The Song of Achilles was the debut novel by Madeline Miller, published in 2011. The book is a retelling of the Greek myth of Achilles and Patroclus, focusing on their deep bond and love against the backdrop of the Trojan War.
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The Song of Achilles Book Review
I adored this book. It was a retelling of Homer’s Iliad and I just found Miller’s interpretation to be breathtaking.
I know the story of Troy from both books and the movie starring a deliciously swaggering Brad Pitt. I’ve also read about it from the perspective of women in Jennifer Saint’s Elektra and Pat Baker’s The Silence of the Girls.
However, this novel breathes life into the well-known myth and shows a different side to Achilles and the lesser-known Patroclus.
Achilles is the son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus and is destined to be the Greek’s greatest warrior. He is strong, swift, and beautiful, making him irresistible to all who meet him.
In comparison, Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland and sent to live with Achilles in Phthia.
I wasn’t expecting to care so much about these characters, especially Patroclus, who quite frankly deserved better. It was interesting to read how the Trojan war changed Achilles from someone who found notoriety amusing to someone who was obsessed with legacy and reputation. All this from a war he initially wanted no part in.
However, it was Patroclus who won my heart. His decency, courage and fierce loyalty almost went unnoticed amongst men such as Ajax, Odyseuss and the ever-odious Agamemnon. Yet it’s these characteristics that make Patroclus such a compelling character.
It’s just so beautifully written, full of rich, poetic prose. Madeline Miller knows her classics and this book was full of facts but written in a way that was so engaging and immersive. It’s so much more than a story about the Trojan War. It’s a love story.
I found it to be so moving and the ending moved me to tears. I always find it a testament to an author’s skill when you already know the ending and yet it still makes you cry.
Madeline Miller can do no wrong in my eyes. A simply brilliant book.
Awards and Accolades
The Song of Achilles was a New York Times bestseller and Winner of the 2012 Orange Prize (now The Women’s Prize for Fiction). It was also shortlisted for the UK Independent Bookseller Award and Madeline Miller was shortlisted for Stonewall’s Writer of the Year.
What to read next
If you haven’t already, I’d definitely recommend reading Madeline Miller’s other novels. If you’re looking for different authors that write about Greek Mythology, I enjoyed Ariadne by Jennifer Saint and Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes.
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