The Song of Achilles

There have been a number of retellings of classical myths in recent years and this is my favourite so far. Told from the perspective of Patroclus it is heart-breaking knowing what is coming and experiencing the characters attempting to avoid their fates.

Admittedly, this was the second time I read The Song of Achilles, but I loved it even more upon rereading! As an author of Greek myth retellings, I marvel over Miller's ability to convey a wealth of historically accurate detail without ever sacrificing the propulsive plot or riveting love story. Her writing is always succinct, always evocative, and far richer and more immersive than would seem possible for a relatively short book. To me, this novel far outstrips Miller's Circe for emotional heft and engaging characters. A must for anyone who loves Ancient Greece, timeless love, or both.

I love the way this well-written, propulsive novel manages to elevate mighty Achilles while also humanizing him. He’s an inspiration to his legions, larger than life to the point of strutting blowhard, brutal to the point of sadism, cunning as a snake…but also tender, thoughtful. Same for the “Gods.” Athena, Zeus, Thetis, Aphrodite -- they’re all here: petty, fumbling, overbearing, jealous, plotting to protect what’s important to them, or staying far away just to see what happens. Narrated by a young man who becomes Achilles’ best friend-then-lover in their adolescence, we follow the lead-up to the siege of Troy, and… show more.

I love historical reads, and this retelling of the Trojan story was fascinating. The author did a great job at combining the known history/legend with the fictional elements.

The love story between the legendary Greek hero Achilles and the prince Patroclus is beautiful and heart wrenching.

Ever since reading this book, I *can’t* think of the original version of the Iliad without referencing his haunting retelling from Patroclus’ perspective. Miller did such an incredible job putting me in the story and making the characters so real that I actively missed them when I put the book down.

It doesn’t hurt that it has some of the most beautiful poetic language I’ve encountered in story form. Helen is more of a background character playing her classic role, but I was still fascinated because Miller plays on the demigod aspect of both Helen and Achilles in a way… show more.

Growing up, I craved gay love stories because they didn’t seem possible; when I read Miller’s adaptation of Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship from Greek Myth, I began to think that we’d been here all along.

I was so taken by this love story that I read fan fiction about it for months afterward, trying to prolong the afterglow for as long as I could. I cried, danced, and cried again. 

I am a lover of mythology as well as fantasy, so this book was quite literally perfect for me. How the author paints a picture of the world in your head is dumbfounding.

This book made me want to swim in the lakes and dine in the halls with the gods. It is also a love story; being a hopeless romantic, I never wanted to put this book down. With fantastical creatures, aching romance, and places you could only dream of, this book was the perfect escape for me.

Reentering the world of myth is something I haven’t done much since college.

Frankly, the characters weren’t identifiable to me, even if the stories were timeless and I could see them repeated in books, movies, and stories I loved. Then came The Song of Achilles and suddenly the fairy-tale characters took on more real lives, became real people. Even if they were Greek gods, they acted as mortals, the way we do.

The stories I tell have similar mythic characters, who act in ways that we don’t expect, who do things we could do, but don’t out of fear of… show more.

Here’s the most amazing things about novels, vs any other storytelling form.

When the author does it right, it’s absolutely inconceivable that this story isn’t completely real, that everything didn’t happen in actuality, exactly as written, even while, in this case, the story was set in mythic Greece, thousands of years ago. The characters are so vivid, fascinating, and real, their yearning is so heartfelt and their flaws so relatable, this cannot be possibly be anything but reality.

Madeline Miller writes about the hero, Achilles, in a story narrated by his friend and lover, Patroclus. I read this a few… show more.