The Song of Achilles (Review)

The Song of Achilles is the story of, well,  Achilles, the great Greek hero, told from the perspective of Patroclus, his closest companion. This retelling has some classic Trojan-war spear throwing greatness, and more queer-romance goodness.

With so many stories, both new and retold, about ancient wars, I was a fan of this focus.

 I won’t pretend that I know a lot about Greek Mythology, but I’ve always wanted to be the person that does. The Song of Achilles is a good medium, where people like me will get enough information to know the classic characters, but not too much backstory to bore the expert.

“They never let you be famous and happy.”

 Madeline Miller takes on a succinct writing style that fits the classic myth, with enough description for the story not to become dry but a clearly thorough knowledge of the subject.

This retelling is interesting because it is told from the perspective of Patroclus, which, if you know the story, seems like an odd choice. Aware of his fate, I was unsure of how the narrative would play out and whether he was the best character to tell it. But the ending really drives home the benefit of this fresh view. In fact, the last quarter of the book was my favorite, although I enjoyed the blooming romance in the beginning as well. The middle, however, (the Trojan War bit) sagged a bit for me. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good, action-packed war story, but it just didn’t compare to the emotions and descriptions at the beginning and the significance and uniqueness of the end.

“We cannot say who will survive the holocaust of memory.”

Achilles took liberties in places I didn’t expect and didn’t in places I did. This left me surprised but also created some questions on the original myths that I ended up getting distracted to research and left me a little perplexed. This was especially true when it came to one significant change, which altered a part of the myth I thought was pivotal. However, these changes did not disrupt the story too much, and I think their effect on the reader will differ with personal tastes and depending on what is already known about the original stories.

 What made this book fall short for me was the lack of personality with Patroclus. The book is about Achilles but it becomes so much so that Patroclus is often only a supporting character in his own story. This is true, it seems, to the original myth, but disappointing in a new take, especially considering that the strength of many retellings is their ability to shine light on an often passed-by figure. I sometimes felt distanced from the story because I didn’t really know the character through whose eyes I was looking. It made it difficult to understand his motivations.

There is also a particular scene that seems to be an altering of the original myth, while Patroclus and Achilles are on Scyros, which frustrated me. Patroclus goes along with a decision for seemingly no reason and I was confused as to why he would do so and thought it was against his judgment and overall personality. It was never fully explained as to why he did it in a way that satisfied me and made me begin to question his motivations and who he was as a character, which somewhat stained my perception of him for the rest of the book.

Achilles is much more well-rounded, but that is to be expected as a better-known figure. However, I think even he could have had more personality shine through. I often understood why he could have made decisions but only because they could be explained generally, usually along the lines of him doing something because of his pride or because he is supposed to be the greatest of the Greeks. I would have liked him to be more complex and his character, as well as Patroclus’s, explored more. I would have also liked to see more clearly why he felt so connected to Patroclus and what kept him connected. What did Patroclus offer him that no one else did?

“He didn’t bother to threaten me, yet. I hated him for it. I should be worth threatening.”

I gave The Song of Achilles 4 out of 5 stars. Fans of Greek myths and retellings will enjoy this story. Those who enjoyed Circe would probably like this book, but should keep in mind that it is not quite the award-winner the retelling of the famous Goddess is.