# The Song of Achilles

> Crying videos helped a decade-old novel reach No. 1 on a US bestseller list.

- Owner: Madeline Miller; Bloomsbury (UK); Ecco / HarperCollins (US)
- Kind: Book
- Sector: Entertainment
- Seed date: 2011-09-05
- Observed peak date: Week of Jun 27, 2022
- Date basis: Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 24 (Niche), v1.2
- Mechanics: Platform jump, Press loop, Revival

## Summary

The novel was published before its BookTok revival. A reader’s recommendation preceded a reported sales spike, and crying reactions spread on TikTok. It topped a US bestseller list; the measured Wikipedia peak came later.

## Timeline

- 2011-09-05 — Bloomsbury (Retail) — Bloomsbury released the novel; the UK ebook record dated publication to September 5.
- 2020-08-08 — @moongirlreads_ / Selene Velez (TikTok) — Velez recommended the novel in a reply listing books that would make readers sob.
- 2020-08-09 — Ecco / Miriam Parker (Retail) — Ecco later said sales spiked the day after Velez posted her recommendation.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/the-song-of-achilles

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “The Song of Achilles.” Case HIS-01382. Spread Score v1.2: 24/100. Updated 2026-10-22. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01382