The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The tale of Achillies and the Trojan War (as chronicled in Homer’s Epic Poem “The Iliad”) told from the point of view of his steadfast companion Patroclus. Starting from their shared childhood, it presents a comprehensive view more than could ever be told in that classic tale. “The Iliad” tells only the events that happen in the last year of the Trojan War. So Madeline Miller’s “The Song of Achillies” is a refreshing and totally innovative retelling of the great hero throughout his childhood and his relationship with the man that would bring about his fate prophesied since birth. Their friendship and love for each other transcends the eons and is still “sung” of today in this brilliant novel. (I’ll mark this as a spoiler even though the poem dates back to the 8th Century BC just as a precaution) Even after Patroclus’ death on the fields of Troy, the novel lives on through his ghost. Told with longing, and often heartbreaking prose this book should live on as long as the poem and a true testament to not only the great hero Achillies, but of his friend, lover and closest confidant, Patroclus.

Recommended by Monica Shine
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