The Iliad: The Unabridged Verson: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Review

(Photo from: www.madelinemiller.com)

I think it's quite obvious that I love Greek Mythology.

My love for it started when I first read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I knew about Greek Myth (I mean who didn't?) but I never developed much interest for it until I picked up those books. So I guess I have Rick Riordan to thank for this. I love it whenever we discuss Greek Myth in our English class or whenever I hear a book or a movie that is inspired by it. So when I heard about Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, it was immediately on my "TBR" pile. Countless good reviews and recommendations from trusted friends had me picking it up much sooner than I planned and I'm glad I did because it was such a great book. One of the best books I have read not only in the year 2016 but my entire life.

As you can tell from my pathetic title, it is somewhat a rehash of The Iliad but that only comes in in the second half of the book because first we got to see the early years of Patroclus as well as Achilles. It was completely Patroclus' story. It was a surprising and interesting direction to take since normally Achilles would be the one front and center. Not only that but Patroclus was more of a minor character in The Iliad, only becoming essential when he died and ignited Achilles' legendary wrath. Seeing from his eyes was a refreshing new take on the classic tale. Miller took the original myths and managed to tweak it just enough to support her own story and plans. The book is heartfelt, sweet, tragic, and hopeful, Patroclus' thoughts adding more to the original story of The Iliad. The writing was done well. It was simple, descriptive, and full of emotion. The pacing and transition were mostly good. There were some parts that felt slightly choppy but whenever it did it bounced right back in the next scene. Miller was also great at establishing specific atmospheres in important scenes making the experience reading it much more potent. 

The characters were good and didn't stray too much from how they were portrayed from the original text. This book just gave them more depth and characterization. Looking back, Patroclus himself was the character that was the most different from his counterpart in The Iliad. If I remember correctly (and please correct me if I wrong) he was a pretty strong warrior himself, both him and Achilles causing massive devastation to the Trojan army. Even though he is shy and awkward in this particular novel, it doesn't mean he was a weak character. He was relatable and kind. You invest in him and root for him 'til the end. Achilles, as we know from The Iliad, is an extremely proud hero and in this novel we get to understand why he is exactly the way he is which I thought was clever and important if we are going to support him and his relationship with Patroclus. Their romance in this novel was sweet, sad, and beautiful. They were built really well which makes it more painful when you know how the events will unfold and even more painful when you actually read it.

Aside from Patroclus and Achilles, I loved Odysseus, Briseis, and Thetis in this book. All three of them were pivotal in the original myth and should be given worthy portrayals. I can safely say they were portrayed really nicely, all of their journeys compelling. I am especially satisfied with Thetis and her character arc. It was unexpected (at least for me) yet still welcome.

I don't know how much more I can express my love for this book. It was just truly amazing, not just as a Greek Myth inspired book but a book in general. Madeline Miller has shown her incredible skill in writing and I can't wait to see more from her. As of now, she is working on a new novel revolving around the witch Circe who we meet in The Odyssey and you can bet I will get that book the moment it comes out. I definitely recommend The Song of Achilles to anyone looking for something new to read. I promise you won't regret.

9.5/10

As a bonus, here is a playlist I made that is inspired by The Song of Achilles: