The Songs of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Book Title: The Songs of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Publisher: August 28, 2012 by Ecco

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, LGBT, Historical, Greek Mythology, Queer, Retelling.

More books by Madeline Miller

My Review

“Love has no boundaries. That can be seen in this novel.”

“Have an open mind while you read this Book”

About the Author

Madeline Miller (born July 24, 1978) is an American novelist, author of The Song of Achilles (2011) and Circe (2018). Miller spent ten years writing The Song of Achilles while she worked as a teacher of Latin and Greek.

The novel tells the story of the love between the mythological figures Achilles and Patroclus; it won the Orange Prize for Fiction, making Miller the fourth debut novelist to win the prize. She is a 2019 recipient of the Alex Awards.

The Song of Achilles, Miller’s debut novel, was released in September 2011. The book took her ten years to write. Set in Greece, the novel tells the story from patroclus’ point of view and the bond that grew between him and Achilles. Achilles and Patroclus. The novel won the 17th annual Orange Prize for Fiction.

My Thoughts

The Song of Achilles is a 2011 novel, partially based on the Iliad, about the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles before and during the Trojan War. As I’m from India, still there are many people who won’t be openly able to except the relationship between two men or two women.

If you actually talk about a men and women being Gay or Lesbian; when you see it, you might except or you may not, but when it actually happens to your kids or relative; that is the time of actual realizations. When it happens, you are just left with a question mark. 

Difficulties As a parent.

It’s not that easy to except this nature. As a parent you have certain dreams related to your kids and their kids, which is a basic human nature. It not wrong. When you are hit with an arrow that your kid is gay/lesbian everything changes. Our kids do expect our support, they think even when the whole world is against them, atleast their parent is with them. Standing and supporting them with their decision. But I’ve a question for our youngster, don’t you think isn’t it difficult for a parent to except this nature? Forget about the society what about their hopes and dreams? Aren’t their being scattered?

If we see, this isn’t anyone’s fault. We stay in a society where we grow up, and we are taught that man loves woman, then they get married to each other. Anything other than this is a sin in the eyes of God. But how much of this is true? But if we do speck about modern era, things has changed a lot. There are were many cultures and tradition has been changed according to time. Now it time for us also to change. Accept new possibilities, and natures. The time is changing, and so we too have to change according to time or we might lose the most precious thing that we have, our kids.

Kids should be more communicative

Kids also should understand, it’s not easy for a parent to except their kids nature which is opposite of their thoughts. Be friendly and communicative with your parent, instead of just breaking the bomb on your parent’s head. Even, if you have done so, please allow them the space and time to accept this nature of your. Because, as a kid if you have dreams, so don’t you think, as a parent they too have dreams build up for you and your future.  

The Characters in the Novel:

Patroclus

The exiled song of King Menoitius, Patroclus is a thoughtful, sensitive man with no great talent for combat. He is raised in Phthia alongside Achilles, who becomes his best friend, brother-in -arms, and lover.

Patroclus is trained by Chiron in the art of medicine, and he is especially sensitive to the struggles of women. He is a much smaller character in the source text, the Iliad, but his decision to dress as Achilles provides the impetus for Achilles to finally defeat Hector.

Fulfilling a prophecy from the Fates, Patroclus is the “best of the Myrmidons” whose death will precipitate that of Achilles. When Patroclus is killed by Hector, he lives on as a spirit, eventually reuniting with Achilles in the underworld.

Achilles

Aristos Achaion, the best of the Greeks, Achilles is the halfgod son of King Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis.

Many prophecies are given about him, including that he will be the one to kill the Trojan prince Hector, after which he himself will die. Achilles is a straightforward and honest man, talented on the lyre and exceptionally gifted in combat. He is, however, very prideful and conscious of his honor.

Achilles chooses a short life of fame over a long life of obscurity, and he is less aware than Patroclus of individuals around him, finds it easier for people to know him than for him to know people. When they are both boys, Achilles seeks out and protects Patroclus from punishment, taking him as his therapon (brother-in-arms) and eventually becoming his lover.

It is Patroclus’s death that causes Achilles to kill Hector. Shortly after, Achilles is killed by Paris, prince of Troy.

Briseis

Briseis is an Anatolian woman taken captive by the Greeks and given to Achilles as a war prize at Patroclus’s request. She is a clever, talented woman who grows to love Patroclus, asking if she could be his wife alongside his great love for Achilles.

When Achilles argues with King Agamemnon, Agamemnon confiscates Briseis as a punishment, and she is only returned after Patroclus is killed in battle.

She grieves for Patroclus, blaming Achilles’ selfish nature for his unnecessary death. She is killed by Neoptolemus after trying to stab him and swim away from the Greek camp.

Helen/Paris

Who can forget Helen and Paris, who change the course of history? Their love changed the future of Troy.

Helen the Queen of Sparta, wife of Menelaus, Helen was considered the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the daughter of Leda and the god Zeus in the form of a swan.

She had many suitors, all of whom promised to protect her union, and she chose to marry Menelaus. When she was taken from Sparta by Paris, prince of Troy, the Greeks unite to wage war and get her back.

While Achilles and Patroclus speculate about Helen’s character, she only appears once at the beginning of the novel and remains hidden behind a veil.

Paris is a Trojan prince, son of Priam, who takes Helen of Sparta back to Troy, inciting the Trojan war.

He is favored by Apollo and is very gifted with the bow. At one point he challenges Menelaus to battle for Helen, but when Menelaus gets the upper hand, he mysteriously vanishes.

He shoots Achilles after Achilles kills his youngest brother, Troilus.

Hector

Hector is the crown prince of Troy and Priam’s oldest son. He was known for his strength, piety, and love for his family.

 He is also honorable when his younger brother Paris disappears during a one-on-one battle with Menelaus, he offers to fight another warrior in his stead, facing off against Ajax. It was foretold that Achilles will not die until after he kills Hector; for this reason, Achilles avoids fighting Hector, dragging the Trojan war on for years.

After Hector kills Patroclus, Achilles pursues Hector with a vengeance, and Hector flees, knowing that he can’t possibly win. At the end of his life, he asks Achilles to give his body to his family, which Achilles denies; eventually, he did return Hector’s body to Priam to be properly buried.

About the Novel

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son, Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’s mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

Happy Reading!!!

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