The Short Version
If you loved The Song of Achilles, you want beautiful writing, Greek myths told from a new angle, and a story that breaks your heart. Here are six books to read next, no spoilers.
Circe
Number one: Circe, by Madeline Miller, from twenty eighteen. The witch from the Odyssey tells her own story, from her lonely childhood among the gods to her island exile.
Same author, same lyrical voice, and a little more hope. If you only pick one, pick this.
The Silence Of The Girls
Number two: The Silence of the Girls, by Pat Barker, from twenty eighteen. The last year of the Trojan War, told by Briseis, a queen taken as a prize.
Achilles and Patroclus are here, seen from the outside. It’s harder and angrier, and it gives the women the voice The Song of Achilles doesn’t.
A Thousand Ships
Number three: A Thousand Ships, by Natalie Haynes, from twenty nineteen. The Trojan War told by its women: Penelope, Andromache, Hecuba, and many more.
If you wanted to know what happened to everyone else in Troy, this is the book.
Ariadne
Number four: Ariadne, by Jennifer Saint, from twenty twenty one. The princess who helped Theseus escape the labyrinth, and what happened after.
It has the same lyrical, tragic style, and it’s a perfect next step if you loved Miller’s tone.
The Iliad
Number five: The Iliad, translated by Emily Wilson, from twenty twenty three. It’s the original, in a clear, fast, modern translation.
You’ll recognize the quarrel, Patroclus in the armor, and Priam’s visit, and you’ll see exactly what Miller changed.
Fire From Heaven
Number six: Fire from Heaven, by Mary Renault, from nineteen sixty nine. It’s the story of the young Alexander the Great and his companion Hephaestion, who saw themselves as Achilles and Patroclus.
It’s the classic that came before Miller, and you can feel its influence.
How To Choose
So, how to choose. For more Miller, Circe. For Briseis’s side of the story, The Silence of the Girls. For all the women of Troy, A Thousand Ships.
For a new myth in the same style, Ariadne. For the original, the Iliad. And for the classic, Fire from Heaven.
Your Turn
Which one are you picking up first? Tell me in the comments. My review and ending explained are linked below.
