MADELINE MILLER’S THE SONG OF ACHILLES BOOK REVIEW

Controversial, thought-provoking, and unorthodox - these are the very first epithets
to struck me every time I reminisce about the snippets of the book. Imbued with
the Ancient Greek’s spirit, the book makes you dissolve in the lines, lose the trace
of real life, and cry your eyes out. It’ll irrevocably shatter and kill you, but to die
this way is by any chance a blessing.
Beautifully heartbreaking and tragic, Madeline Miller’s first novel The Song of
Achilles is a brilliant telling of a mythical friendship. Though published in 2012,
but kept in the mind, that Miller does extensive research on Greek and Roman
mythology making up an alternate reality. There’s no way but to heap praise on the
author for her evocative language, meticulousness and the accuracy thus making
the reader balance between Ancient and Modern worlds. But let’s face it, that most
people are in it for the characters and the specific, compelling story.
The book doesn’t merely retell Homer’s Iliad. Instead, it looks at the Iliad from a
new perspective: that of Patroclus, the closest companion of Achilles. Miller has
magnificently explained Achilles’ skills for devastation by humanizing him
through Patroclus’ eyes. The Greek demi-god Achilles emerges for the first time as
a lover as well as a fighter in this elaborately written novel. She starts the story
from Patroclus’ and Achilles’ childhood depicting the children’s core of
personality, and successfully showcases the genuine development in their
characters and relationship that the elapse of time cannot prevent. Consequently, in
Miller’s novel, the Greek demi-god Achilles emerges for the first time as a
passionate lover besides being a great fighter. 
“The song of Achilles” is by all accounts a piece of art. It’s an unputdownable
story about abiding love and genuine hatred, bosom friends and infinite feelings,
about fate and free will. The reading of that book brought glorious technicolor to
my life. It made me experience an immense range of emotions and feelings
bringing me up to Olympus and throwing me off it on the rocks. Afterwards, if you
are in search of sweep-you-off-your-feet experience, then I highly recommend
reading “The song of Achilles”.