Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Set in Ancient Greece, this LGBT novel is a clever, modern twist on Homer’s Iliad, focussing predominantly on the characters rather than the story that we all know.
The story concentrates on one young man, Patroclus, and his inability to access his father’s kingdom or to make a name for himself. He bids for the hand of Helen of Troy but is laughed away and eventually joins the sanctuary of King Peleus, where he meets the eponymous Achilles.
Part love story, part action, this novel has something for everyone. While you can see the influences of the Iliad, it is more of a backdrop to the story of the two men – characters such as Odysseus are mentioned but they never become part of the main cast, so you don’t need to be a scholar in Ancient Greek to understand the plot!
I don’t feel like there are enough novels out there like this; the characters fit into the LGBT category and yet it is not their whole personality as it is in most novels. The characters are well-fleshed out and 3 dimensional, and their queerness is just a small factor in this. The story concentrates on their friendship and love for one another and their adventures that they have side by side, while expanding on a world that Homer created 2800 years ago.
If you like classic literature, LGBT novels, modern retellings or a good-old action story, then I think this could be the novel for you!
– @theroadtodoughnuts
reading for recovery 