The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Review

I read this a few years ago, and it was an immediate favorite which is why I had been wanting to reread it since I finished it the first time. I finally picked it back up recently, and upon my reread, I realized more aspects that I appreciated. Namely, this book is masterful in its use of contrast. Achilles, the deadliest and fated to be the greatest warrior (or killer…) of his era, is yet naive and innocent about life’s harsher realities. Patroclus, meek and demure, holds the strongest moral compass of them all. They grow up together, then slowly, all at once, fall in love. It just feels so obviously… right. Some argue their characters needed more fleshing out, and while I agree to a certain extent with Achilles, for the purposes of the love story, it doesn’t feel necessary to explain why they fell in love. It just feels natural.

There are so many facets: war, power, obsession. Achilles’ weaknesses: his legacy, hubris, Patroclus. Patroclus’ weakness: Achilles, his friends. Readers often hate Achilles for his downfall later in the book. Yet I sympathize with him—and with everyone involved in the war, those dead and those who gave up 10+ years of their lives and time with loved ones. What was it all for? Like Kurt Vonnegut laments in Slaughterhouse-Five, soldiers are meaningless playthings of those in power—in this case, the gods. Achilles is told from birth that he is the greatest warrior of his time, that he must protect his legacy, and to view the men he’s destined to kill as animals. Patroclus watches helplessly.

This is one of the only “BookTok” famous books that truly makes me kick my feet and giggle. I loved it the first time, and now the second time, I can’t recommend it enough. I can hardly put into words how enjoyable I found this, how quickly I dove in once I started. Yes, I’ve read around 325 books—some good, some mid, some just ways to pass the time. Yet I’d read another 300 if it meant stumbling upon a handful of books like this, that capture you and remind you what it means to fully immerse yourself in storytelling—one that so aptly describes the difficulties and intricacies of life, passion, human nature, mortality, tragedy, and love.