The Song of Achilles is about Patroclus, a prince, and his love for Achilles, a half-God half-Greek prince. When Patroclus is exiled from his kingdom, he is sent to live with other exiles at Achilles’ kingdom. There, he finds himself out of place until Achilles reaches out to him. They become close friends, and eventually, Patroclus becomes Achilles’ companion. However, despite Achilles’ mother’s wishes, their friendship builds into a relationship. War comes and Achilles is called to fight. Patroclus goes with him and they face the hardships of a relationship, the Greek gods, power titles, and expectations. Patroclus is never seen as important, even though Achilles tries to protect him and have him by his side.
I really enjoyed The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller. The emotions you read about are relatable and the relationships between characters are well developed. Characters show jealously, love, compassion, kindness, anger, and all kinds of other emotions. However, I can clearly name a scenario for each category months after reading it. This book stuck with me because the lessons and people were so realistic. Although not everything in the book was based on the Greek myths, it also taught me about the Greek myths and wars that I have heard so much about. Those who like romance, LGBTQ+, mythology, and historical fiction will love this book. I know many people who were brought to tears by it and it was a very sweet book.
Reviewed by Catalina, Grade 11
Chevy Chase Library
2 comments:
The Song of Achilles is a retelling of Homer's famous work, The Illiad. In this version, Patroclus gets banished from his home province at a young age. He gets sent to live with Achilles and his father. From a young age, the two boys had been infatuated with one another. Patroclus would catch Achilles staring at him from a distance and vise versa. When Achilles reaches manhood, his mother, a sea nymph and goddess suggests that her son gets sent away to be trained by a centaur. Patroclus, fully in love with Achilles follows him and trains along with him and the centaur. During their time in the mountains, Patroclus learns of a prophecy that Achilles will go to fight in the Trojan war but not return home. Achilles' mother send him to a far off island to protect him from his fate. In the end, however, he chooses to go to war. The rest of the story follows the war over Helen of Troy and the love that Achilles and Patroclus share.
I absolutely loved reading this book! All of the plot twists kept me on my seat the entire time. I finished in the span of a few days but dreaded putting the book down every time I had to stop reading. I have read both The Illiad and The Odyssey, but you will still understand regardless of whether you have read Homer's works or not. For someone who was familiar with different versions of the tale, I appreciated that this book painted Patroclus and Achilles as lovers. I thought it was an interesting take on the story. I am a very hard rater when it comes to books. However, this book blew me away and was not at all overrated like others have suggested. Out of the many books I've read this year, I give this one a 10/10. I do recommend, however, that you read this book with a book club or with a friend so you have someone to talk to about it. There is so much to discuss that I think it would be helpful to talk with someone who understands. I definitely grew attached to some of the characters! This tale of epic love and sacrifice will leave readers satisfied and heartbroken at the same time.
Reviewed by Emma, Grade 11
Glendale Central Library
The Song of Achilles is a retelling of the Iliad told from the perspective of Patroclus, Achilles’ best friend. Starting from their childhood and continuing into adulthood, Patroclus sheds light on the delicacies and developments of his relationship with Achilles. As readers we meet the characters as boys and watch how their tentative friendship blooms into a budding romantic relationship, and eventually, a partnership that lasts beyond a lifetime. They become each other’s most treasured person and throughout their lives, are there for each other through tragic and taxing obstacles and sacrifices. This book is heartbreaking in its content and beautiful in prose, organically and expertly capturing the growth and deepening of their love.
I would definitely say that TSOA is definitely one of my favorite books of all time. While reading through quotes before writing this review, I actually had to pause for a moment because of how they made me feel. I felt a similar way when first reading the book too–completely drawn in by the simple yet powerful writing style. I feel that Miller did an amazing job developing Patroclus and Achilles. They had hopes and wishes, dreams and ambitions, and even imperfections and flaws that made it hard to sympathize with them at times. I loved the dynamic of their relationship. Achilles was essentially weaponized for war but meeting Patroclus helped alleviate him of the pressure of violence, changing his sense of self and the course of his life. Patroclus and Achilles’ entire love story–their behavior, shared looks, conversations–was beautiful and not forced in any way. Their progression from being childhood friends, the realization of their feelings, and love continuing into adulthood felt completely natural and genuine. Patroclus’ point of view provided a lens that softened the war and harsher parts of the story, and his descriptions of Achilles seemed too intimate to read. There are countless quotes and moments and lessons from this book that I think about daily. I recommend it to anyone and everyone!
Reviewed by Sam, Grade 10
Glendale Central Library
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