I liked this book for many of the same reasons I loved Miller's more recent CIRCE. It's sort of a warp-to-weft novel, with the story of the Iliad's hero being told not by Achilles but by his sidekick and (in this book) lover Patroclos. The language is lovely and poetic; the pace quick. I thought the homosocial/homosexual bend is handled beautifully. Miller convincingly elaborates and elevates the psychology of these two men during the events of the ten-year war, so we understand why the theft of Briseis, for example, matters so deeply to Achilles, and as a result, Briseis becomes a rounder, more complex characters as well.
A few favorite lines that I read aloud just for the pleasure of hearing them in my ear. (And I know this doesn't do them justice; part of why they strike me is how they appear in relation to their context. But still, I want to share!)
I was listening to the drumbeat of my own impatient heart. "Hurry, I remember saying."
The gray sand, the gray sky, and my mouth, parched and bare.
I sank into the trailing thoughts of dreams.
Cleopatra, Patroclus. Her name built from the same pieces as mine, only reversed.
No spoilers but my heart broke a bit at the end. Would definitely recommend!
No comments:
Post a Comment