The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The famous Greek hero, Achilles, one of the most notable fighters from the Trojan War, has a lover? That’s right, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is about a well-known Greek war hero who falls in love with a boy, named Patroclus, previously deemed as his best companion in Homer’s poem, The Iliad. Patroclus miraculously had Achilles head over heels for him, but in return, so was he. A heart-breaking story that had many sobbing with tears at the end. Madeline Miller has stated that her book was the romanticized version of The Iliad, so if any of you are familiar with the famous epic poem and took interest in it, I recommend you to read this book. It’s described beautifully in terms of how the two grow into responsible men who aren’t afraid to speak their minds with each other, despite their deep fears of losing one another. The bond they share is heart-warming as it fills you with joy at the development of each other.

The book does an amazing job at showing that no one is truly perfect and that everyone has their flaws and regrets, but to look past it as it will only hold you down. From sharing each others’ insecurities to building one another, ignoring what others have to say, it’s a book that you just can’t put down. I would do anything to experience the book again for the first time, and frankly, it is the reason as to why I got into a book slump. I have not been able to find a book that tops what I have read about the two Greek boys who couldn’t wait to live their lives with each other. Madeline Miller has exceeded my expectations with this book, and she delivered the story in such a beautiful manner that makes me wonder if they truly were supposed to be lovers, but got waved off by being good companions. Perhaps they were soulmates, and if that is the case, she did a magnificent job at displaying it.