Discussion of "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller

Join us in discussing this very gay retelling of the central story of the Iliad Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to be raised by King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. Achilles is strong, beautiful, and the son of a goddess, everything that the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet the boys become companions and their bond deepens as they become skilled in the arts of war and medicine. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller’s profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career. Short listed for the Man Booker Award and winner of the UK Orange Prize for Fiction 2012.