Burnaby North Library

Book Review for The Song of Achilles, By Madeline Miller. 

Review by Bailey Hanson 

 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a modern re-telling of The Iliad by Homer. This story covers the Trojan war, starring the characters Achilles, Odysseus, and Patroclus. In Miller’s re-telling of the story, we get to see the war through the perspective of Patroclus. A boy exiled from his kingdom, later becoming a fighter in the war, who is also described as kind-hearted. Patroclus is also Achilles’s companion, and often described as Achilles’s only weakness.  

This book is heartbreakingly warming, the emotions and scenery are so vivid in this book, it takes you away to another world. You really get a feeling for how Patroclus sees the world, how he feels towards his peers; his morals, his personality, and so on. Everything is so captivating, and I could not put this book down once I had picked it up. It is also very interesting to read this sort of book, as it is a romance but not like one most have read before. Patroclus and Achilles have a very interesting dynamic, which causes problems in their future. You can tell that Miller put a lot of work into this book, and crafting the character most knew from the original story; but adding depth to him and his relationships.  

In this book we follow Patroclus and his relationship with Achilles, the half-god of the prophecy, prince of his kingdom. They form a close relationship in their young years, eventually being taught by the Centaur Chiron, and then getting called to serve in what is later known as the 10-year-long Trojan war. In this book they experience literally everything. Some parts are comedic, and some parts are filled with sorrow. They experience sacrifice, decision making, and so on.  

The Song of Achilles has to be one of my favorite books I have ever read. While it talks about deep subjects and is a version of the trojan war- it is easy to understand. A lot of people don’t read books like the Iliad, or the Odyssey, simply because they are difficult to read. But Miller executes the writing style in a way that is easy for newer readers to digest and analyze and it is simply amazing. With my whole heart, I would recommend this book to anyone. If you don’t like romance, there is a plot. If you like character building, there is buckets full. I do not have a single bad thing to say about this book, even though it is a tear-jerker, it is a tear-jerker in the best way possible. 10/10.