2022 book club⤴

august book

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

fantasy · young adult · adventure · Greek mythology | 300-400 pages

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction — Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.

discussion

next club meeting date: Thursday, September 1 @7:30pm

discussion questions (spoilers):
  1. What do you think of the way the gods are depicted in the book? Do you think that the more human, modern portrayal of the gods and their domains makes them easier or harder to believe in?
  2. Chiron describes Western Civilization as “a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years.” He says the Greek gods are part of this, and move around as different nations become the central power of Western Civilization—Greece, Rome, Germany, France, England, the United States. What do you think of this idea? Is “the West” a clearly identifiable cultural force?
  3. Does Percy seem like a pawn? Why or why not?
  4. What do you think of the book's portrayal of the afterlife? Do you think believing in paradise and punishment makes people more likely to do good deeds?
  5. When Percy finally meets his father, Poseidon seems distant and hard to read. Percy says that he is actually glad about this. Do you agree with Percy? Do you find yourself liking Poseidon or not?
  6. How does the last line of the prophecy — you shall fail to save what matters most in the end — come true? What do you think of this ending? Did Percy make the right choice? What would you have done in his place?
  7. In the end of the book, do you sympathize at all with Luke’s feelings of betrayal? How does his story act as a foil (a counterpoint) to Percy’s own?

Questions adapted from TODAY.