Book Review: “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller from Protima Banerjee

  Book Review: “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller 

This book is my favorite book I have ever read, and 10/10 recommend that you read it. Heart-wrenching and riveting, Miller tells a tale that one could listen to a thousand times and never become bored. Including many aspects of Greek mythology, “The Song of Achilles” is a fictional depiction of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. They were told in history to be the greatest companions with brotherly love, however many believe it was more than that. They were madly in love from a young age, and walked into their tragic faith hand in hand. To give a general summary of the book, it follows the story of the great Achilles and his beloved soulmate, Patroclus. After accidentally murdering a boy and becoming a bigger disgrace to his father than he already was to begin with, Patroclus was banished from his kingdom at a young age. He was a simple boy, and didn’t really carry the personality of a royal. He was taken in by another king, Peleus, whose son was Achilles. Achilles was born to be the greatest hero ever and was meant to become a god, as his mother was the sea nymph Thetis. Through their young adulthood, Patroclus and Achilles formed an unlikely bond which eventually grew into more than friendship. The centaur Chiron trained Patroclus and Achilles for years, to ready them for the art of war. Eventually, war does come. Achilles is summoned by the king of Sparta, Menelaus, to help fight to bring Helen of Troy back. Alongside heroes like Odysseus and Agammenon, Achilles and Patroclus (who had sworn an oath when he was younger that he would help Menelaus whenever he was called) set sail and spent over thirty years at war. Achilles was unstoppable on the battlefield, but his mother had warned him that the death of Hector would bring upon his own. However, Hector was the one warrior that needed to die to end the war. After Achilles' pride causes him to clash with Agammenon and stop fighting, Patroclus steps in in his place. I won’t ruin the ending, but it was beautifully heart-breaking and will leave you thinking for days. This novel includes themes of LQBTQ, Greek mythology, and romance.