Thursday, February 9, 2012

The Olympians: Zeus and Athena by George O'Connor

Since I was a child and first watched The Clash of the Titans (the original version!), I have been intrigued by mythology and the gods.  I did a bit of reading on the subject in those days, but my interest was piqued again and I moved on to something new.  My interest has remained, though dormant, so when I saw The Olympians while browsing at the library, I immediately added them to my bag of goodies.

The Olympians is a new graphic novel series by George O'Connor.  Each novel illustrates the life of one of the Greek gods.  The author has done his research, trying to stay true to the myths in their oldest and purest form, even using the Greek translations instead of the more modern Latin versions (example:  Ouranos vs Uranus).  However, he also notes that he has simplified these myths of the original superheroes in his interpretations.

The first in the series is Zeus:  King of the Gods.  In this novel, we are introduced to the beginning of life according to Greek mythology and the most well-known god, Zeus.  He was the son of the most horrific of the Titans, Kronos, and dares to defeat his own father, even if it means the destruction of the universe.

The second in the series is Athena:  Grey-Eyed Goddess.  Athena is the goddess of wisdom and war, and the daughter of the infamous Zeus.  She is a mighty warrior, and most well-known for her creation of the creature Medusa.  The three fates share a number of her tales, from her birth through the path of becoming the warrior goddess she is known as today.

O'Connor's series is one that I intend to follow.  In graphic novel form and designed for the younger crowd, The Olympians will hook readers on the myths of Greece.  In fact, I see it being a gateway to the longer, more complicated classics.  I know it has for me!

Have you dived into the worlds of Greek mythology?  Share your experiences and recommendations.

2 comments:

  1. I think Z would really like this series too. I find more and more that graphic novels are a great gateway into certain subjects. Plus, I bought a Percy Jackson box set at our Scholastic book fair and I would love for him to have more background before he's old enough to read them!

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  2. Kristen M. ... I completely agree about graphic novels being a gateway! And, I really want to read the Percy Jackson series. I haven't yet, but I think it looks good and these could be a great precursor to them even for myself!

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