**4.5 stars** This is such a gorgeously devastating story. The prose is so well done and descriptive. The retellings are familiar and informative at the same time. The love between the characters is so present and everlasting. I truly loved this book. ( )

3.5 Stars

Unpopular opinion alert!

Chosen for a specific reading challenge, admittedly, this isn’t my typical reading fare as Greek mythology and the arrogant gods who love to meddle, as well as this being a tragedy doomed from the start, will never be my first choice.

Vivid in its rendering of one destined for greatness, Gods touched for the promise of glory but with such a promise, there’s always a steep price. Ultimately, there's no glory here. Achilles may be remembered for eternity but wasting a decade fighting a pointless war only to succumb and fall was quite pointless to me.

Regardless, I do see what all the fuss is about. This is no doubt a beautifully written book, rich with nuance and a detailed retelling of the doomed Patroclus and his equally doomed Achilles. The story between these two stands the test of time as their love is loyal, devoted, and unwavering, despite any and all (including fate and prophecy) that conspire against them.

I appreciate this for what it is, and I’m not surprised that it has won many accolades and awards. Miller obviously has a way with words but when it comes down to it, ultimately for me, this was just not personally enjoyable despite the stellar, talented prose.

( )

“Let the stories of him be something more...I am made of memories...the memories well up like spring water, faster than I can hold them back. They do not come as words, but like dreams, rising as scent from the rain-wet earth” (367).

The Song of Achilles is a story of two heroes—known and unknown—and one love fated for tragedy but reunited by memory. This timeless story is less about the known hero’s glory and pride and more about the unknown hero’s kindness and humility. It’s about an intimacy and a love that would move Patroclus to reject all things, seeking only glory and honor and fame for Achilles—nothing for himself—and that would move Achilles to invite death, seeking only to be reunited with his love in the afterlife.

Told through the point of view of the unknown hero, Patroclus is Achilles’ moral compass. While Achilles grows into his god-like, warrior persona, Patroclus chooses medicine over weapons, healing over killing, humility over pride. Throughout their not-so-well hidden love affair, Patroclus invites Achilles into this humanity, allowing him to be more than the killing machine he was made to be. He encourages Achilles in beauty and music, encourages kindness to those he is naturally indifferent to, encourages him to rescue war-slave girls; and even in death, the grief over losing Patroclus, encourages him to return and honor Hector’s body. In the end, Patroclus’ love allows him to see the best in Achilles—not the faults that led to cruelty and death—and it is the telling of these memories that finally releases his soul from wandering among the living to finally resting in the shadow of Achilles. ( )

Not exactly what it was hyped up to be but was still quite enjoyable.

Reading the way Patroclus and Achilles met and grew closer over the 18 years was quite interesting because they quite literally went through everything and still ended up together.

Didn't expect Thetis finally accepting Patroclus in the end tho but I’m glad she did. ( )

"What has Hector ever done to me?"

I think this was the line in the book that really got me. The latent foreshadowing in this question is so incredibly powerful, and encapsulated so much of what makes the Achilles and Patroclus relationship such an engaging perspective through which to tell the story of the Trojan War. We know Achilles will die, but it's not because he kills Hector; it's not Achilles dying that kills Patroclus, it's Patroclus dying that kills Achilles; the one that hopes Achilles will live for longer is the one that brings his demise faster - and at the crux of that is that love which continues past death.

4.5 is my actual rating for this book. This was a masterful retelling of the Trojan War. For a tale that's almost as old as time, Miller has done a wonderful job of bringing Patroclus and Achilles to life in a way that connects with the modern society and reflects the timelessness of Homer's epic. As a casual ancient scholar, I greatly appreciated all the many ways in which Miller engaged with her source material, from the manifold nuances of the book’s name, to the special selection of scenes like Phoinix’s storytelling and Priam’s ransom of Hector’s body, and down to individual character descriptions like Hector standing with his feet like roots driving deep into the soil. This homage to Homer, combined with the uniquely humane perspective of the characters which is rather more difficult to grasp in an epic poem, made the book a very enjoyable read.

The reason I couldn’t quite give this a five star rating was that the intensity of the focus on Patroclus and his connection to Achilles sometimes detracted from the sense of realism which I expected a more down to earth and human perspective of the story would bring. For instance, Patroclus seems so completely unremarkable at the start of the book that Achilles’ sudden decision to choose him as his companion is almost silly. I understand it works as a great set up to pair the most unlikely candidate with the greatest of Greeks, only for him to become the true Aristos Achaion, but it did seem a little forced, especially as Patroclus, though never Achilles’ equal, is usually not seen as incapable. Also, I would have liked to see more of how the 10 year length of the war impacted both the soldiers and the characters. Admittedly, the story is Achilles and Patroclus focused, and there is also far less source material for the first nine years, but I thought this would have been the perfect place for Miller to exercise some creative licence and develop Achilles and Patroclus’ relationship with each other and with the other Greek characters more progressively, rather than in vignettes rushing into the denouement.

Ultimately though, these are minor and personal quibbles with an expressive and evocative story told in clean yet emotive prose, and as a self-professed connoisseur of ancient historical fiction, this book stands undoubtedly as one of the highlights of the genre. ( )