by Madeline Miller
5/5 Stars
Wow. Just…wow.
This book had jumped out to me several times at various book stores before I finally convinced myself to take a copy home with me. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect to find within the pages. Most of us have heard the story of Achilles – how his mother Thetis dipped him into the River Styx to make him invulnerable, succeeding everywhere except the area of his heel where she held onto him during this process (hence the name “Achilles tendon” and term “Achilles heel”).
It turns out the story most familiar to us today is actually a later story, re-told after Achilles was well known for fighting at Troy to win back Helen for Greece.
The Story of Achilles is a re-telling of his story (yes, I know, obvious from the title) from the perspective of his friend, lover, and companion, Patroclus. First we are introduced to Patroclus and follow him through his early years until he crosses paths with Achilles. Not a single detail of Patroclus’s life pre-Achilles is unnecessary; everything ties together in the end.
The choice to tell Achilles’ story through Patroclus’s eyes was an intriguing one and, quite honestly, gave me chills towards the end of the story. Through this, the reader is able to examine Achilles development more accurately and gives a unique perspective of the hero. Towards the end you’ll find yourself both frustrated by his actions while also understanding how his naivete is his ultimate downfall.
The two main characters are retable and human, and the presence of gods and other mythical beings is a natural part of the world, not one that feels over-done or forced by any means.
Miller’s writing was phenomenal and made reading this novel all I wanted to do in my spare time. Over the course of the past several years, I’ve been able to convince myself to stop a book late at night so I wouldn’t be tired at work the next morning – this book kept me awake until I reached the final page. Even then, I kept reading the additional information on the many characters and how their stories are originally told, as well as her interview to understand her inspiration for the story.
If you are even the slightest fan of Greek mythology, I would recommend going out and picking this book up today.
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