![]() Reading The Song of Achilles put a new light on this ancient story. I'll never be able to read about these characters the same way again, and that's a good thing. If you've read the Iliad, you know that the story will have a tragic end, but it's also strangely uplifting and hopeful. We see him through Patroclus's eyes, growing from a privileged child to a sensitive teen to a young man struggling to balance his personal feelings with the expectations of an entire country. He has a sense of humor and a gentle side. Miller shows his unattractive qualities, but she also shows that Achilles is human. I always found Achilles to be an unsympathetic character - a brat, a bully, a big-headed jerk who knows he's the star player on the team and throws a tantrum if he gets put on the bench. While staying true to Greek legends and the works of Homer, Miller creatively and convincingly fills in the blanks, giving Patroclus a back story that makes perfect sense, and tracing the friendship, and eventual romance, between the two young men in a way that casts a new light on the human side of the Trojan War. ![]() The big twist: Madeline Miller casts the story as a romance between Achilles and Patroclus. ![]() ![]() A new take on the Iliad, written by a high school classics teacher - how could I not read this? The Song of Achilles retells the story of Greece's greatest hero from the point of view of his best friend Patroclus. ![]()
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