OCTOBER22, 2014
THEPERCYJACKSONPROBLEM
BYREBECCAMEAD
Rick.Riordan'series"Percy JacksonandtheOlympians" has soldupwardsof twentymillioncopiesworldwide.
Aboutayearago,thenovelistNeilGaiman delivered alectureattheBarbican, inLondon,onbehalfofthe ReadingAgency,anot-for-profitorganizationthatpromotesliteracyandreadingforpleasureamongchildrenandadults.Inthelecture,whichwasreprintedintheGuardian(
"Idon'tthinkthereissuchathingasabadbookforchildren,"heargued,adding thatitwas"snobberyand...foolishness"tosuggestthatacertainauthororparticulargenremightbeabalefulinfluenceuponyoungreadingmight beitcomicbooksortheworksofR.L.Stine.Fictionisa"gateway drug"toreading,Gaimansaid."Everychildisdifferent.Theycanfindthestoriestheyneedto,andtheybringthemselvestostories.Ahackneyed,worn-outideaisn'thackneyedandwornouttothem."Well-meaningadults,hecontinued,caneasilykillachild'sloveofreading:"Stopthemreadingwhattheyenjoy,orgivethemworthy-but-dullbooksthatyoulike,the21st-centuryequivalents ofVictorian'improving'literature.You'llwindupwithagenerationconvincedthatreadingisuncoolandworse,unpleasant."
Theoppositeargument-thatthekindofbookachildhashisorhernoseburiedindoesmakeadifference-hasbeenmountedelsewhere,notablybyTimParks,inanessay ( thatappearedontheblogoftheNewYorkReview ofBooks."Ifthe'I-don'tmind-people-reading-Twilight-because-it-could-lead-to-higher-things'platitudecontinuestobetrottedout,itisbecausedespitealltheblurring thathasoccurredoverrecentyears,westillhavenotroublerecognizingthedifferencebetweentherepetitiveformulaofferingeasypleasureandthemorestrenuousattempttoengagewiththeworld innewways,"Parkswrote. Heenlistedtheexampleofhisownchildren'sreadinghabits,andthoseofhisyoungstudents,toarguethatthereislittleevidencetosuggestthatreaderswillmakeprogress"upwardfrompulptoProust.""IseriouslydoubtifE.L.JamesisthefirststeptowardShakespeare,"heconcluded."Betterto startwithRomeoandJuliet."
ThisdebatecametomindearlierthismonthattheNewYorkPublicLibrary,whenRick Riordan,theauthorofthebest-sellingPercyJacksonseries,wasintowntopromote"TheBloodofOlympus,"thelatestandfinalvolumeinhissecondcycleofnovelsdrawinguponGreekmythology.Thefirst,"PercyJacksonandtheOlympians,"hassoldupwardsoftwentymillioncopiesworldwide,andmorethanthreehundredofhisyoungfansfilledtheCelesteBartosForumatthelibrary,whereHyperion,Riordan'spublisher,hadplaced promotionalT-shirtsandtemporarytattoosoneveryseat,andhadrangedstacksofsignedvolumesforpurchase.Theatmospherewasoneofhighexcitementandengagement,andifitistruethatIhave seenadultaudiencesinthatvenuesimilarlyrivetedbythepresenceofanauthor-KarlOveKnausgaard's rock-starappearance( ofhismostpopularcharacters, hasbeenmetbyuncontrollable squealing.
ForthoseunfamiliarwiththeRiordan'sOlympianfictions-whichistosay,peoplewithoutchildrenbetweentheagesofsevenand seventeen-theirhero,PercyJackson,thinksheisjustakidwithalearningdisabilityandatroublesometendencytogetkickedoutofschool,untilhelearnsthathisdifficultiescanbeexplainedbythefactthatheisademigod,theoffspringofPoseidonandamortalwoman.Inthe firstbook oftheseries,"TheLightningThief,"Percygetsshippedoff,attheageoftwelve,toCampHalfBlood,arefugeonLongIslandpopulatedbyhisdemigod peers.Therehelearnstheskillsbecomingofhislineage-swordfightingloomslarge-anddiscovershisownpeculiargifts:evenwheninjured,heismiraculouslyhealedandempoweredbywater.
Riordanhascomeupwithacleverconceit,whichisamusinglysustained.MedusaistheproprietressofagardencenterinNewJerseythatsellslifelikestatuary:no
prizesforguessinghowthestockisreplenished.Ares,thegodofwar,isabikerinaredmuscleshirtwhocomesarmedwithahugeknife.("Ilovethiscountry.BestplacesinceSparta,"hesays.)AdetourtoLasVegasfindsPercyandhispals beguiledbytheattractionsofacasino:videogames,lasertag,indoorskiing.TheseductivespellofindolenceisbrokenafterPercyfallsintoadisconcertingconversationwithakidinbell-bottoms,whoreferstosomethingorotheras"groovy."Thebell-bottomedkidhasbeentrappedinthe-ofcourse-LotusCasinosince1977,thoughhethinksit'sonlybeenacouple ofweeks.Percy,asnarrator,says,"Isaidsomethingwas'sick,'andhelookedatmekindofstartled,asifhe'dnever heardthewordusedthatwaybefore."
Thatslangy,casualstyleisahallmarkofthePercyJacksonbooks,whichoftenreadlikeafaithfultranscriptionofteenuptalk.Attheleveloflanguage,Riordan'sbooksmakeJ.K.Rowling's"HarryPotter"seriesseemasifitwerewrittenbySamuelJohnson.UnliketheHarryPotterbooks,which,notoriously(Iarticles/arts/books/2014/06/against_ya_adults_should_be_embarrassed_to_read_children_s_books.htrnl),have beenembracedbyadultreadersaswellasjuvenileones,thePercyJacksonbooksseempositivelycontrivedtorepeladultreaders,sothoroughgoingistheiraffectationofteengoofiness.
Riordanisaformermiddle-schoolEnglishand historyteacher,andattheN.Y.P.L.herevealedhimselftohavetheingratiatinginformalitystrategicallyadoptedbysomeofthebestandmostbelovedteachers.InaPowerPointpresentation,heshowedphotosofhimselfasanerdykid,saidthatthefirstbookhereadforpleasurewas"TheLordoftheRings,"talked abouthisloveofcomics,andshowedthefirstrejectionletterhe'dreceived,forastoryhe'dsubmitted toamagazineasateen-ager.Riordan'staleofhispublishingcareerwas,perhaps,oddlypitchedforapre-teenandteen-agedaudience;whenherevealedthattheadvancehereceived forhisfirstnovelwasfifteenthousanddollars,mynine-year-oldsonwhisperedtome,"That'salotofmoney."Thenagain,Riordan'ssenseofwhat kidswillfindinterestingorfunnyisclearlyhighlyattuned,evenifitmightoccasionallystrikeother,lessbest-sellingadultsassomewhatpeculiar.Theotherday,mysonreadaloudtomeanextendedjokeinvolvingH.M.O.sanddeductiblesfrom"TheBloodofOlympus,"whichhefoundhilariousinspiteofhisignoranceofthemysteriesunderpinningAmerica'shealth-insurance infrastructure.
Riordan'sbookspromptanuneasyinterrogationofthepremiseunderlyingthe"solongasthey'rereading"sideofthedebate-atleastamongthoseofuswhowanttoshareNeilGaiman'soptimisticviewthatallreadingisgoodreading,andyetfindourselvesbydispositionclosertotheTimParksendofthespectrum,worriedthatthosebooksonourchildren'sshelvesthatoffereasygratification arecrowdingoutthedifferentpleasuresthatmaybeofferedbylessgrabbyvolumes.Undoubtedly,Riordanhassingle-handedlysparkedanenthusiasmamongyoungreadersforGreekmythology,andifkidsaredressingupforHalloweenasApollo orPoseidoninsteadoflronManorageneric zombie,somuchthebetter.My sonandhispeersknow thetalesoftheGreekgodsfarbetterthanIdo,andifsomeofthatisduetoreadingbookssuchasMaryPopeOsborne'swonderfullyungimmicky"TalesfromtheOdyssey,"orfromhaving"D'Aulaires'BookofGreekMyths" intheread-aloudrotationfromanearlyage,agoodmeasureofthatfamiliarityhasalsocomeviaRiordan'sretellings.
Riordan hasbeen admirablyencouragingofreal-worldattemptstobringCampHalfBloodtolife:summercampsinspiredbyhisbookshavesprungupinvariouslocationsaroundthecountry,includingoneinProspectPark( andthatZeus hasbeenthrowingthunderbolts,isenoughtowarmtheheartofeventhemostskepticaldefenderoftheWesternliterarytradition.If anindelibleassociationbetweenAresandtheHellsAngelslingersintheseyoungreaders'minds,suchmaybethepriceoftheirmythologicalliteracy.
SowhyisitthatI'vebeenreluctanttohandovertomyyoungRiordanaficionadothereviewcopyIreceivedoftheauthor'sotherrecentpublication,"PercyJackson'sGreekGods"?Lavishlyillustratedonheavy,glossypaper,thisisRiordan'sanswertotheD'Aulaires'celebratedvolume.Itisthesamesizeasthatfamiliarbook,withitscoverevendrawingfromthesamecolorpaletteofyellowsandblues.Inside,itcontainstheoldstories,asretoldinthevoiceofPercyJacksonhimself:"ApublisherinNewYorkaskedmetowritedownwhatIknowabouttheGreekgods,andIwaslike,'Canwedothisanonymously?BecauseIdon'tneedtheOlympiansmadatmeagain'"
IngriandEdgarD'Aulaire,EuropeanimmigrantstotheUnitedStateswhoco-authoredmanybooksaftertheirmarriagein1925,retoldthemyths inaheightened,poeticlanguage:"Inoldentimes,whenmenstillworshipeduglyidols,therelivedinthelandofGreeceafolkofshepherdsandherdsmenwhocherishedlightandbeauty,"their bookbegins.Riordan'sbookstrikesaverydifferenttone.Itisinscribedwith obsolescence(Craigslist,iPhones,andthePowerballlotteryareinvoked)anddeliveredinthekindofjadedteen argotthatproves irresistiblycooltokidsfromgradeschoolup:''Atfirst,Kronoswasn'tsobad.Hehadtoworkhiswayuptobeingacompleteslimebucket."WhiletheD'Aulaireswrotethat"PersephonegrewuponOlympusandhergaylaughterrangthroughthebrillianthalls,"Percy'sintroductiontothestoryofDemeter'sdaughterreads,"Ihavetobehonest.IneverunderstoodwhatmadePersephonesuchabigdeal.Imean,foragirlwhoalmostdestroyedtheuniverse,sheseemskindofmeh."Theformerbook,whichwaspublishedfifty-twoyearsago,remainsmostlylucid,evenifinplacesitisstiltedanddated.ButIsuspectitwouldbeaverydiscerningelementaryormiddle school student--orawillfullyperverseone-whowouldchosetheoldversionoverthePercyJacksonretelling.Putthebookssidebyside,andtheD'AulaireslookmoreliketheDull'Aires,asPercyandhisdemigodpalsmightputit.(Wow-thisaffectiscontagious.)
Gaiman'sviewthatanybookthatisavidlyembracedcan serveasagatewaytoanenduringloveofreadingissurelytrue:myownearliestliteraryloveaffairwaswithEnidBlyton,thatmid-centuryspinnerofmysteriesandboarding-schoolstories,whoisamongtheauthorsGaimanlistsashavingbeendeemedbadforchildren.Butthemetaphorofthegatewayshouldpromptcaution,too, sinceonecangothroughagateintwodirections.Whatifthestrenuousaccessibilityof"PercyJackson'sGreekGods"provessoalluringtoyoungreadersthatitseducesthemintheoppositedirectionfromthatwhichGaiman'swordspresuppose-awayfromanengagementwithmoreimmediatelydifficultincarnationsoftheclassics,Greekandotherwise?Whatifinsteadofurgingthemontomore challengingadventuresonother,potentiallyperilousliteraryshores,itmakesyoungreadershungryonlyformoreofthepalatablesame?There'samyththatcouldserveasanillustrationhere.I'msuremysoncanremindmewhichone.
RebeccaMeadjoinedTheNewYorkerasastaffwriterin1997.