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A review by thexwalrus
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
my heart has been shattered a thousand times over by this book. i am not built to read tragedies, and yet.
the song of achilles is not a perfect retelling of the iliad, or the myth of achilles - instead it acts as a character study of patroclus and achilles as youths, growing up together before being thrown into the violence and politicking of the trojan war. we don't have patroclus the warrior, who can fight as deftly as achilles can, and this was one of my primary gripes - patroclus here is softer, better suited to helping treat injuries than fighting on the battlefield. it feels like an injustice, almost, to have him reduced to this, but it also works in favor of the narrative.
achilles' rage is muted, kept in check until the war begins. that change in achilles isn't stark - i think it shows us that even though he was defined by his rage and his eagerness to fight and win glory, he was a kind man that the myrmidons admired. his arrogance is infuriating and patroclus acknowledges that, which is appreciated because as a reader, it was impossible to not want to shake him and scream that he was being a jerk.
what really shines through all of this, though, is the sheer technical level on which this works. the writing is straightforward, and almost simple - and in that simplicity, it carries the same sort of musicality of the original poem. it doesn't feel that far removed despite the distance between the iliad and the publication of the song of achilles. it leans hard into the cornerstones of typical greek tragedy - we enter into the story knowing how it ends, and throughout we're shown foreshadowing, lines that only the audience know are weightier than it seems. each one of these moments - particularly "why would i kill hector? he has not done anything to me." repeated a few times, each with a smile from achilles - destroyed me. i had to put the book down and take a breath because of the real, physical ache that presented itself when i thought about how these two innocent boys were not making it out of the book alive.
the ending was bittersweet - while i still hate how thetis' relationship with achilles was fundamentally changed, the ending felt like it tied her back to who she is in the iliad: a goddess who loves her son more than anything, who wants to never see him cry, who is forced to watch him lose his most treasured companion and then die himself. and while the ending was bittersweet, it was tinged with hope, and felt satisfying in a way that few books ever truly do.
if i was rating this as an iliad retelling, i would give it a lower rating, but taking everything into account, i can't give this anything less than five stars, even though it broke me a bit.
the song of achilles is not a perfect retelling of the iliad, or the myth of achilles - instead it acts as a character study of patroclus and achilles as youths, growing up together before being thrown into the violence and politicking of the trojan war. we don't have patroclus the warrior, who can fight as deftly as achilles can, and this was one of my primary gripes - patroclus here is softer, better suited to helping treat injuries than fighting on the battlefield. it feels like an injustice, almost, to have him reduced to this, but it also works in favor of the narrative.
achilles' rage is muted, kept in check until the war begins. that change in achilles isn't stark - i think it shows us that even though he was defined by his rage and his eagerness to fight and win glory, he was a kind man that the myrmidons admired. his arrogance is infuriating and patroclus acknowledges that, which is appreciated because as a reader, it was impossible to not want to shake him and scream that he was being a jerk.
what really shines through all of this, though, is the sheer technical level on which this works. the writing is straightforward, and almost simple - and in that simplicity, it carries the same sort of musicality of the original poem. it doesn't feel that far removed despite the distance between the iliad and the publication of the song of achilles. it leans hard into the cornerstones of typical greek tragedy - we enter into the story knowing how it ends, and throughout we're shown foreshadowing, lines that only the audience know are weightier than it seems. each one of these moments - particularly "why would i kill hector? he has not done anything to me." repeated a few times, each with a smile from achilles - destroyed me. i had to put the book down and take a breath because of the real, physical ache that presented itself when i thought about how these two innocent boys were not making it out of the book alive.
the ending was bittersweet - while i still hate how thetis' relationship with achilles was fundamentally changed, the ending felt like it tied her back to who she is in the iliad: a goddess who loves her son more than anything, who wants to never see him cry, who is forced to watch him lose his most treasured companion and then die himself. and while the ending was bittersweet, it was tinged with hope, and felt satisfying in a way that few books ever truly do.
if i was rating this as an iliad retelling, i would give it a lower rating, but taking everything into account, i can't give this anything less than five stars, even though it broke me a bit.