The Song of Achilles
Madeline Miller
( Bloomsbury, R171)
I’ll admit from the start that I’m a huge Mary Renault fan, so when Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles came up on my reading pile, I recalled The Persian Boy and devoured Miller’s offering from cover to cover in less than a week.
Like all mythological tales, this one is a tragedy, and I felt a lump in my throat and was a bit teary-eyed at the end, even though I knew how Achilles’ story would conclude.
Miller breathes life into the legend, in a historical retelling that incorporates some of the magic of ancient times. Immortal Chiron the centaur and Thetis the sea nymph are clothed in flesh and walk among mortals. The gods are real, easy to anger, difficult to appease, and as bloodthirsty and manipulative as ever.
The stage is therefore set, and the tale is told by Patroclus, a disgraced prince in exile, and how he becomes the favoured companion of Achilles, who was destined for greatness. As narrator, Patroclus exists as the opposite of golden Achilles, who oozes charisma, beauty and near-divine physical prowess on the battlefield.
Utterly devoted, and despite Thetis’ hatred of him and others’ disapproval, Patroclus follows Achilles no matter where he goes.
Though this obsession with Achilles might make Patroclus appear weak at first, his courage and integrity eventually shine through when Achilles is paralysed by his overweening pride.
According to Miller, men and women are the gods’ playthings, and Achilles is faced with two fates: to live a long life and die old and in obscurity, or to flare briefly and be immortalised in legends. Well, there wouldn’t have been much of a story if he’d chosen the safer option. His fate unavoidable, and despite Thetis’s attempt to prevent him from meeting his destiny, Achilles takes part in the drama that is the Trojan War, the ever-faithful Patroclus at his side.
Miller’s prose is lush, sensual and evocative, and she captures this age of heroes perfectly, to the point where you can taste ripe figs or smell the stench of blood on the battlefield. And, while the story might not be new to those who have studied the classics, Miller’s characters spring forth into startling life from the pages in a memorable account of one of the greatest legends. – Nerine Dorman