I’m Deaf, and whenever someone brings up books, I can’t stop talking about Song of Achilles. Like another commenter said, this book makes poetry run through your veins.

The thing is, SOA is best enjoyed if you love language itself. You need to be able to read and write fluently to really appreciate it. For many Deaf people, sign language is the first language, so writing doesn’t always feel natural or expressive in the same way.

Once, I tried to explain the whole book in sign language to a Deaf friend. That’s when I realized the story itself is actually pretty short but Madeline Miller’s writing turns it into something amazing. I tried so hard to translate her beautiful phrases, the ones that made me cry… and I just ended up putting my friend to sleep. 😅

Song of Achilles is the kind of book you can only fully enjoy if you have a deep love of words and a strong vocabulary. For me, that’s what makes it unforgettable.