It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality
Why I read this book Several times I've encountered reviews or comments refereeing to this series. I like mythology a lot, particularly Greek and Egyptian; this book is based on the former so I thought it would be a good series to give a shot.
What the book is about
Percy Jackson has never met his dad; he left him and his mom when he was a baby. He is also a problematic student, suffering from dyslexia and ADHD. Then one day, on a field trip a monster attacks him and all of the sudden everything starts making sense...sort off. He turns out to be the son of a god, making him a demigod. It seems like fun, except that now he is also a suspected of stealing Zeus lightning bolt and his mother is gone. He will have 10 days, before the summer solstice, to recover both.
First impressions
Harry Potter was first published in the late 90s (oh my, I am feeling old suddenly) while this series was published in 2005 so I cannot help to make comparisons. That said...the story building based on Greek mythology was very different and fun to read. I think I should've read this one on paper first, mostly because while I think Jesse Bernstein did a good job, he sounded to teenager-y for my image of 12 year old Percy.
Final thoughts
While I did not fall for any particular characters I enjoyed the book, mostly all the mythology references. That said...It felt a bit TOO much like HP, but replacing magic with mythology.
Things that I liked: The references to Greek Mythos and the modernization of several of the characters. The ferryman falling for Italian Suits and wanting a raise from Hades? That made me laugh; Auntie M 's garden emporium? Clever.
Things I didn't like: the predictability of the situations. The fact that Annabeth is supposed to know all this Greek history and yet it takes her forever to see or recognize obvious things ( i.e: Auntie M's garden emporium full of stone statues...but I guess is normal considering she is 12). The fact that none of the kids sound like kids.
Thing that annoyed me even though I realize I might be being ridiculous: Perseus is already the name of a son of Zeus; I know I am nitpicking, but couldn't the author use a name that wasn't already linked to a completely different god? Just saying.
The series seems to have potential but it wasn't enough to get me exited. I reserved the second book at the library and then will decided if I am dropping the series or not.
Even strength must bow to wisdom sometimes.
No comments:
Post a Comment