The Song of Achilles in Queereaders

Aug 11, 2020 Andy rated it liked it

Shelves: lgbtq

[3.5 stars] Prior to reading “Circe” in the spring of 2019, it had been decades since I last dipped into Greek mythology. After reading Miller's compulsively entertaining novel – published after “The Song of Achilles” – I realized what a mistake that had been. But, about halfway through “Achilles,” I learned my mythology limit – two books in 20 years.

That is not a knock-on Miller’s writing, which is layered and beautiful, but more my personal tastes for how much interest I really have in the pl [3.5 stars] Prior to reading “Circe” in the spring of 2019, it had been decades since I last dipped into Greek mythology. After reading Miller's compulsively entertaining novel – published after “The Song of Achilles” – I realized what a mistake that had been. But, about halfway through “Achilles,” I learned my mythology limit – two books in 20 years.

That is not a knock-on Miller’s writing, which is layered and beautiful, but more my personal tastes for how much interest I really have in the plight of gods, demigods and mortals.

Achilles (and his heel) are arguably among the most well-known characters in Greek mythology that still have widespread name recognition. While there is a rich tapestry to work from (seriously, Google Achilles and see all the variations on his narrative), you can’t tell his story without bringing in the Trojan War, which means there is a been-there-done-that aspect to almost half of the story.

Given the focus on the Trojan War, there are also a lot of secondary characters and plots that were difficult to keep tabs on in an audiobook. While some of the names and situations piqued interest (Hector, Paris, Helen, Odysseus, plague) it slowed the story. To put it plainly, I was invested in the love story, not the military story.

What propelled me to the end was the relationship between Patroclus and Achilles, which brought forward a level of fidelity – especially in the face of conflict – that you often don’t see in mainstream gay romance. It reminded me a lot of Joe and Nicky from Netflix’s “The Old Guard,” whose love story was better than the core plot, in my opinion.

The way the relationship unfolds, the struggle that each of them have in acknowledging and embracing their desires and the pain that Achilles feels once (spoiler alert) Patroclus dies in battle while trying to protect him from his fate is truly heartbreaking. The love they had for each other was palpable, and it is the reason to read this story.

Even though “Achilles” didn’t quite move me in the same way as “Circe,” I think the two novels make a nice pair, and I’d recommend fans of one try to read the other. If nothing else, it allows you to be awestruck by Miller, who is as much an expert researcher as she is a writer.
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Nov 06, 2016 L Cam rated it really liked it

Shelves: mm-contemporary-romance-erotica, historical-fiction, mythology

I am a HUGE lover of The Odyssey - The Illiad is ok (I hate Helen and Paris),so I think that also tints my view a bit. Odysseus is a dick in this story, however. Anyway in this we see the tragic story of Achilles and his love Patroclus. What I liked about this story was that their story was a bit more on the innocent and symbolic side than physical. It makes sense given the historical context. One of the things I didn't particularly like was how their relationship developed and the ongoing dynam ...more

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Dec 02, 2021 Scott rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: orphanation, homo-lit

I don't usually love reading about characters from ancient mythology, but Miller made this feel fresh and contemporary. ...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Dana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt

I have to say I found the book disappointing.

Somehow, this book doesn't seem to actually delve into Achilles and Patroclus' relationship, for all that it's the point of the book. Neither does it delve very deeply into the characters, for that matter. I really don't have any sense of who either of them are, or why they're in love with each other. The only reason Patroclus seems to love Achilles is because he's perfect, and Achilles, well I don't really know why he's in love, we're just told he is ...more

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