The Song of Achilles: My new favorite book?

 

The Song of Achilles
Review by Linden

    A few years back, I read Homer's The Iliad and the Odyssey. I thought it was a very interesting story (I personally enjoyed the Odyssey more) that complimented my addiction to ancient Greek mythology at the time. When I found this book, I thought it would be an interesting addition to the story. 
    The novel starts by introducing Patroclus, the son of King Menoetius and narrator of this book. From the very beginning, Miller sets the scene of Ancient Greek culture extraordinarily well. The writing balances perfectly between description and pacing. I am going on a rant, but the writing of this book is honestly addictive. 
    Anyway, back to the story. Patroclus, unlike other princes, is not special in any way, just an ordinary child. This caused his father to be extremely disappointed in him. After Patroclus accidentally commits a horrible crime, he is exiled from the kingdom and taken in by King Peleus. While staying there he meets and befriends the prince, Achilles. A few years pass, and the two have forged an inseparable bond beyond friendship despite the disapproval of the sea nymph Thetis, Achilles' mother. When the trojan war begins, Achilles eventually decides to join and Patroclus follows, out of both love and fear for Achilles. I will not spoil the rest, but those familiar with the story of the Trojan war know what happens next.
    When it comes to rating this book, it is the easiest 10/10 for me. The phenomenal writing kept me reading for hours on end. I really enjoyed the modern and refreshing interpretation of a classic story that showed some of the less discussed flaws in ancient Greek society such as the horrible treatment of women. 
    I hope you enjoyed my second to last blog post this year, 
    -Linden

Comments

  1. Charlotte LinApril 15, 2024 at 10:12 PM

    Hi Linden, this definitely sounds like a dramatic story and I can see why it might feel addicting or have you "reading for hours on end." The way you described this book really makes me want to read it because there's really no better compliment you can give than it being such a page-turner you literally cannot put it down. Nice post!

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  2. SophiaApril 16, 2024 at 6:44 PM

    Hello Linden! As you know, I wasn't the biggest fan of this book, but I totally agree that the writing was spectacular :) I'm glad you enjoyed it, like the other 99% of the world lol (maybe I'm the problem?)

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  3. Gail F.April 18, 2024 at 10:54 AM

    Yo Linden! This was a great review of the book! As someone in Latin, I'm curious to how the author depicted the living environment so I'll have to find the book and read it to find out! Seriously though, very convincing, good job!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ian MApril 19, 2024 at 5:28 PM

    Hey Linden, I've heard a lot of very positive reviews about this book--even past the plethora of reviews in the blogs--and have been recommended this book many times. I really love books inspired by Greek myths (original opinion I know), so I have been trying to find time to read it as it sounds like the sort of book I should only read on a weekend. Great review!

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