Madeline Miller’s debut novel, ‘The Song of Achilles’, was published in 2011, and is an account of the events described in Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ from the perspective of Patroclus, a young prince who is exiled from his kingdom as a child and sent to live with Peleus, King of Thessaly. In Thessaly, Patroclus meets Peleus's young son, the demigod Prince Achilles, and two soon become steadfast companions, undergoing training with the centaur Chiron and eventually falling in love. However, this love affair is soon overshadowed by the news that Queen Helen of Sparta has been spirited away by the young Trojan prince, Paris, and both Patroclus and Achilles are called join the Greek army being sent to Troy to reclaim her. Patroclus himself is tied to an oath he swore as a childhood suitor of Helen to uphold her marriage to her husband, Menelaus. For Achilles, the war in Troy represents the opportunity to fulfil his destiny as aristos achaion (the best of the Greeks) and ensure that his name lasts through the ages, even if it means bringing to fruition a prophecy foretelling his doom. For anyone who knows the synopsis of Homer’s epic poem, we know that events in Troy are not going to end well for either Patroclus or Achilles, which makes this novel even more heartbreaking to read.
The first half of the novel is a beautiful coming of age and romance story, in which we get to experience a humane, compassionate side to Achilles’'s character; he enjoys juggling with figs, climbing trees, and has a talent for playing the lyre. There is scene early on in the novel in which Patroclus attends one of his music lessons and listens to him playing, describing the sound as ‘pure and sweet as water, bright as lemons.’ There is also an innocence and vulnerability to his character, in that he speaks honestly and does not know what it is to fear being ridiculed and shamed. Patroclus, on the other hand, has grown up with humiliation and disgrace, and yet is unable to feel any resentment or envy towards Achilles. He is accepting, gentle, and unassuming, which reminds Achilles of what it means to be human, and prevents him from developing the cold, detached character of a deity.
The emergence of the love affair between the two characters as they develop into young adults is compelling and believable, with the depth of Patroclus's feelings for Achilles explored in beautiful, vivid detail. There is a particularly poignant scene when the two characters are living on Mount Pelion with Chiron, and are perhaps at their happiest point in the novel, when Patroclus observes that ‘A certainty rose in me, lodged in my throat. I will never leave him. It will be this, always, for as long as he will let me.’ Equally, the fact that Miller has Achilles adamantly refuse to give up his physical relationship with Patroclus, even at the risk of darkening his honour and reputation (‘Patroclus. I have given enough to them. I will not give them this’), is a palpable indication of just how important she believes that relationship is to explaining the events that unfold during ‘The Iliad’, and Achilles's reaction to Patroclus’s death.
Considering the scope of the events covered in the novel, with the Trojan conflict not unfolding until the second half of the book, the pacing of the narrative is brilliant, and is a testament to Miller’s skill as a writer. The writing is beautifully descriptive and builds expectation during the initial encounters between Patroclus and Achilles in Phthia, and their time spent on Mount Pelion, with the pace and stakes mounting once they discover the news of Helen’s abscondment, and the extent of the prophecy surrounding Achilles’ fate in Troy is revealed.
Once the action of the story moves to Troy, some of the most vivid descriptive details in the novel are those of the battlefield, with Patroclus describing Achilles as ‘a racehorse too long penned, allowed at last to run’, and recounting how his mother, the sea nymph Thetis, would sometimes appear on the field to watch over him, leaving a space around him where the other soldiers would not go. I enjoyed the way in which Patroclus’ character matures at this point in the story, taking on a more dominant role as a healer within the Greek camp while Achilles is away leading raids, and also developing a strong bond with Briseis once she joins the camp. The novel beautifully explores Briseis's importance as a symbol of status in the power struggle between Achilles and Agamemnon, but also how her presence has a powerful impact on the dynamic between Patroclus and Achilles, causing Patroclus’ to question Achilles’s motives and actions at a crucial point in the story.
The climatic chapters in the novel in which the fates of the two leading characters are sealed are both heartbreaking and savage; even for the reader who knows what is coming, there are twists in the plot and intricate details in the writing that manage to catch you unawares and hit you. The final conversation in the novel that takes place between Patroclus and Thetis beautifully captures the story’s core themes of love, humanity, and redemption, and embodies Miller’s vision of Achilles and Patroclus.
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