The Song of Achilles is a retelling of Homer’s Iliad with a focus on the romance between Greek mythological figures, Achilles and Patroclus. It explores what it means to love someone completely and what you would do for them, as well as the fear of loss.
The first half of the book follows Patroclus as he grows up. It showcases his life and his development into a person independent of Achilles. The second half takes place during the infamous Trojan War. While still from Patroclus’ perspective, it’s less focused on him and more on the developing war, as well as Achilles’ changes as a character. Romance is the main draw of the book, however the retelling of a famous mythological event is still interesting and well-written. The author stayed true to the original, she just explored Achilles’ and Patroclus’ relationship further. Whether that romantic relationship was present in the original itself was already a disagreed upon topic.
This book was beautifully written, filled with metaphors and sonnets of what it is to dedicate yourself to someone else. The elegant language and alluring imagery were some of the most enjoyable parts for me. It’s poetry with a story. The figurative language as well as the large vocabulary present in this book makes it seem like a challenging read, however the story itself is pretty simple and easy to follow. The best way to describe it would be graceful. As it’s from a first-person perspective, the reader really gets to experience and feel what Patroclus does. It makes for a truly romantic story, one more poetic than any other I’ve read. While the plot isn’t new, the author puts her own perspective on the story and makes the age-old tale new and exhilarating. Furthermore, even though it’s centered around Greek mythology and features the gods, the story and characters still feel realistic. The author perfectly utilizes emotion as it is truly an impactful story. You’ll find yourself deeply rooting for the characters, and when their character is challenged and revealed to be flawed, it becomes a very emotional experience. At some point, Achilles makes a mistake. It’s obvious that he’s wrong. However, you can see why he did it. It’s wrong, but it makes sense. That moment really makes the reader think and essentially pick a side. Even without knowing anything about Greek mythology, the author sets up just enough that it won’t affect the experience. If you do have some knowledge already, then you already know how the story ends, however you’ll still find yourself hoping for a different outcome. You’ll still feel the grief and surprise when it isn’t.
I think this book is truly a work of art. Although it’s over 400 pages, it ends too quickly. I’d highly recommend this book to any romance fan, whether they like mythology or not. Even if the plot strays away from their relationship for a moment, just like Patroclus to Achilles, it will always return. However, if you do decide to pick up a copy of The Song of Achilles, make sure you’re prepared for heartbreak first.
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