Synopsis: Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But then word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.
Review: The Song of Achilles is a very polarizing read, and I understand why. It is a tragedy, and I've seen criticism about the end being too sad, but it does stick to the ending that's in the original story and I think that was the correct route for Madeline Miller to take. The narrator of The Song of Achilles is Patroclus and we follow him as he grows up, kills another person, and ends up exiled. This turn of events is how he comes into the care of Achilles. The biggest complaint that I have is that I didn't realize the story was told from Patroclus' POV. This is fine, but I think I just assumed we would be following Achilles during the entire story. I did like Patroclus a lot. He's an unlikely hero because he's scrawny and not really good at anything. Compared to Achilles who is the son of a goddess and has always been destined for greatness. They balanced each other out very well.
The Song of Achilles is a historical romance. We see Patroclus and Achilles learn how to adapt to their growing attraction. Patroclus and Achilles have their fair share of conflict. Achilles does care more about his honor and pride in some moments, and Patroclus is more thoughtful of others around him. I'm not a scholar of Greek history, but I am familiar enough with this story to appreciate the detail Madeline Miller included. I never doubted the love Patroclus and Achilles had, even though many people around them tried to tear them apart.
As an aside, one thing that was nice was that I happened to be playing Assassin's Creed: Odyssey along while I read this book. AC: Odyssey is set in ancient Greece, and it was really cool to explore Greece visually at the same time I read The Song of Achilles. You can even explore some islands that are mentioned in the book, and it was just a nice supplemental experience.
Beautiful story, but not good for anyone who is looking for a happy, gay romance.
5 howls
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