The Song of Achilles

There is no other way to describe The Song of Achilles than beautiful, mesmerizing, and heartbreaking. When hearing reviews about this book the one main idea I gathered was that it was sad; and no I do not mean sad in which you shed one tear, but extreme sadness that has you balling your eyes out and staring at your wall as you wonder what you just read. As a result of this takeaway from the book, I was heavily interested in reading this historical fiction novel. This is because I find I am rarely affected by literature that brings tears to others eyes, and while everyone is flooding their room with tears like hurricane Katrina my eyes are as dry as the Sahara Desert. Therefore, though it may seem strange when going into this book I challenged myself to cry and hoped the novel would stir my emotions. 

The first piece of the novel by Madeline Miller I am going to analyze is the accessibility. I have never had a deep knowledge of Greek mythology beyond the infamous Gods like Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon, however despite this fact Miller is able to coherently express the origins and relationship of the various Greek characters in her book. I appreciated this because I believe it shows her awareness that every reader may not be familiar with Greek mythology; due to this added description on the characters it made the book more enjoyable to read as I was not as confused with the various Greek Gods, Goddesses, kings, queens, princes, princesses, and more. 

One slight downside to the novel was its introduction. When I first picked up the book the beginning moved slowly and it took a few chapters until I finally reached a part that piqued my interest. This did not ruin the book at all however, but it may be hard for those who like immediate action and are searching for an attention grabber to push past the initial chapters in order to get to the meat of the novel. 

Madeline Miller’s writing is what ultimately elevates her novel to its high caliber. If you want a writer that writes with a purpose and emotion then this book is for you. While reading, it seemed every choice made by Miller was intentional to developed the overall plot of the book. The storyline was well thought out and once Miller gained my attention she did not lose it again. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.” Now if this does not get you to read the book I do not know what will. The Song Of Achilles transfixing prose is what ties the novel together and makes it unforgettable. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a hidden gem. If you have not heard of the novel or were hesitant about reading it I highly recommend this historical fiction for its beautiful language and storytelling. Go and buy this book, I promise you will not regret your decision.