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Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Discussion in 'Books and Anime Discussion' started by Sol, Feb 17, 2010.

  1. Sol

    Sol High Inquisitor

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    Yes, the movie just came out, yes it sucked -- a lot. However, it completely failed to capture the excellence of Rick Riordan's storytelling. This is a complete series (but he's writing atleast another in the same universe) of five books geared towards preteens and young adults.

    The premise is that Western Civilization is based and dependent upon the Greek Pantheon of Gods. Particularly the Olympians, and that Mt. Olympus and all of the other magical places from Greek mythology are wherever Western Thought burns the brightest. Which happens to be America at the moment (cause we rock).

    As in most Greek myths, the Heroes are the bastard sons and daughters of the Greek gods getting frisky with some mortal. They perform quests and generally kick monster ass and take monster trophies.

    The storytelling is fast paced, action packed and absolutely hilarious. Think Dresden Files for your kid brother. The story itself is actually quite good and comes to a very well done conclusion. The battles are great. All in all, it's a ridiculously fun, if quick read. I finished all five in a little under a week.

    The books are:
    The Lightning Thief
    The Sea of Monsters
    The Titan's Curse
    The Battle of the Labyrinth
    The Last Olympian

    The man really knows his mythology, and I even found myself checking my copy of Edith Hamilton to do some quick research. Strongly recommended, regardless of age.
     
  2. Anya

    Anya Harley Quinn DLP Supporter

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    I think I will check it out. Thank you for the rec.
     
  3. Antivash

    Antivash Until we meet again... DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    Yeah I've read the first three. I'm just being a lazy douche about finishing the last two.

    They're pretty fucking awesome, truth be told. Some of the stylization of the writing kind of felt weird in the beginning, but it grows into itself quickly and really gets an interesting feel to it that you don't really want to stop...

    Also;

    Seriously. :| Someone needs to fucking do Percy rapes Thalia and Zoe fic. Sincerely. I don't hate Zoe nearly as much after the end of the book, but Thalia? Yes. Much hate. She's a fucking cunt who should die of aids of the cancer of the Leukemia.
     
  4. BloodRedSword

    BloodRedSword High Inquisitor DLP Supporter

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    They claim that it's the American version of Harry Potter... I respectfully disagree... Percy Jackson is way too awesome to be like HP.
     
  5. BadVoodoo

    BadVoodoo Sixth Year

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    Percy isn't a passive pussy content to be mediocre at best like HP, but he's not hardcore either. He's constantly having information withheld from him, but he keeps pressing for it.
     
  6. Anya

    Anya Harley Quinn DLP Supporter

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    So because of that they deserve to be raped? :(
     
  7. Sorrows

    Sorrows Queen of the Flamingos Moderator

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    Never clicked with the style of the books, though I read the first few, I think I started them when I was too old. The movie was meh, the guy who played Poseidon did a good job but other than that it was pretty bland.
     
  8. Sol

    Sol High Inquisitor

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    I think that in most cases a good book will capture the imagination regardless of the age group it's catered to. See: Harry Potter. And I still enjoy reading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as much now as I did when I first read them at age twelve.

    I'm pretty far outside the intended age on this one and I still enjoyed these books immensely. They weren't thought provoking or anything, but they were certainly entertaining. If you go in hoping for something that's going to set your brain on fire then you'll be disappointed. This is a roller coaster of a series.

    As for the movie, aside from the fact that Poseidon was Irish, I didn't really see anything to recommend him. I mean, he never really did anything. He's certainly nothing like his literary counterpart.
     
  9. Rumbleroar

    Rumbleroar Seventh Year

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    Just finished all 5 books (in two days). I really should of been reading Orlando Furioso, but these came rather highly recommended, and so I felt compulsed.

    I've enjoyed them a lot, as evident in the speed by which I chomped through them. The style, the character development, the intrigue. The author really knows his Greek Mythos, and I appreciated that with each new encounter Percy fell into. I had a bad habit of knowing what was going to happen, simply because the author does line his book up with recreations of the Greek Mythos, but with plausible spins.

    The spins are what got me, and I highly enjoyed each one of the books.
     
  10. Grubdubdub

    Grubdubdub Supreme Mugwump

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    Finished the first one. It's entertaining, but really predictable... it's fun to read, but it comes out rather childish.
     
  11. The DarIm

    The DarIm Groundskeeper

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    I read the first one when it first came out and read the others as they came out, and I have to say, it was pretty great. This is the sort of teen hero one can get behind. He's not rushing to be the most powerful or the best, but he's not a passive pussy either. He doesn't really angst much and no matter how much info is withheld from him or how much anyone tries to put him down, he at least keeps pushing and trying.

    Plus Riordan worked the Green mythos and their particular geography really well into the american land.

    Haven't yet seen the movie, but with the reviews it's getting, I'm thinking I'd be better off skipping it...and I was really looking forward to it too...
     
  12. Antivash

    Antivash Until we meet again... DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    Yes. Yes they do. Feminazi's all do. :| Though Thalia is more, I WAS HERE FIRST, I GET TO BE LEADER! She also reminds me of someone who would dye their hair 8 colors and shop at Hot Topic. :|
     
  13. Nemrut

    Nemrut The Black Mage ~ Prestige ~

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    I watched the movie and wasn't all that impressed to be honest, it was not a good movie. Is Percy like that in the books too? Cause if I were told that I was the son of Poseidon and thus a demi-god, the first thing I would do would be checking whether or not I can do stuff with water and not training sword fighting. And how exactly does that give him sudden amazing swordsmanship abilities? Were those just problems of the movie where they tried to rush it or does he really behave that way in the books?

    If it's different I might check the books out since I like Greek mythology quite a lot.
     
  14. Oneiros

    Oneiros Groundskeeper

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    Stupid daughter of Zeus bull if ya ask me. I'm with you on the Thalia hate.
     
  15. BloodRedSword

    BloodRedSword High Inquisitor DLP Supporter

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    I suddenly had a thought... Imagine Percy heading toward Olympus to ask Athena for Annabeth's hand in marriage few years down the road...

    :D
     
  16. Antivash

    Antivash Until we meet again... DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    :/ Screw you, Blood. Screw you.

    Although on an unrelated related note; Ive had an idea slash bunny slash stupid idea for a PJ fanfic during that whole Zoe/Thalia Cunt Celebration. I just need a plot for it;

    Instead of getting nabbed by Dios for dickery, he just straight up bails and tries heading off to the mountain himself. Quiet on the western front until he makes the Rockies. Shit happens, and he winds up stopping for breath in LA. Queue Percy/Hades alliance of awesome. 8D

    Whatchu think, bitches?
     
  17. Zarent

    Zarent Seventh Year

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    If you can write it well, I'd say go for it. Percy Jackson seems like a pretty good fandom for some of the DLPers to get into, and I'd love to have some stuff to read in it. Seems like a lot of creativity could be put into it.
     
  18. BloodRedSword

    BloodRedSword High Inquisitor DLP Supporter

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    Why screw me?

    :rolleyes:
     
  19. Antivash

    Antivash Until we meet again... DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    Because that's a shitty story and a horrid cliche. Why the hell are people so damned obsessed with that whole embarrassing "Asking for [Name]'s Hand" humor thinking it'll be awesome. All it really is, is a pathetic attempt at humor that always falls short. :mad:
     
  20. Ryuugi Shi

    Ryuugi Shi Hierarch

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    Truthspeaker speaks truth.