD Book Club discussion

Discuss The Song of Achilles!

As you might have known, this is a retelling of Achilles and The Trojan War from Patroclus's point of view, with a definitely gay slant on the issue of P and A's relationship.

Anyway, I love it. I love the author's writing style, I find it very sensual and textural. Sometimes there are times when it's a bit lulz but like it's everything I want in a hot mess, you know? I dunno I'm very entertained and I'd made many noises of distress and excitement whilst reading.

I'm about 3/4 done right now and I'm so worried. I haven't read The Iliad, although I know the basic outline of what's coming up because I know the Trojan War story, but I'm like totally afraid of what kind of shenanigans will end the book.

Peter has already told me it left him a wreck so I'm worried.

If you need a copy but I highly recommend purchasing a carbon copy as the metallic cover is lovely.

stahp embarrassing me gosh! lol jk
I'll add something to this discussion later

Although I don't appear around these parts often (and to think I created the ONTD book club), I LOVED this book. LOVED. It's a true epic and I hope you guys feel the same way.

(It's okay hon the torch has been passed and I enjoy keeping it going lol)

Excited for this (even though it's another goddamn first person)!

My library has it in ebook form, so you should check yours if you have one.

Yay! I actually really wanted to read this even though I didn't nominate it; I had added it to my to-read list sometime last year.

I don't find the pov annoying

In fact I find it fitting I guess because you really understand how much he loves him and worships him. I dunno. I like it.

Especially seeing as this Trojan War story, The Iliad, has already been told in a more omniscient view, this is kind of the opposite for a more intimate personal account

Thank you for the copy, Wigs! The one I had acquired was corrupted and basically unreadable.

Np!

Okay and btw I don't consider this a spoiler but the Achilles heel legend is not part of this book. The author is using The Iliad as her source material and the heel myth was not something that Homer wrote about, that was a later legend.

like most people here I'm not a fan of 1st person, but it really works for the story and the characters. Patroclus is a precious bb and I LURVE HIM SEW MUCH.

adding to what Wigs said about the heel thing. If you're hoping to read about Trojan Horse shenanigans this is not the book for you lol.

I'm looking forward to reading this. I love reading the myths and older stories from different POVs. I was/am obsessed with the The Penelopiad and the other books in that series.

YAY! I'm so happy this was picked. The book is still fresh enough in my head that I can actually participate...when I remember to of course.

Wigs finished the book. I am ready.

I can't stop crying right now lol I need a moment before I can like talk about stuff

I have so much to read this month, but I have found a copy of it on overdrive from my library. Hrmmmmm....

I read this last year after seeing so many glowing reviews but I'm gonna be honest, I didn't like the book. Patroclus was like Bella Swann for 3/4th of the book and I felt like making him the narrator was problematic since he(view spoiler)[...dies. And the ghost thing really just does not work for me. (hide spoiler)]

As a person who used to look up Achilles/Patroclus fanfiction when she was 15 years old, I really did want to like it! But I'm afraid I'm going to have to stick with Mary Renault.

Megan you may want to think about revising your commment. I know some people know the Troy story really well but I didn't know the ending when I read it so please put a spoiler cut.

Wigs wrote: "Megan you may want to think about revising your commment. I know some people know the Troy story really well but I didn't know the ending when I read it so please put a spoiler cut."

Ooh I'm sorry! I edited it :)

Haha it's okay. For me I didn't find him to be an empty character. He worships Achilles but Achilles is half god and it's understandable to like live in awe and adoration of him, but he also still knows how to be critical of him.

And as for your second complaint under the spoiler, that was one of the more emotional issues for me, I loved that device. To me that was what made the ending as powerful as it was (for me).

To each their own though!

Now that I've recovered from yesterday, and this is like the third time I'm saying this in front of Peter, lol, but this is the first time a book has ever made me cry and I'm so happy about that, I'm so happy I can finally say that I was emotionally moved enough to do so, and I was. I was sobbing through like the whole last two chapters like crazy but it was such a good hurt.

Also lol afterward last night I watched Troy the Brat Pitt movie in comparison. What an absolute mess. Lol I saw it before, but I didn't remember any of it. Mess is the only way to describe it, save Orlando Bloom looks super cute in his costumes wielding a bow again. In fact I went ahead and cast him as the face of Paris for reading the book too, cuz I remembered that at least.

My Achilles was this fly fresh fierce motherfucker

OMG Aaron Tveit stole Les Mis, he was one of the best parts, IMO. Is Eric Bana your Hector, Wigs?

haha yes! But I gave him a more magnificent costume because when I watched the one last night I was like oh his duds are pretty pathetic to like the intense heroic armor I imagined

Also I think I'm going to go to Les Mis a second time in a few minutes here, lol

As much as I love Orlando Bloom I might use Ben Barnes as my Paris instead. But Brad is definitely not my Achilles.

Lol Brad is, although attractive, way too all-american. Also they tried to push aside any gay storyline in that movie by saying Patroclus is his "cousin."

Oh Ben Barnes is adorable. He would also make an excellent Patroclus.

This was my Pat tho

You have flawless choices in men...who is this guy?

lol hilariously I haven't even seen anything with him in it, he's from The Lying Game show playing Thayer and his name is Christian Alexander. But I haven't seen that show, my friend spams me his pic all the time so I just kind of borrowed the likeness for reading. And it was a great choice.

Wigs your choices suck :p

Achilles:


Patroclus:


mine>>>

bye you only care about male models

Wigs wrote: "bye you only care about male models"

that's because they're pretty, duh

my choices are accurate tho

i'm in to real people

i mean i agree that they look like classical beauty or whevs but nhft

Wigs wrote: "i'm in to real people

yeah, real ugly :p

lol you're trying so hard

not even, hon

no bitch, it's Thetis

Thetis for me I kind of remembered how much I loved bad bitch Michelle Pfeiffer as Eris from Sinbad, the only reason to watch that movie because it was a pretty terrible movie. but she was also a bitchy goddess who kept appearing out of the sea

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slash that already pretty much existed in the Iliad, etc.

it's practically canon lbr

it's practically canon lbr

I second Aaron Tveit for Achilles, but it only works for me if he keeps the Les Mis hair.

Ugh,this post got contaminated with Beyonce, let me go look for a can of Raid.

Orlando Bloom, Eric Bana, and Sean Bean stayed the same when I read it. Gerard Butler kept popping in my head for Meneleaus. For Thetis I just kept thinking Vanessa Williams, which is weird because she doesn't match the description at all.

of COURSE he keeps the Les Mis hair, that was a given

lol omg Vanessa Williams that's kind of awesome actually.

I forgot Sean Bean was in the movie til I saw it afterwards and I was totally mad I didn't know that otherwise I would have used him too haha

Wigs wrote: "lol omg Vanessa Williams that's kind of awesome actually.

I forgot Sean Bean was in the movie til I saw it afterwards and I was totally mad I didn't know that otherwise I would have used him too haha"

It's because he didn't die. lol

I think because Vanessa played Calypso in that '90s TV movie version of "The Odyssey" she just pops in my head every time I read about a Greek goddess.

Oh don't worry in the end they get married and adopt several children and live among the mountains on little hilltop where they raise goats and sheep together and many a lyre song is sung and Patroclus is the local doctor to the nearby village and Achilles fades into obscurity but he's happy just to be by his lover's side.

I mean....wait no.


;_____;