The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Genre: Fiction, Literary Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Favourite Quote:

“I can smell him. The oils that he uses on hos feet, pomegranate and sandalwood; the salt of clean sweat; the hyacinths we had walked through, their scents crushed against our ankles. Beneath it all is his own smell, the one I go to sleep with, the one I wake up to.“

My Review:

A few days ago, I finished reading the book “The Song of Achilles. “ By the time I reached the last page, I was left wondering about my feelings regarding the book. I didn’t know if I liked it or if I disliked it. But Achilles and Patroclus lingered in the back of my mind. Just like that, I recalled the first few pages where the protagonists were children. I remembered the pages a few chapters into the book when they grew up to be teenagers, closer to each other than ever. They became more than friends; they kissed and explored each other with love by then. I reflected on the later pages where there was war and death, feeling a touch of melancholy. I didn’t shed a tear, but I felt sad. Then I realized the book had impacted me without so much as a warning. 

The Song of Achilles is the kind of book that keeps you reading. You don’t feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed. You don’t feel impressed or put off. But since it is such a steady read, you keep on reading. As you read, you may not realize that you have begun to know Achilles and his companion Patroclus. You watch them grow from royal children to mature warriors, and in between emerge friendships, relationships, sacrifices, and agony. In the end, I was, and perhaps you will be, left desiring a bit of cheesy romance, a bit of family drama, a bit of action-packed warmongering, and a bit of heart-wrenching sacrifice. This could be a reason why some may not like the book. However, you would also thank the author for keeping it subtle and avoiding an overly dramatic narration. 

The character development of the protagonist and the side characters is impressive. They slowly and steadily come to life and become relatable. Not one character seems unnecessary in this book, and they each had their fair share of presence and role to play.

The author has done an excellent job in her writing. It keeps you engaged. Even if you come to dislike the book for any reason, you will still find yourself reading to the last word. And that’s because the writing is that good. The writing, if I may describe it, is poetic. 

Before I picked up the book, I had seen some YouTube reviews and read some Goodreads reviews. They seemed to suggest that I would either hate it or love it. Love is a strong word for me, so I would say I liked the book. I still cannot get Achilles and Patroclus out of my mind, and I might be thinking about them for days to come.