Because I loved Madeline Miller‘s Circe so much, I was excited to read The Song of Achilles, a similarly masterful interpretation of Greek mythology. Told by Patroclus, who stumbles into Achilles’s life from a young age and becomes his dearest friend and partner, this story showcases just how powerful Achilles was, and how he was swept up in his destiny. As a reader, I’m only loosely educated in Greek mythology–I’ve heard the names before, and I know about the war between Troy and Sparta, but there is still room for me to be surprised by twists in the plot.
As with Circe, the plot rushes forward, each stage feeling like home until the next one takes off. Miller really lets readers feel the humanity of the characters, the little details about their lives that they love or struggle against, and the ways that their humanity is tested by the currents of politics and, it seems, fate. It certainly reads as fate to those who know how the story will play out, even in part.
Most beautifully, this is a love story, the more potent for its tragic setting. It shows how love sees the truest essence of a person and upholds that for them, even when they cannot fully see themselves. It shows how love can call for sacrifice, but in doing so, shape the course of history (or mythology). It tells us that love is the thing that makes us human, and vulnerable, but also gives humanity its greatest strength, surpassing even the predictions and will of the gods. I won’t say more, but you should watch the majesty of this story unfold for yourself.
Allongé 