Ever since Homer, writers have had trouble describing the bonds that exist between friends. But if film and TV can focus on friendship, why can’t books?Patroclus is like a brother to Achilles, wrathful hero of the Greeks at Troy, and the other half of one of literature’s greatest friendships. When Patroclus dies in battle, wearing his beloved friend’s armour, Achilles laments – Homer tells us in another familial simile – like a lion who has lost his cubs.A century or so after The Iliad was written, the authors of the Book of Samuel also turned to the lexicon of family to depict the legendary bond between David and Jonathan. Their affinity is measured not just through comparisons with blood allegiances, but against them: David’s survival hangs on Jonathan’s willingness to betray his father, King Saul, to save his friend. Their story is a contest between the obligations of family and the free choice of friendship. Continue reading...
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