The Song of Achilles

Greek tragedies are something else, aren't they? For all the talk of glory, there is little triumph. At one point in this story, Achilles tells Patroclus that he's going to be the first hero to do the unthinkable - be happy. As the reader, we are cursed in knowing that that will not be case.

The story of Achilles, in all his glory, arrogance and beauty, is told from the point of view of his lover, Patroclus. From an exiled prince to the companion of a godling, Patroclus is loyal but not uncritical of Achilles. Relentlessly, he fights for him - to remain by his side when his sea nymph mother tries to separate them, to maintain his honor when Achilles' own hubris threatens it. Even when a prophecy foretells of Achilles' short life, he never gives up on him. I was worried for a bit that this was the kind of story where a mediocre man spends all his time admiring and following around a greater man. And that is kind of how it goes for a bit. So I was grateful when, though late in the story, Patroclus starts coming into his own. He's not a great soldier, nor is he a clever strategist or politician. He is merely a good person, and as the Trojan War wages, he and many others begin to acknowledge that. This growth is not insignificant - in the first half of the book Patroclus can seem selfish, small-minded, and not always the smartest. But while greatness weighs on Achilles and twists his good heart, Patroclus grows in the face of it. That's a journey that we don't often get to see.

This book is sensual and loving. It reminded me a lot of the Red Rising series in its sincerity, which might have something to do with the Greco-Roman influences in Pierce Brown's writing. I appreciate the fact that Miller doesn't try to make you understand Achilles and Patroclus' romance or even their friendship. Why a beautiful godling would fall in love with a rejected, failed prince - it doesn't matter. I also enjoyed the way she writes the great figures of Greek mythology - Odysseus with all his charm and cleverness, Agamemnon in all his pride. I liked that though this was a very grounded book, the gods were also very present. And I liked that it did not glorify battle, because the point of all this in the end is that while Achilles may have been built for war, it was not who he was. But Patroclus was the only one who knew that.

This is sad though. The war is a miserable one, as we all know, and none of our heroes are spared. But this is a powerful read. Like reading someone's heart bared on a page, it is honest and true.