Book Review: ‘The Song of Achilles’ by Madeline Miller
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller was released on September 20th, 2011 and became one of the most talked about novels by word of mouth. The queer relationship of Achilles and Patroclus won the hearts of many.
It is a reimagined origin story of the epic Trojan War. It is a devastating love story with an almighty battle between gods and kings. The characters have been changed even though their fate remains the same. Miller writes a moving story that can resonate with anyone.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller won the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Synopsis:
Many know the story of Achilles. He was the best of all Greeks. He was the son of the cruel sea goddess, Thetis and the legendary king Peleus. Achilles was irresistible to all who meet him. He was beautiful, swift and strong. On the other side, we have Patroclus, he is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. As fate would have it, Achilles and Patroclus were brought together by chance and they became inseparable.
As they are being trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, word comes that Helen of Sparta had been kidnapped. Every hero of Greece was called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Achilles knew he was always destined for greatness and he joins the cause. Out of love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes to war with him. As they go on this journey, their relationship will be tested.
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Quotes
“Those seconds, half seconds, that the line of our gaze connected, were the only moment in my day that I felt anything at all. The sudden swoop of my stomach, the coursing anger. I was like a fish eyeing the hook.”
“I will never leave him. It will be this, always, for as long as he will let me.”
“We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.”
“I would know him blind, by the way, his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.”
“When he died, all things swift and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.”
“Chiron had said once that nations were the most foolish of mortal inventions. No man is worth more than another, wherever he is from.”
In the darkness, two shadows reached through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring our of the sun.
Themes
Honour, Pride & Legacy
Fate, Belief & Control
Gender, Power and Agency
Love, Violence and Redemption
Selfhood and Responsibility
History
Courtesy of Ancient Origins
What do we know about the story of the Trojan War and that of Achilles?
The Trojan War is a legendary conflict between the early Greeks and the people of Troy in western Anatolia. Paris, the son of the Trojan king, ran off with Helen, wife of Menelaus of Sparta, whose brother Agamemnon then lead a Greek expedition against Troy. Achilles was the bravest, most handsome and greatest warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan War.
There have been variations of stories that explain the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Some say that he was just his companion, others claim that Patroclus was a kinsman or lover. Some even claimed that King Peleus received an Oracle that his son would die fighting at Troy and he sent him to the court of Lycomedes on Scyros. There, he dressed as a woman and was among the king’s daughters to be kept safe.
Review
The Song of Achilles is an incredible fictional novel based on actual events. Madeline Miller took pieces of history and the story she believed was true between Patroclus and Achilles. That’s the funny thing about history, it can be revised with a new pair of eyes and a modern mentality. When Patroclus first met Achilles, the way he described him almost made you feel like you were intruding on a private moment. But you couldn’t stop reading what else Patroclus thought of Achilles.
The way the story unfolds through important coming-of-age moments helps young readers discover their identity just like Patroclus. Achilles and Patroclus grow together through puberty, adolescence and into men. The foundation of their friendship is what carries their romantic relationship when they get older. Given the fact that Achilles must produce an heir, his mother Thetis was completely
against the pairing. She had sent Achilles away hoping King Peleus would not tell Patroclus his whereabouts.
Apart from the brutal violence and murder during the Trojan War, there are sexual moments that were euphoric but also damaging. When Achilles was forced to be with Deidameia in Scyros, who is King Lycomedes’s daughter, it was a violation of his body. He understood his duty and the benefit of his legacy, but it changed him. Patroclus was by his side aiding him through the difficulty of it all. Miller wanted the power of their relationship to be this underlying issue for many who came in contact with them. Everyone knew about how close they were and many wanted to protect them.
The Song of Achilles is everything you would want in a Greek tragedy wrapped in a heartbreaking love story. It is historically accurate while still reimagining a life for Achilles and Patroclus where they could be happy within the small moments on their own. Being hand in hand for all of eternity is a beautiful sentiment considering the mythology of the afterlife. For those who enjoy a slow burn and rich characters that will steal your heart within pages of the book, then this one is for you. It is a 5/5 star rating on GoodReads for me.
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