A review by pran
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

adventurous emotional informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a lovely read. I think Miller accomplishes exactly what she sets out to do with this. It is not trying to be high-brow, overly intellectual literary fiction. Miller's goal is to make Greek mythology accessible and entertaining to a modern audience, and she does that beautifully, I think, while also managing to emotionally involve us and tug at the reader's heartstrings more than a few times. I think this is so cool because that may have been how ancient Greek audiences received these stories at the time. 

Regarding the whole 'Achilles heel' thing, I read that this isn't actually referenced in the Iliad itself, but later in a different text. I think Miller's aim was to retell the story as it was in the Iliad, which is why that is not referenced. 
Also, I love that the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus has been debated throughout history, literally since Homer first wrote the Iliad, as the ancient Greeks didn't really distinguish between homosexual and heterosexual relationships between men. This is really Miller's interpretation of how their relationship might've been, and I think it's entirely plausible (and makes for a beautifully tragic love story)

given Achilles' reaction to Patroclus' death.

I just gave it 4.5 stars because I felt the writing and dialogue was a little cliché at times, and felt a bit like I was reading a movie, which is something that I personally don't like.