Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

By Megan Davis | Book Reviews

Book review by Megan Davis, Codsall Community High School

This book is a groundbreaking masterpiece that entwines a classic and heroic story of Achilles, a Greek warrior born with a prophecy with a blooming homosexual relationship which is beautifully ironic.

The author, Madeline Miller, takes a bold move in tweaking the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus from traditionally being cousins and then changing them to lovers, it takes a whole new perspective of the traditional story while engaging a more modern and excepting times - but still keeping the tense and captivating storyline.

 From children to adults and friends to lovers, Miller carries us to Troy and makes us fall in love with the characters as they fall in love with each other; Miller invites Achilles into the 21st century, bringing with him the beauty and lessons the tale holds.

Our narrator, Patroclus, who is also our tragic hero’s hamartia, builds a strong and deep-rooted friendship with the reader which feels so real that you can’t help being captivated by the story whether or not you know the tale of Achilles or not.

To take a tale that a lot of people are familiar with and still be able to captivate and surprise the reader presents the true mystic and beautiful nature of this book and the characters within. Miller has laid such a magical yet so surreal foundation of this book that enables anyone to read and more importantly, learn from it as we live and die with the characters.