The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Book Review

"Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice"

This book was beautiful and very well written. I had debated giving it four, or four and a half stars because the pacing in the middle portion was slower than I would have liked. But the ending was really nice, so here I am, giving it a solid five stars. Everything was described perfectly and the author's detailed descriptions drew me into the world. The book abounded in dialogues, and there were so many characters and places, but the story never ceased to move forward. I definitely recommend this book to everyone.

Achilles was developed really well. We got to know him along with Patroclus, and my feelings towards him changed according to what Patroclus felt for him at that time. Towards the end, when Patroclus started feeling alienated from him, the change was depicted clearly. Achilles' certain actions seemed justified when seen through his viewpoint, and I never really thought of him as someone doing wrong. In the end, he realised these mistakes and righted them, and that made them forgivable. All his descriptions were lovely and always to provided a clear picture of his appearance or movement. Small details like the lustre of his hair or the agility in his step gave the book an added sense of reality.

I admired Patroclus the most. He always strove to do what was right, even if it meant going behind Achilles' back. Despite this, he was fiercely loyal and stood by his friend's side. He was always ready to sacrifice his own happiness if it meant the good of others. I liked how the book was narrated from his viewpoint. His love for Achilles was clearly visible, yet not over-done. He also did not fail to notice when Achilles' honour started getting in the way of doing what he felt was right. His kindness towards Briseis and the men from their camp also stood out. Patroclus had a forgiving nature and abided by his beliefs. He was ready to learn new things and respected other's knowledge.

This book focused on the characters, mainly Achilles. The poem Illiad is also centred on him, and the author had kept the main focus the same. We are also told about Patroclus' time spent in the war camp and his friendship with the men there. The war camp itself, and the Greek's strategies have not been discussed at length, showing perhaps that Patroclus did not know much of them. I liked that because it left more time for the plot and development of other things. However, we are given a basic idea that the Greeks camped on the stretch of sand at Troy's borders and the war took place further inland, in front of Troy's walls. I was slightly confused as to where the raids took place, since the Greeks seemed to invade several places at once.

This book includes many famous Greek heroes like Odesyuss, Diomedes and Paris of Troy. I had not heard about some of the other rulers, and it was interesting to know about their lands' different cities and histories. The various Greek Gods play an important role too. I had hoped to read about how Troy finally fell to the Greeks, but that portion is not a part of Achilles' story. The friendship between Patroclus and Thetis, in the end, was shown well, when they bonded over their love for Achilles. The ending was satisfying and felt like a fitting conclusion for the book. I look forward to reading other books by the author.

The author has said that this book is an adaptation of the Illiad, which is one of the older tales about Achilles. The myth about him being invincible except for his heel is newer than Homer's poem. Here, the author has focused on the authentic story.