MoAn Inc. | Historian Reviews THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller @MoAnInc | Uploaded April 2022 | Updated October 2024, 15 hours ago.
The Daddy of all mythological retellings, The Song Of Achilles follows the lives of Greek heroes Achilles and Patroclus. Achilles is known for his role in the Trojan War, but his companion-turned-lover Patroclus, is often forgotten in modern times. TSOA starts when the two boys are young, and tells the story of their lives up until their mythological deaths. Miller uses so many ancient sources in order to weave this story - including Homer's Iliad, my fave - and craft these incredible men for a new audience.
As a story, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Miller's writing is poetic and lyrical, keeping the reader enchanted by her tale like an ancient bard once would have. The vast majority of this book is accurate to the original mythology as well, meaning readers are actually learning while reading! Patroclus accidentally killing a boy when he was younger? Real. Achilles being sent to study under Chiron? Happened. The boys (and later, men) doing everything together? Also, true. For that reason alone I have to give this book a high rating.
However.
My one issue with this book is the portrayal of Patroclus. In the Iliad, our beautiful Patroclus is one of the scariest men the Myrmidon army has to offer. He is noted as second to Achilles in his fighting skill, and proves himself as a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. In book 16 of the Iliad, Patroclus kills around 52 people when Achilles allows him out of the tent (I say "around" as when I recount the deaths in the original Greek text, it ends up being between 50 and 54). Not only this, but his killing of Sarpedon in the original text is not an accidental stroke of luck, but instead a calculated and terrifying attack - he is a worthy opponent to the son of Zeus. Miller does write in TSOA how Patroclus attempted to scale the walls of Troy, but failed to mention how Apollo had to get involved to prevent the Greek from doing so as Patroclus would have, 100% and with out a shadow of a doubt, taken the city of Troy single handedly. Why? Because he was capable of it. Patroclus was a born and bred fighter just like Achilles - the only difference was that Patroclus was not son of a god. Although I loved the dynamic between Miller's Achilles and Patroclus, her Patroclus was not the ancient Patroclus. The ancient character would have never sat in the tent waiting for Achilles to come home - he would have been out there right next to him.
Because of the switch in character, Miller had to change one of the most crucial moments in her story: when Patroclus convinces Achilles to let him put on his armour and go fight. In the Iliad, Nestor is the one who gives Patroclus this idea as a way to scare the Trojans and buy the Greek army some time to defend their camps. Achilles therefore agrees only because he knows that Patroclus is perfectly capable of handling such a role. Where Miller has Patroclus promise Achilles he will not fight at all, Homer has Patroclus promise Achilles that he will not take Troy without him present. Very different characters, just in that detail alone. Both Miller and Homer's Patroclus do promise not to fight Hector though, and both break this oath.
All in all, I did love the book. It was just a shame that Patroclus' absolute beast of a character had to suffer in order for TSOA to succeed.
Check out our online article here: moaninc.co.uk/books/song-of-achilles
My GoodReads: goodreads.com/moaninc
TSOA Good Reads: goodreads.com/book/show/13623848-the-song-of-achilles
Grab The Book Here Using My Affiliate Link - amzn.to/3w9EiPJ
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#GreekMythology #BookReview #MadelineMiller
The Daddy of all mythological retellings, The Song Of Achilles follows the lives of Greek heroes Achilles and Patroclus. Achilles is known for his role in the Trojan War, but his companion-turned-lover Patroclus, is often forgotten in modern times. TSOA starts when the two boys are young, and tells the story of their lives up until their mythological deaths. Miller uses so many ancient sources in order to weave this story - including Homer's Iliad, my fave - and craft these incredible men for a new audience.
As a story, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Miller's writing is poetic and lyrical, keeping the reader enchanted by her tale like an ancient bard once would have. The vast majority of this book is accurate to the original mythology as well, meaning readers are actually learning while reading! Patroclus accidentally killing a boy when he was younger? Real. Achilles being sent to study under Chiron? Happened. The boys (and later, men) doing everything together? Also, true. For that reason alone I have to give this book a high rating.
However.
My one issue with this book is the portrayal of Patroclus. In the Iliad, our beautiful Patroclus is one of the scariest men the Myrmidon army has to offer. He is noted as second to Achilles in his fighting skill, and proves himself as a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. In book 16 of the Iliad, Patroclus kills around 52 people when Achilles allows him out of the tent (I say "around" as when I recount the deaths in the original Greek text, it ends up being between 50 and 54). Not only this, but his killing of Sarpedon in the original text is not an accidental stroke of luck, but instead a calculated and terrifying attack - he is a worthy opponent to the son of Zeus. Miller does write in TSOA how Patroclus attempted to scale the walls of Troy, but failed to mention how Apollo had to get involved to prevent the Greek from doing so as Patroclus would have, 100% and with out a shadow of a doubt, taken the city of Troy single handedly. Why? Because he was capable of it. Patroclus was a born and bred fighter just like Achilles - the only difference was that Patroclus was not son of a god. Although I loved the dynamic between Miller's Achilles and Patroclus, her Patroclus was not the ancient Patroclus. The ancient character would have never sat in the tent waiting for Achilles to come home - he would have been out there right next to him.
Because of the switch in character, Miller had to change one of the most crucial moments in her story: when Patroclus convinces Achilles to let him put on his armour and go fight. In the Iliad, Nestor is the one who gives Patroclus this idea as a way to scare the Trojans and buy the Greek army some time to defend their camps. Achilles therefore agrees only because he knows that Patroclus is perfectly capable of handling such a role. Where Miller has Patroclus promise Achilles he will not fight at all, Homer has Patroclus promise Achilles that he will not take Troy without him present. Very different characters, just in that detail alone. Both Miller and Homer's Patroclus do promise not to fight Hector though, and both break this oath.
All in all, I did love the book. It was just a shame that Patroclus' absolute beast of a character had to suffer in order for TSOA to succeed.
Check out our online article here: moaninc.co.uk/books/song-of-achilles
My GoodReads: goodreads.com/moaninc
TSOA Good Reads: goodreads.com/book/show/13623848-the-song-of-achilles
Grab The Book Here Using My Affiliate Link - amzn.to/3w9EiPJ
Donate Here: ko-fi.com/moaninc
Follow us on -
Facebook: facebook.com/moaninc
Instagram: instagram.com/moaninc
Twitter: twitter.com/moaninc
#GreekMythology #BookReview #MadelineMiller
