“The Song of Achilles” Book Review

By Kathryn Hutchinson

The Song of Achilles is a story about the Greek hero Achilles and his companion Patroclus. The story is told through the view of Patroclus and stays consistent throughout. Patroclus was exiled from his kingdom after he killed a noble boy. He is sent to a nearby Kingdom called Philians where he meets Prince Achilles. The two are inseparable even when Achilles is sent to Chiron for training. While with Chiron, the two form a stronger bond and eventually become lovers. They then spend the Trojan War together which is where the book ends. I will not spoil the ending.

While reading this book, I felt very emotional. Happiness, sadness, fear, and anger were just some of the I felt. The writing is so beautiful in a way that makes you question yourself. It explains the consequences of arrogance and pride but also the goodness that can come from those traits. It notes where real power and strength come from. I would describe it as nothing less than perfect in every sense of the word. 

Madeline Miller was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended Brown University and received both a BA and MA in Latin and Ancient Greek. She also studied Drama at Yale. Song of Achilles consists of 369 pages in total and can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or any other book stores. I very strongly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Leave a Reply