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A review by dogandear
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
4.0
Find this review and more at Dog and Ear.
I first came across the story of Achilles and Patroclus in the spring of 2018, sitting in a stuffy room on the second floor of my high school, studying Latin and trying not to chew the end off my pencil in boredom. Now, more than half a decade later, I found myself thrown back into the world of Greek Gods and mortals with Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, this time, a welcome revisiting of this classic tale in the Iliad, but with a distinctly modern energy. Miller infuses the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus with a beautifully rendered romance that feels authentic and heartfelt, and a love that I felt was always there in the original, but may have been mistranslated or culturally erased. Their love story is the beating heart of the novel and makes for a tender contrast against the brutal backdrop of the Trojan War.
Where the book truly shines is in Miller's deft characterisation. While some reviewers have questioned Patroclus' characterisation as a "weak" man who is often protected by Achilles, I don't consider this true at all. Miller goes to lengths to demonstrate Patroclus' worth off the battlefield, going so far as to call him the "greatest" of the army for his skill in medicine. He is well-liked, resourceful, and intelligent, and although he is protected by Achilles in war and sometimes in politics, he proves far from being the helpless weakling some reviewers have painted him to be.
Achilles was equally well crafted, and although the book slows in pace considerably at times (to the point of becoming dull, granular descriptions of their everyday lives), this has the added benefit of giving the reader time to sit with the characters and get to know them. Although a late entry, Briseis, often overlooked at the centre of Achilles' rage, is given a gorgeous backstory that felt modern but not out of place, with depth and agency.
Ultimately though, The Song of Achilles is a worthwhile and absorbing read for those craving a more personal perspective on one of literature's most epic stories. For readers who enjoyed Miller's writing and the story, I'd recommend seeking out David Malouf's Ransom - another Iliad retelling that centres the journey of King Priam to recover the body of his son; a section afforded barely a chapter's worth of summary in The Song of Achilles.
I first came across the story of Achilles and Patroclus in the spring of 2018, sitting in a stuffy room on the second floor of my high school, studying Latin and trying not to chew the end off my pencil in boredom. Now, more than half a decade later, I found myself thrown back into the world of Greek Gods and mortals with Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, this time, a welcome revisiting of this classic tale in the Iliad, but with a distinctly modern energy. Miller infuses the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus with a beautifully rendered romance that feels authentic and heartfelt, and a love that I felt was always there in the original, but may have been mistranslated or culturally erased. Their love story is the beating heart of the novel and makes for a tender contrast against the brutal backdrop of the Trojan War.
Where the book truly shines is in Miller's deft characterisation. While some reviewers have questioned Patroclus' characterisation as a "weak" man who is often protected by Achilles, I don't consider this true at all. Miller goes to lengths to demonstrate Patroclus' worth off the battlefield, going so far as to call him the "greatest" of the army for his skill in medicine. He is well-liked, resourceful, and intelligent, and although he is protected by Achilles in war and sometimes in politics, he proves far from being the helpless weakling some reviewers have painted him to be.
Achilles was equally well crafted, and although the book slows in pace considerably at times (to the point of becoming dull, granular descriptions of their everyday lives), this has the added benefit of giving the reader time to sit with the characters and get to know them. Although a late entry, Briseis, often overlooked at the centre of Achilles' rage, is given a gorgeous backstory that felt modern but not out of place, with depth and agency.
Ultimately though, The Song of Achilles is a worthwhile and absorbing read for those craving a more personal perspective on one of literature's most epic stories. For readers who enjoyed Miller's writing and the story, I'd recommend seeking out David Malouf's Ransom - another Iliad retelling that centres the journey of King Priam to recover the body of his son; a section afforded barely a chapter's worth of summary in The Song of Achilles.