I read a book.

[tehta]

I suspect that I am the very last person in this corner of fandom to hear about The Song of Achilles, last year's Orange-prize-winning novel about, well, Achilles. And Patroclus, who, in this interpretation, is NOT his cousin. If you know what I mean. And most of you do.

Anyway, I have finally heard of it, and moreover, purchased it and read it. And now I feel compelled to share my thoughts on it with the internet. So, here goes:

• I did enjoy it.
  
• It is well-written. Not brilliant, but reasonably impressive.
  
• But I cannot help thinking of it as fanfiction for the Illiad. (Hilariously, the review I linked to above says the same thing -- citing Sam and Frodo!)
  
• And, if I judge it by the same standards I apply to fanfiction... it falls short. I can think of several fics I find more compelling, and just as well-written.
  
• I guess I feel that it lacks a certain edge. I think this is VERY related to some discussions I have been having with wulfila lately, about the ideal of the noble, beautiful hero, and the question of whether we should be writing them. One of the claims I made was that the most popular heroes fall far from this ideal, and I gave the examples of Lancelot, Maedhros -- and Achilles. A different claim I forgot to make was that actual idealized heroes would be boring to read about. Well, I feel like this book idealizes Achilles so much that it makes him boring. (It does keep Odysseus interesting -- but then an author would have to be truly incompetent to mess up such a great character.)
  
• I guess I also feel that it is overshadowed by the Iliad. Shocking, I know. But it's like the Iliad is painted in a wide range of colours, vivid and muted, light and dark, and this book is a small pale study in pastels.
  
• Anyway, the specifics of The Song of Achilles aside -- the whole experience of reading something so lauded, and so comparable to fanfiction, really made me realize just how rich our playground is, here, and how lucky I am to have found it. Go fandom!
  

And now that I have bored everyone, I would like to draw people's attention to the gay claymation version of the Iliad. I know I have linked to it before, but it remains fabulous and awesome.

Comments

[tehta.livejournal.com]

In this book, he is a lover (and healer), not a fighter, and described as "the best of the Myrmidons". (He also bores me a bit...)

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I can see 'the best of the Myrmidons' if 'best' is defined as 'biggest killing machine.' But I thought the entire plot of the Iliad was Achilles having a temper tantrum and leaving all his friends to die because someone else got to rape his prisoner first. But having said all that, he's a monster, but he's at least not boring.

And Patroclus always struck me as the erastes of that relationship - an older man who knew what he was getting into, knew he would probably die for the hubris of pretending to be Achilles, but did it anyway because he knew it would work. So I don't buy him as all starry eyed and awestruck. I think he was the grown up out of the two of them.

Obviously I'm the only one who thinks Patroclus is the real hero of the Iliad ;) (Although Odysseus comes close too.)

[tehta.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I meant Patroclus! In this book, he's a little younger than Achilles (less than a year, though) and very kind-hearted. He never really fights until the armour incident, and spends all his time hanging out with all the women Achilles claims as booty (and never sleeps with, being totally gay.) The whole fuss over Briseis is more about pride than anything.

[wulfila.livejournal.com]

Hm, so I guess this incident never happened, then, or is a major source of angst for Healer!Patroclus?

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Heh, right. So what she's saying is that he must be the 'woman' of the relationship because Achilles clearly can't be. Pah! I spit on her heteronormativity ;)