Sofya Ochirova, Period 1, 2/13/2024

Sofya Ochirova, Pd 1, 2/13/24

Modern Mythology

Literature Circle


Before I started reading The Song of Achilles, I knew almost nothing about it; I only heard about how interesting it was on the Internet. But since I’m not a big fan of fiction, especially one that went viral on Tiktok, I just scrolled through it every time I came across it in my recommendations. And now, to unearth it a couple of years later was something like a pleasant surprise. So I took it from the school library and found an audiobook to accompany it and started reading.

To be honest, I didn't even bother to read the synopsis on the back before starting, either out of laziness or a desire for suspense and surprise from the storyline. Oh yes, be afraid of what you wish for, as they say.

At the beginning, for some reason, I assumed that the book was written from the point of view of Achilles, probably from the title, and was a little puzzled when the narrator said that he was a disappointment to his father. Then, I realized that after all it was not Achilles, but Patroclus, which also confused me even more, because now I didn’t understand what the book was all about. So for the early chapters I’ve been patiently waiting for Achilles to make an appearance, and mostly forgot what those chapters were about.

And in fact, the way the narrator writes about the early events in the book itself, by saying that it was very long ago and he himself forgot a lot of it, makes the reader myself not particularly immersed in these moments. Therefore, for me, the first few chapters - up to the chapter with the unfortunate murder - turned out to be somewhat blurred, which is most likely a deliberate device of the writer, so that we, like Patroclus, later in Chapter 14, would sharply remember his oath he had given in the forgotten childhood. This is what happened. But perhaps his early years are still not as interesting as his later years.

As I said, I left the plot as a maximum surprise for myself, so imagine my surprise when reading that very chapter with the first kiss of the main characters. At that time, I couldn’t even imagine such a development of events, well, of course, I suggested at some point, but quickly discarded it because it seemed to me that this book could not be romance. How wrong I was. This was probably the loudest “Wait what?” when reading a book. After that, I, like a distraught fan, began to terribly root for them to have a happy ending and finally began to understand all these cute hints and flirting from both of them. At the speed of light, I continued reading the chapters one after another. The next audible gasp was when Patroclus vowed to make Achilles the first happy great hero, which of course would serve as foreshadowing for a tragic end.

By the middle of the book, I felt this distance, together with Patroclus, from Achilles, which began in Achilles’ exile. And here I very much disagree with Patroclus. Achilles does not deserve to be forgiven so quickly for his betrayal. Yes, his mother deceived him, but still Achilles cheating on his lover in order to help this same lover seemed very illogical to me and I would accuse Achilles not only of naivety but also of absolute stupidity. But apparently a feeling of boredom for a loved one or a difference in views on betrayal did not allow Patroclus to be offended for a long time. And further reading about preparations for the war distanced me even more, as a reader, from Achilles, although it is worth giving him credit for his attempts to speak out and protect Patroclus as best he can and for his disregard to humiliations associated with their status.

Overall, having read about half of the book, I want to say that I like it, and that perhaps my reluctance to read the synopsis allows me to read this book with minimal expectations and absolute immersion in the plot. Having read some criticism about the boredom and flatness of the main characters, I can’t say that I completely agree with it. It seems to me that this is a book about feelings, falling in love, first love, the first broken heart (most likely, by the end of the book I will be sobbing) because most of the book is devoted to a love story, and not to the great Trojan War or the heroic deeds of Achilles. After reading this book we can understand the power of love, and that love conquers everything, and it is more important than fame and reputation. While I do feel like it’s Patroclus’ whole personality to be in love with Achilles, I think it proves the point even further: for Patroclus, nothing else matters, not even his own life, if he can’t be with his beloved.

I think this is easier to understand for those who have experienced something similar in life before. So, they will be able to transfer their experience to Patroclus and Achilles and find much in common with them. Perhaps this is the reason for the popularity of this book among teenagers, because first feelings and relationships are not uncommon for them, and such things are especially intensely felt by the immature, growing minds.

In general, this book turned out to be an interesting adaptation of an already known story for me, which at the same time has a lot of its own original meaning, and I can’t wait to start reading the remaining half of this work.