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A review by emiliedeeann
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
4.0
Patroclus is a plain boy with a father who compares him to a demi god. His whole life he is somehow under the shadow of the unattainable (Achilles), yet that same person who shadows him sees in him what really none of us see until he is a grown adult.
Achilles is likable. Lovable, even. He his driven by pride and a desire for fame. A little naive and oblivious, but also tender and good natured. You gravitate toward him immediately. You find yourself, although cheering the love story developing between he and Patroclus along, wondering along with the other characters of the book “What does he see in Patroclus?”
Well, Patroclus doesn’t see much in Patroclus, so how is he supposed to show us his worth? His character growth is the best I’ve ever seen. You watch him grow up, and hold on to nuggets of his personality, waiting for it to fully form. When it finally does, you see what Achilles saw in him all along.
This is one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it dragged a little for me, and because I felt like unless you are a die hard fan of Greek Mythology, a majority of the story and its characters and their purpose will go right over your head. I couldn’t come up with any reasoning beyond “Greek mythology fanatics will love this visit from this character or glimpse of this story” for why a majority of characters and some scenes existed. It didn’t ALL seem important for the development of the story.
Also, trigger warning for a lot of rape.
Achilles is likable. Lovable, even. He his driven by pride and a desire for fame. A little naive and oblivious, but also tender and good natured. You gravitate toward him immediately. You find yourself, although cheering the love story developing between he and Patroclus along, wondering along with the other characters of the book “What does he see in Patroclus?”
Well, Patroclus doesn’t see much in Patroclus, so how is he supposed to show us his worth? His character growth is the best I’ve ever seen. You watch him grow up, and hold on to nuggets of his personality, waiting for it to fully form. When it finally does, you see what Achilles saw in him all along.
This is one of the most beautiful love stories I have ever read. The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it dragged a little for me, and because I felt like unless you are a die hard fan of Greek Mythology, a majority of the story and its characters and their purpose will go right over your head. I couldn’t come up with any reasoning beyond “Greek mythology fanatics will love this visit from this character or glimpse of this story” for why a majority of characters and some scenes existed. It didn’t ALL seem important for the development of the story.
Also, trigger warning for a lot of rape.