A poetic retelling of the story of Achilles. I *really* liked the first 4/5 of this beautifully written work, which opens with Achilles being called up out of the underworld by Odysseus. The language was beautiful, and it had some really interesting insights into the characters. I was, however, quite put off by the end section, which is about Keats. Yes. For one thing, I didn't know anything about Keats, and had no idea why that section was there; for another, I think it's simply distracting. But other than that, I really liked this work. However. It's unsuitable -- again! -- for the Kinder, since it has graphic sex scenes and use of primary obscenities. (I wish I knew for certian what school policy was about things like that.) Still, I highly recommend this for adults, though I suggest reviewing something about Keats before you get to that last section, lest it be as incomprehensible to you as it was to me on first read. ( )

This is a meditative, intense retelling of the life of Homer’s hero, remarkable for its lush artfulness and the subtle intelligence of its prose.
—Meghan O’Rourke, literary editor of Slate