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Library/Book/The Song of Achilles
Grade A21 sourcesHIS-01382

The Song of Achilles

Book · 2011 · Niche

24Editable slideCertificate

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

Clip · TikTok
Clip · TikTok
Clip · TikTok
The Song of Achilles cover
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
The Folio Society illustrated edition and slipcase
The Folio Society / Julie Dillon
UK cover of The Song of Achilles, marked winner of the Women's Prize
The Libraries Consortium / OverDrive
Madeline Miller with the novel at the 2012 Orange Prize
Women's Prize

Spread Score

How it works
Reach24ContagionNo data yetBreadth30Velocity0Longevity4024

Numbers

Observed peak date
Week of Jun 27, 2022
Sep 5 ’11 to Week of Jun 27, 2022
Platforms
4
Started on Retail
Origin
Seeded
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • Platform jump
  • Press loopPrimary
  • Revival

How it spread

Trace the origin

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.

Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesFeb ’11SepJul ’14Jun ’17May ’20Mar ’21MayAugFeb ’22AugDec ’23Nov ’24Observed peakRetailTikTokPressOpen web
RetailTikTokPressOpen web

13 more events on this chart

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Timeline (16)

  1. September 2011

    Bloomsbury seed · Sep 5 ’11

    Bloomsbury released the novel; the UK ebook record dated publication to September 5.[1][2]

    UK cover of The Song of Achilles, marked winner of the Women's Prize
    Open the first post ↗

  2. August 2020

    @moongirlreads_ / Selene Velez platform jump · Aug 8 ’20

    Velez recommended the novel in a reply listing books that would make readers sob.[3][4]

  3. Ecco / Miriam Parker commercial · Aug 9 ’20

    Ecco later said sales spiked the day after Velez posted her recommendation.[4]

  1. afterlife · Feb 10 ’21

  2. press · Mar 21 ’21

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Why it worked

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Origin
Seeded
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade A

Spread the same way

Book · Retail · 201641

It Ends with Us

Colleen Hoover (author); Atria Books (publisher)

BookTok revived a backlist novel that sold 2.7 million US print copies in 2022.

2.7M sold

1 / 8

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