Rick Riordan and Edith Hamilton

Riordan, Rick "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" Puffin: 2005

Hamilton, Edith "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" Grand Central: 1942

I have mentioned that I read books that I can get in Korea. This book was bought at Home Plus for more than it would have cost in the United States, but I was planning on reading it last year but never got around to it. I often read books for young adults, and this one look interesting.

As luck would have it, I also found Edith Hamilton's book at the same time and read it again. I took Greek Mythology in college and this was the required text. It was fun re-reading it as the Riordan novel is heavily steeped in Greek mythology and I needed a refresher course.

In the Riordan novel, a youngster who finds himself in trouble because of unexplained magical powers all of the time. There are many similarities to the Harry Potter series. Percy finds that he has extra powers because his father is a Greek god. Things heat up considerably and he is in danger and his mother make a dash with him to a camp just for the half-blood kids of Greek gods. Just as Percy is almost at the camp, his mother is zapped in a golden light while his smelly step-father stays home and plays poker with his friends.

Even for half-bloods, Percy is special. He finds out later that his father is Poseidon. He has his enemies even among his fellow campers. Soon he has to go on a quest to save the world from an all out war between the gods because someone has stolen Zeus' lightening bolt and they think it is his father or even Percy. Two other people offer to help him. One of them is Athena's daughter.

The novel is full of references and experiences with the different Greek gods. The head of the camp is Dionysus, a favorite of mine who is being forced by Zeus to abstain from wine. I don't agree how the different gods are portrayed but they are for the most part accurate or at least according to Hamilton. I don't believe the idea that Zeus would forbid Dionysus to drink wine and found Riodan's attempts to ridicule Dionysus a bit too much.

Again, I thought the novel was a bit thin but it did keep my interest and I stayed with it without any difficulty. As stated, Harry Potter did come to mind on more than a few occasions, but I love the Harry Potter books and found them far more fulfilling and delightful. I doubt if I would stay with this series as long as the Harry Potter series.

As for Hamilton's book, I found her book to be as delightful as it was the first time I read it. The binding and paper is much cheaper now than it was when I first read the book. Still, the book is the same and that is what counts. I had gotten mixed up on several of the Greek heroes and gods and got that straightened out. For instance, I got Jason of the Golden Fleece and Perseus scrambled. Also, I did not know that the Medusa was pregnant by Poseidon when she was killed by Perseus and that is why Pegasus, another favorite, was born. I am not sure why Poseidon is associated with horses but he is. That is in both books but not the reason why. I found a very attractive picture of him in the surf with horses outlined in the waves that I have included. I could have fallen for that Poseidon if he walked onto the beach where I was myself.