Introduction

“ I would know him in death, at the end of the world”

The song of Achilles, Madeline Miller’s debut novel, is a title that you’ll hear repeated over and over again throughout the book communities on Instagram and TikTok. I think it’s actually the most highly recommended novel in the book community. The novel follows the story of Achilles and Patroclus, through the eyes of Patroclus, from the moment a fateful accident forced their lives to intertwine, to the very moment that their lives were separated. The story takes place prior to and during the Trojan War and the prose intricately weaves a romantic tale in alongside descriptions of ships, battle strategies, and gory deaths.

My Thoughts

Bookstagram made me go into this one with high hopes and I must say that I was not disappointed. I will admit that I’ve never read the Iliad, but the story of Achilles is one that I’m all too familiar with. Brad Pitt has been Achilles in my mind for so many years and I welcomed this version of a beloved character with open arms. From the first chapter, I knew I would love this novel. Miller is truly gifted in her writing style that is both beautiful but not so fluffy that I lose interest. Miller boldly plunges head first into a narrative that a movie like Troy was too afraid to address.

At last, a portrayal that shows how Achilles was launched into the Trojan war by the loss of his soulmate. Fortunately, I was a bit of a Greek history/mythology nerd in middle school (a la Percy Jackson) so I already knew what to expect going into this book. What I did not expect,however, was how emotional the ending would make me feel. I wrapped up the book while spending time with my grandmother and had to hide my face from her as best as possible to she wouldn’t see the tears falling out of my eyes.

I also loved that Miller portrayed Achilles as just a man who was just extremely gifted (a gift bestowed by his goddess mother Thetis) rather than sticking to the story about him being dipped in the River Styx and his heel being his weakness. His heart was his only weakness here but it was also his greatest liberator: he got to love and be loved for exactly who he was, not what was expected of him because of a prophecy.

In regards to other reviews that say negative things about this novel: it’s a slow burn romance, but the story itself isn’t slow, Achilles and Patroclus meet as children and are well into their twenties by the end of the book – the love story took its time and was better for it. Additionally, the previous narratives that portrayed Achilles and Patroclus as cousins or brothers in arms are more inaccurate than the two being lovers. Like I said, I have not read the Iliad, but if a what we know about Ancient Greece and Rome can be applied here: those people were down. It fully makes more sense that Achilles would’ve went berserk over his lover – a soulmate in more than just the romantic sense – than a cousin.

I’m so glad this was my first book of 2021, it got me off to a great start and truly made me feel hopeful that I might actually be able to achieve my Goodreads Challenge this year.

Rating

Overall, I give the novel five stars. It was beautifully written, it made me long for Greece, and it made me long for a love like what Achilles and Patroclus shared. For me, five stars means that I didn’t just enjoy a novel, I enjoy most novels that I read, but instead it made me feel something. I felt a lot throughout he three days that it took me to finish this and I’m looking forward to reading Circe soon.