The Song of Achilles
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I really liked Circe, so much so that after I finished reading it, I immediately bought Madeline Miller’s other book, The Song of Achilles. While I’m still fascinated by her ability to reimagine Greek mythology in such creative ways, this was a disappointment in comparison to Circe.
For the record, they’re not the same story. Circe is narrated by Circe and follows her interactions with all sorts of recognizable heroes and villains like Odysseus, Prometheus, Scylla, etc. The Song of Achilles is about Achilles but it’s narrated by Patroclus. Unfortunately, unlike Circe, who was dynamic, vulnerable, and clever all in one, Patroclus lacks much personality on his own. By the end of the novel, I still didn’t feel like I had a good handle on him. I think that in her attempt to highlight the more flashy character Achilles, Miller dropped the ball on fleshing out the narrator himself.
Also, I didn’t really buy into the love story that drove the novel. They didn’t seem to have any chemistry and they barely talked about anything of actual substance. I felt like their ‘love’ was being shoved down my throat; Madeline Miller kept being like no really, they love each other, I promise.
That being said, I still liked it. At the end of the day, reading Greek mythology in this way is very cool to me. I love the mix of shock and predictability– I generally know these characters but I’m still surprised by how Miller weaves the narratives. It’s just a fun read straight up; however, I would recommend Circe first. The Song of Achilles receives 3 out of 5 flames.
