Some stories are so familiar and so woven into the other stories we know and tell that it's basically impossible to encounter them afresh or in a truly new light. Achilles and Patroclus as lovers isn't new, much less the Trojan War and its backdrop and principals, and telling it from Patroclus's perspective feels of a piece rather than genuinely illuminating - reading The Song of Achilles, I didn't feel the spark of anything piercing or unexpected. But it's graceful, well-crafted, clear - the characters, actions and choices feel real, the events and world in which they take place are persuasive and don't feel anachronistic. And so by bringing these so-familiar stories to life, again - that's worthwhile.
