Showing posts with label Greek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greek. Show all posts

Monday, April 23, 2018

Circe

I just finished reading Madeline Miller's Circe, another Parnassus Book Club pick, and I really loved this book. I read it in just a few days, despite all the schoolwork I should've been doing during that time. The ending moved me to tears, not because of a tragic end, but rather because the book was over, and I had to move on with my life.
Miller traces her way through a significant portion of Greek mythological history and epic poetry through the eyes of Circe. Circe is mainly known for her role in delaying Odysseus on his epic journey home, but Miller creates a powerful feminist figure in a world populated by gods, monsters, magic, and men. Told in the first person entirely from Circe's viewpoint, Miller's characters breathe personality and life, and her world bleeds violence and fear and power. Her prose was descriptive and utterly enthralling; I was desperate to keep reading the entire time. From the tensions (and politics) between the Titans and the Olympians, the tales of Daedalus, the Minotaur, and Medea, to the events of the Odyssey, years of Greek story flow by Circe's secluded island of Aiaia. This book tickles all those half-remembered memories of Greek and Classical mythology and Homerian epics that you forgot about and brings them back in a way that brings new narratives forward.

Monday, July 30, 2012

The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune is the second book of the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. I suggest you do not read this post unless you have already read the first book of the series, The Lost Hero, as there may be spoilers.
At the end of The Lost Hero, we have a good idea of where the missing Percy Jackson is now. The Son of Neptune rejoins Percy at Camp Jupiter, where he has made some new friends: Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque. When the three embark on a dangerous journey to Alaska, they have a chance to regain their cohort's honor - or to die trying.
Hazel is a daughter of Pluto who's keeping some dark secrets to herself. Hazel's secrets will be revealed before the group confronts a powerful Giant. Frank is a nervous kid whose life is tied to a piece of firewood. He knows his family had a powerful inherited gift, but Frank doesn't even know what the family power is, much less how to use it.

Personally, I enjoyed reading The Son of Neptune and thought it was a good book for children.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero was written by Rick Riordan. It is part of the Heroes of Olympus series, which unravels the new prophecy revealed at the end of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

This book gives you lots to think about right from the very start. Jason wakes up holding hands with a girl who claims to be his girlfriend. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any memories of her - or of anything at all for that matter. Piper and Leo, Jason's girlfriend and best friend, respectively, are understandably worried. However, the three young demigods are about to have a lot more on their minds than just mysterious memory loss. As demigods, they make great monster magnets. They may even have a part to play in the Great Prophecy, which was revealed at the conclusion of the Second Titan War.

The Lost Hero gives you plenty to puzzle out. Who is Piper's goddess mother? What is Leo's secret that he's keeping from everyone else? Why does Jason seem to know all about the demigod world, and yet have no memories of his past? And what is behind the mysterious impossibilities becoming ever more common as the young demigods proceed on their quest? The journey continues in The Son of Neptune, Rick Riordan's next Heroes of Olympus book.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Percy Jackson and the Olympians


Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series of five books and two supplementary guides. It begins with The Lightning Thief and ends with The Last Olympian. The series has also inspired a movie. Although it is intended for younger readers, Percy Jackson and the Olympians is still a fun series to read. This series has become extremely popular among kids.
Rick Riordan is the author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He has begun writing the Heroes of Olympus series, taking place in the world of Percy Jackson and beginning with The Lost Hero. Another series of children's books by Rick Riordan is the Kane Chronicles, beginning with The Red Pyramid. He has also written various other children's books and books for adults.
The Percy Jackson and The Olympians series focuses on the adventures of Percy Jackson, a modern day demigod. Percy's father is Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. However, because Percy's father is one of the "Big Three" (Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon), Percy is more powerful than most demigods. This also makes him more attractive to wandering monsters looking for lunch. The Great Prophecy, which Percy is not allowed to see, may concern Percy closely, but until he knows more he'll just have to concentrate on surviving.