Tuesday 15 September 2015

You should read The Song of Achilles because...


It’s the story of Achilles becoming a legend, from a young prince to receiving his education at the top of a mountain, a terrible destiny revealed to his final battle in the Trojan War.

And Patroclus, the exiled prince that waked beside him every step of the way.

The love friendship between Achilles and Patroclus evolves from companionship to an intense, genuine love that lasts eighteen years and it’s wonderful to watch.

You know that song I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie? That pretty much sums up Achilles in Patroclus’s narration.

Both boys become men with different strengths, different weaknesses and each earning respect and a place in the community of Greek soliders fighting the Trojans.

The writing is beautiful.

The Trojan War is something most people have heard of, but few really know the details and the stories behind the men fighting it.

It makes the epic tales of The Iliad accessible to everyone.

It’s a true Greek tragedy. There’s love, death, war, betrayal, hubris and hamartia.

The last few chapters are some of the most emotionally wrought and heart-breaking I've read in a long time.

Because I said so.

About the book
Two boys, both alike in age, yet so different in character. One is awkward and shy; the other is brave, perfect in almost every way, and destined to become one of the greatest legends in history. Brought together by chance, Patroclus and Achilles soon become the closest of friends and as they grow into young men skilled in the art of war, their bond blossoms into something deeper. But when Achilles is called to war in Troy, Patroclus has no choice but to follow his dearest friend, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.  

352|Bloomsbury|12th April 2012

Sophie

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