The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

This is such a brilliant book that completely floored me and took my breath away! It’s a retelling of the story of Achilles and the Trojan War from the Greek mythology, but it’s so so much more than that. While being true to most of the foundation of the Iliad, Madeline Miller has created a completely new story; her own epic, heartbreaking, beautiful and overwhelming story about the love between Achilles and Patroclus.

The Song of Achilles tells the tale of how Achilles, the son of the mortal king Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis, became the greatest warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan War, but from the eyes of Patroclus. This was such a brilliant take, where Madeline Miller could stay true to the legends and works of Homer, but create her own epic love story focusing on the human side of the Trojan War and Achilles legend. I loved how we got to see the human parts of Achilles and got to know him, and feel for him, through Patroclus. I also loved the backstory of them as young, and to see how their friendship evolved into a beautiful, burning, undying romance.

I’ve never cared much for Achilles, he’s always been such a one-dimensional character for me in the legends and with so many bad traits. But Madeline Miller manages to show us the human behind the myth. She lets him keep his unattractive qualities, but also shows us how he’s struggling and how he also has a gentler side and a moral compass. And how deeply he loves Pactroclus and to what length he’s willing to go to protect him.

I was completely overwhelmed by the intensity of the feelings in this story. The love between Achilles and Patroclus was so pure and wonderful, and they were so loyal, brave and confident in their love and how they were meant to be together. How they never lied to each other and how they managed to find their own peace and happiness despite the brutal war around them and the scheming of Achilles mother, Agamemnon and others. I read it with a beating heart, waiting for the inevitable to happen… But even though I expected it, I never expected it to leave me so devastated and heartbroken.

The way Madeline Miller tells the story is just superb. She sure has a way with words, and managed to make all of the characters fully fleshed out and relatable, and tell the story in such a beautiful, almost poetic way. Even though there were many historical details and mythological facts, this book never felt heavy or stuffed to read. On the contrary, it was such a fast-paced and addictive story that swept you off on an intriguing roller coaster of a journey.

The Song of Achilles is an absolutely brilliant book that I will never forget. It was painful to read at times, so intense and emotional, and it truly broke my heart, but it was so worth it. It was such a powerful and amazing story that I couldn’t put it down, and in the end, I was devastated not only for the ending of the story, but also for the feeling of loss that ending the book left me with. This book is definitely on my top ten of all time favorites and a book I recommend everyone to read!

Rating:
5 stars

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​Author info:
Madeline Miller