reagan mahon

Recently, I read the novel The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and it is now one of my favorite books. The book is an adaptation of the Iliad, telling the story of Patroclus, a young Greek prince who was exiled by his own father and sent away to live in Phthia. Here he befriends Achilles, the son of King Peleus. Achilles is an extremely talented warrior and had a prophecy that he would gain glory and immortality in war against Troy but he would also die when the Trojan Hector dies. After spending many years together, Patroclus’ and Achilles’ friendship develops into a burning love for each other. This story left me with a profound sense of melancholy heartache and sorrow. While reading, you begin to realize that all hearts beat the same. It was a beautiful depiction of raw and unfiltered love which is not found as often in LGBTQ+ romance books as it is in a romance novel with a heterosexual relationship. After spending most of their lives together, Achilles’ and Patroclus’ souls became intertwined, making readers believe as if they are two halves of one whole. Madeline Miller did an amazing job balancing the much needed LGBTQ+ representation and an interesting plot line which was able to constantly grab the reader's attention. Most other fictional LGBTQ+ literature has repeated plots with the main protagonist being gay as the focal point of the story. The Song of Achilles acknowledges that the LGBTQ+ community always existed throughout history. Millers way of storytelling raised awareness towards gay history while still making it feel no different than any other love story.