The Song of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller
These last couple of weeks I’ve been on a real Greek mythology kick which resulted in me reading not one, but two works by Madeline Miller. The first was The Song of Achilles and the second was Circe. Miller has a distinct writing style that utilizes eloquent metaphors and delicate language. Despite this though my focus still waned at times.
The Song of Achilles depicts the legendary Achilles but from Patroclus’s perspective. They meet as young boys when Patroclus is exiled for murder (it was an accident) and sent to Phthia. This book has a clear demarcation where one story ends and another begins. There is the first half, a coming of age love story that feels tender and sweet, and then there is the second half of the book that is essentially the Iliad from Patroclus’s eyes. I much prefer the first half. I found myself smiling at how innocent the two boys were. Achilles is kind and loyal, if just a little prideful, that is until he is called to war. War changes him and just as in the Iliad hubris spears him like a sword. My biggest gripe with Miller’s The Song of Achilles is that for a large chunk of the story Patroclus is a shadow, only a mouthpiece for the story’s sometimes robotic narration. I think this stems from the fact that when the boys have dialogue Patroclus always seems to be saying “I don’t know”. This definitely feels deliberate since in the end he is the surest out of all of them -- “the best of the Greeks”. I can appreciate that Miller chose to show character growth in this way, but for me, it’s just not as satisfying as I would have liked. At the end of the day The Song of Achilles feels like the Greek tragedy we are all familiar with. Is that good or bad? You tell me.
Circe is a loose retelling of the Odyssey, so it felt fitting to read it upon finishing The Song of Achilles. Circe exposed me to more of Miller’s exquisite language. I found myself highlighting as many similes as I could find! Circe is the daughter of Helios, a titan and a nymph. All her life she struggles to fit in amongst the cold and unfeeling gods, but is soon saved the trouble when she is exiled for witchcraft. Circe turned a nymph into a hideous creature. This unheard of transgression changes the course of her life. Circe’s story is a slow burn and one not without loss. Miller manages to show the many phases of Circe’s long life while somehow making her relatable in her isolation and yearning. Unlike The Song of Achilles this story has a happy ending and it feels well deserved. Circe is a badass. I think at times, this book suffers from the same flaws that The Song of Achilles has; it drags. There is a lull between events that seems to stretch on for just a hair too long, but overall this is my favorite of Miller’s two works.
In conclusion, reading both of these books made me incredibly curious about Greek and Roman mythology. I feel like I’m falling down a rabbit hole with no end in sight -- but I’m not complaining! I highly recommend both The Song of Achilles and Circe.