A teen review by Eden
Have you ever read a book so good, it had you forgetting you were merely staring at words on a page, and not a full-blown movie with actors, a soundtrack, and complimentary popcorn? Alright, maybe not the popcorn, but Madeline Miller’s debut novel, “The Song of Achilles” definitely had me wondering how the English language could be bended in such a way to make these ancient stories of Greek heroes feel tangible, honest, and even relatable.
Written from the eyes of Patroclus—a young, seemingly ordinary, exiled prince—the story follows him as he meets and develops a deep relationship with Achilles, the undefeatable warrior and son to sea goddess, Thetis, and mortal king, Peleus. Patroclus and Achilles spend a considerable portion of their childhood together, learning much about each other and the world around them through different mentors.
As I got deeper into the book, I began to appreciate the flowy, emotional, and poetic style of writing that Miller had adopted so flawlessly, as she possesses the unique ability to describe everyday moments until it feels like you’re right there with the characters. And after chasing Achilles down the sandy shore of an ocean or looking up at the ceiling of Peleus’s throne room, I personally started to feel a little more forgiving towards the whole no-popcorn thing.
"The Song of Achilles" is an incredible book for fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Iliad, or any other Greek-mythology inspired novels. Another thing to note, is that this book focuses greatly on the emotional relationship between Patroclus and Achilles, and slightly less on the specific details of the war, as its themes revolve more around love vs. glory, and fate, rather than violence.
Finally, I would obviously recommend this book highly because I believe that many people should be encouraged to read it, and see if they too, eventually forget that they were originally only looking at words on a page.
Place a hold on The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
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