The Song of Achilles

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grown into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

The Orange prize lost its sponsor this year but I’m pleased to say it doesn’t seem to have lost its ability to pick a good book. Winner of this year's prize, Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles (or the 'dong' of Achilles as I wrote originally... not actually altogether inappropriate...), is perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, though. From the blurb someone might see the Trojan War, angry hairy men who believe in fantastical Greek gods and the soldierly duty of a young mythological prince rather dull. I, however, see this as an exciting historical epic (with gods and stuff) but, first and foremost, as a love story. A love story with hunky men that have sexy battle scars and togas and feathered helmets. Mildly aware that I am demeaning a classic, although sometimes controversial, story that is centuries, millennia old…

The embarrassing part is that despite floaty goddesses and angry war gods sending disease and *gasps* no wind for an army’s sails, I had somehow persuaded myself (quite easily it seems) that this was an historical novel… I was like ahh cool, love to read about what really happened with the Greeks taking on the Trojans with arrows and giant wooden horses. I think I got confused when I had to explain to myself how in the recounting of a famous event some of the characters could have been real and some… namely a pretty central half god/half human character…  must be fictional… I fear this blog may have turned into some kind of tribute to my simple mind. Perhaps someone else could chip in here, you know, say I’m actually not that stupid? I’m not. Honest.

Anyway… the novel. It’s beautifully written. Sure it has some metaphors in there that make it beautiful, but for me the real pleasure is in the way the writing flows. It’s just so easy to read. Easy almost to the point that I wondered if I’d picked up the wrong title. I’m not quite sure why I was expecting a challenge but it wasn’t so I was pleasantly surprised.

The relationship between the iconic Achilles and Patroclus is carefully built and culminates in a truly touching final scene that did make me well up. I like to blame that on the too-many glasses of Aperol Spritz that evening but I think Miller needs the credit there.

There's plenty of sex in here too if you're missing your dose of Fifty Shades...

The only blip for me was a short period in the middle. I can’t quite put my finger on what was lacking but there is a sort of transitional point in the narrative that just dragged a little bit. The concluding chapters though more than made up for it with plenty of action and 'oh what have you done' moments. For those well-acquainted with the myth, don't be put off - it's a great story and one that you can understand why, from this book, has stood the test of time. 

This book gets 7/10. I originally gave it an 8 but after some thought I wondered if perhaps I was raving about it so much because the end affected me so much. Had I been asked to rate it at half way through, maybe I'd have given it a lower rating. As a result, I've gone down the middle but I do recommend this book. Particularly if you like soldiers and mythology and good old forbidden love.