Review of The Song of Achilles

I’ve loved these old stories for such a long time, and this retelling of the Achilles myth did not disappoint. In fact, it felt validating.

For context of my fandom, on my bookshelf there is an old clothbound hardcover of Bulfinch’s Mythology. (If you don’t know the book, it was written by American Latinist and banker Thomas Bulfinch and originally published after his death in 1867. It helped popularise Greek mythology among English-speaking readers.) I bought that used copy in high school and I’ve poured over it so many times that I cannot count. I’ve also read The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid in many courses from high school to university to graduate school. I cannot get enough of these old Greek myths.

Madeline Miller has lifted up what a lot of queer people reading the story of Achilles and Patroclus already knew. We all saw it in there. She used her skill and expertise to turn a subplot into its very own story, with queer love front and centre.

To be clear, this ‘queer’ interpretation is not a stretch, and it’s not a new perspective. The debate about the nature of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus has been happening since classical times. But if you look at the ‘source material’ it’s in there. Okay, it’s not explicit, but frankly in my view, only a straight person oblivious to queer love would miss it.

In Book 9 of The Iliad, Patroclus is acting like much more than a ‘good friend’ to Achilles. He’s taking care of the guests in Achilles’ tent–dealing with the food and the fire and directing the servants. He’s acting like, hmmm… what’s the word? A spouse. Go figure.

[Spoiler coming if you don’t know the myth.]

Also, in the Iliad the intensity of Achilles’ grief and rage over Patroclus’ death points to something much, much deeper than ‘just buddies’.

But denying the existence of gay love in history is the pastime of many homophobic academics, so it should come as no surprise that people even today try to deny what is staring us boldly in the face.

Enter Madeline Miller… We all owe her a huge round of thanks. This novel is so deeply engaging and it brings the sights, sounds, and smells of the ancient world to life in a very visceral and compelling way. The relationship between our two lovers is beautifully written.

She presents Patroclus as a counterpoint hero to Achilles’ model of heroism, which is a bit self-aggrandizing and self-involved. Achilles is so worried about his place in history. On the other hand, Patroclus just wants to save lives. So which one is really the bigger hero? Achilles Schmachilles. My money’s on Patroclus. 🙂

Loved this book and it has re-ignited my love of Greek mythology… once again.

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