The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters
Cover of unknown later US edition with Rocco illustration (same as first ed.)
Author Rick Riordan
Cover artist John Rocco (depicted)
Country United States
Series Percy Jackson & the Olympians (book 2)
Genre Fantasy, Greek mythology, young-adult novel
Published April 1, 2006
Publisher Miramax Books and Disney Hyperion[1]
Media type Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book
Pages 279[1]
ISBN 0-7868-5686-6
OCLC 64664383
LC Class MLCS 2006/45756 (P)[1]
Preceded by The Lightning Thief
Followed by The Titan's Curse

The Sea of Monsters is an American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan and published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief. This book chronicles the adventures of thirteen-year-old demigod, Percy Jackson as he and his friends rescue his satyr friend Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus and save the camp from a Titan's attack by bringing the Golden Fleece to cure Thalia's poisoned pine tree.

The Sea of Monsters was released on April 1, 2006,[2] by Miramax Books, an imprint of Hyperion Books for Children[1][2] and thus Disney Publishing (succeeded by the Disney Hyperion imprint). It was generally well–received and was nominated for numerous awards, including the 2006 Book Sense Top Ten Summer Pick[3] and the 2009 Mark Twain Award.[4] It sold over 100,000 copies in paperback[5] with over one million copies total[6] and was released in audiobook format on September 6, 2006. The Sea of Monsters is followed by The Titan's Curse, the third book of the five in the series.

A film adaptation of the book, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, was released on August 7, 2013.[7]

Plot

In the first book, Percy Jackson is a 12 -year-old boy who doesn’t yet know that he’s the son of Poseidon, and thus a demi-god. In The Sea of Monsters, Percy becomes aware of his half-immortal status and his super-powers, and confronts Luke Castellan (son of Hermes), who stole a lightning bolt that would have allowed the evil Titans to break out of their prison. The novel opens on a peaceful year at Camp Half-Blood, the prep school for demigods where Percy is in the 7th grade. The world seems stable enough, and Percy’s only real challenge is Tyson, his very tall, mentally limited half-brother, who considers Percy to be his best friend. Because Percy is kind, he doesn’t tell Tyson to leave him alone, even though Tyson’s constant presence makes finding friends a little difficult. However, Tyson, who’s actually a baby cyclops, is a useful friend to have around. He saves Percy’s life twice: once from a gang of laestrygonians (giants that feed on humans), and once from a horde of Colchis Bulls (massive, fire-breathing creatures made by the god Hephaestus). His friend from the first novel, 13-year-old Annabeth brings some bad news. An unknown enemy has weakened the protective walls of Camp Half-Blood by poisoning the tree of the demi-goddess Thalia. Time is of the essence: unless the young people can find a way to stop the walls from crumbling, there will be no protective space in the entire world for demi-gods like Annabeth, Percy, and Tyson. Chiron, a wise centaur, is accused of poisoning the tree. The only evidence of his guilt is that his father is Kronos. Percy has a dream that suggests that the Golden Fleece, a powerful object in Greek mythology, can cure the poisoned tree of Thalia. It doesn’t take long for Annabeth to realize that Grover, a satyr who was sent by the Gods to guard Percy, has the fleece.

Due to his charm and skill with a sword, Tantalus becomes the new camp counselor, replacing Chiron. Tantalus sends Clarisse La Rue to find the Golden Fleece, while Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson strike out on their own to find Grover.They distrust Luke and don’t tell him their real intentions. The god Hermes helps them reach the ship Princess Andromeda, which takes them closer to the Gray Sisters, where they believe the Golden Fleece to be. But once on the ship, they notice that all of the tourists are zombie-like and live among monsters without any objection. Luke Castellan captures them, and they learn that he is working to revive Kronos, the leader of the Titans, who was cruel to most living beings and is considered the enemy of his son, the ruling god, Zeus. The trio escapes on an emergency lifeboat, and take shelter in hideouts that Annabeth and Thalia built as children. Later, while sailing through the sea, a hydra finds and attacks them, but Clarisse La Rue is nearby and defends them from her ship, the CSS Birmingham.

Annabeth, Percy, and Tyson journey on the CSS Birmingham to the Bermuda triangle (aka the Sea of Monsters). The mythic figures from the Homeric tales, Charybdis (a terrible whirlpool) and Scylla (a female monster who resembled a massive hawk) attack and destroy the ship. It appears that Tyson and Clarisse are killed in action, so Percy and Annabeth board another life raft and head toward the nearest island. Like Odysseus, after travelling through the narrow strait that Charybdis and Scylla guarded, the two land on the island of the queen-witch Circe. Realizing she is not to be trusted, and seeing that she has turned dozens of men into guinea pigs, they rush to leave the island. They escape on the famous Queen Anne’s Revenge, a former pirate ship. Percy and Annabeth pass the Sirens, and Annabeth confesses her insecurities to Percy. They reach the island of Polyphemus, which is ruled by the notorious cyclops, Polyphemus, who happens to be Poseidon’s son and Percy’s half-brother. Before journeying to the center of the island, Percy and Annabeth meet Grover and learn that Clarisse and Tyson are alive. They also have the fleece! The group returns to the mainland, vanquishing Polyphemus along the way in a bloody battle. Clarisse, in possession of the Golden Fleece, take a plane to Camp Half-Blood, but the others are soon captured by Luke Castellan. However, Percy manages to send a message to Camp Half-Blood in which Luke admits to poisoning the three of Thalia; the elders see their mistake and reinstate Chiron as the camp counselor. When Luke finds out, he challenges Percy to a duel. As Luke is one of the best sword masters in the world, he wins easily. He’s about to go on a rampage and murder the rest of the group, but the centaurs, led by Chiron, appear and whisk the group away. Back at Camp Half-Blood, Chiron’s position as camp counselor is officially restored. The Golden Fleece is applied to the tree of Thalia, and the poison is reversed. Camp Half-Blood is safe. (At least, until the next book, The Titan’s Curse, published in 2007).

Major characters

  • Percy Jackson: The son of Poseidon; a 13-year-old demigod who travels to the island of Polyphemus in the Bermuda Triangle to find Grover and recover the Golden Fleece. He is accompanied by Annabeth and Tyson, his half-brother, on the quest. He is successful in the end; and gives Clarisse the Fleece while he is attacked by Luke on his way to the Camp. However, he and his friends are rescued by Chiron and the Party Ponies.
  • Annabeth Chase: The daughter of Athena. A demigod who is 13 years old and a friend of Percy. She accompanies him to the island and helps him in his quest by rescuing Percy from Circe's island. Annabeth is injured by Polyphemus and recovers with the help of the Golden Fleece. She accompanies Percy to Camp after Chiron succeeds in rescuing them from the hands of Luke and the Titan army.
  • Grover Underwood: The guard for Percy given by the gods, a satyr who has been captured by Polyphemus during his search for the wild god Pan. Due to his poor eyesight, Polyphemus mistakes Grover for a female Cyclops. He is rescued by his friends Percy and Annabeth.
  • Clarisse La Rue: Daughter of Ares who was given the quest of retrieving the Golden Fleece. With the help of Percy and his friends, she is successful in her quest. Percy gives her the Fleece that she takes to Camp Half Blood. Polyphemus wishes to wed her after it is revealed to him that Grover is a male satyr.
  • Luke Castellan: The main antagonist, now 20; he works for Kronos. He captures Percy and the rest before being thwarted by Chiron and his brethren, the Party Ponies.
  • Tyson the Cyclops: Percy's half brother; he is initially portrayed as a homeless child before Annabeth helps Percy realize that he is a Cyclops. He accompanies Percy and Annabeth in their quest and befriends a hippocampus whom he names Rainbow. He is very big and has one brown eye. When Clarisse's ship explodes, he is presumed dead until it is learned that he survived due to his immunity to fire.

Critical reception

The Sea of Monsters generally positive reviews with reviewers praising the storyline, the themes and the author's style of writing.[8][9][10] "In a feat worthy of his heroic subjects, Riordan crafts a sequel stronger than his compelling debut," said a Publishers Weekly review.[11] School Library Journal singled out the novel's plot and main character, stating, "Percy is an appealing kid, and the subject of a chilling prophecy may resonate with readers."[9] Child magazine wrote, "Featuring the cliff-hangers and sassy attitude kids loved in The Lightning Thief – plus a surprising new family secret – this outstanding sequel should win over a fresh legion of fans."[12] Children's Literature called the writing extraordinary[12] and added, "This book, sequel to The Lightning Thief, is an amazing mixture of mythology and young adult fiction."[12] Matt Berman, of Common Sense Media, praised the book, saying "The Percy Jackson series continues to be pure fun, with the author doing nearly everything right to produce a book that few kids will be able to resist."[10] Norah Piehl of Kidsreads.com lauded the style of the book, and noted similarities with its prequel.[8] It sold over 100,000 copies in hardcover by the time paperback copies were released in April 2007.[5]

However, Kirkus Reviews was critical of the book, writing, "it's doubtful Percy wouldn't guess Tyson's otherworldly connection immediately after the dodgeball game ... some of the humor will zip over the heads of the target audience" although they added, "Percy's sardonic narration and derring-do would keep the pages turning."[2]

Awards

Adaptations

Audiobook

On September 6, 2006, a seven-hour and 54 minute audiobook version of The Sea of Monsters, read by actor Jesse Bernstein, who also narrated The Lightning Thief's audiobook,[17] was published worldwide by Listening Library.[18][19]

AudioFile magazine praised the audio book, raving, "This action-packed book (second in a series) will delight fans of Percy Jackson, the half-blood son of Poseidon, as Percy once again battles mythical monsters in modern-day settings while on his mission to save the tree that guards Camp Half-Blood."[19] They praised Bernstein, saying "Narrator Jesse Berns helps listeners slip right into the oddly engaging world that Riordan creates, in which contemporary teen characters and those from classical mythology intermingle"[19] and that he could successfully portray teenagers, while keeping the pace fast allowing listeners time to revel in the book's humor. Auditions have already been cast for this yet to be blockbuster. There may still be a few spaces for extras, though.[19] The magazine Publishers Weekly raved about Bernstein's "snappy delivery and all the right funny touches" that made the "action-packed fantasy such fun."[17]

Film adaptation

Following the box office and DVD success of the movie, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, a film adaptation of The Sea of Monsters was first reported in early 2011.[20] In fall 2011, it was confirmed that 20th Century Fox would release the film on March 27, 2013.[21][22] Filming began in April 2012. In February 2012, Mary Birdsong, Missi Pyle and Yvette Nicole Brown were cast as the Gray Sisters.[23] In March 2012, Nathan Fillion joined the cast as Hermes and Anthony Head, replacing Pierce Brosnan, as Chiron.[24][25] In April 2012, Paloma Kwiatkowski was cast as Thalia and The Hunger Games star Leven Rambin has been cast as Clarisse La Rue.[26] It was announced on May 8, 2012 that the film had moved up to March 15, 2013. But later it was postponed for an August 16, 2013 release.[7] Fox decided on a final release date for August 7, 2013.[27] Logan Lerman returned as Percy Jackson in the movie. Jake Abel also returned to the role of Luke Castellan. On January 2012 The Secret Circle star Grey Damon was cast as Chris Rodriguez. According to Alexandra Daddario, the film would be more similar to the book than the first film.

Graphic novel

The Sea of Monsters has been published as a graphic novel.

Sequel

The novel was followed by The Titan's Curse, released on May 1, 2007. In The Titan's Curse, Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Thalia go to a school to recruit two powerful demigods.[28] Like its predecessors, this book was well received and reviewers praised its humorous style and the plot of the story.[29][30]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The sea of monsters" (first edition). LC Online Catalog. Library of Congress (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved 2015-11-05.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Sea of Monsters review". Kirkus Reviews. April 1, 2006. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Book awards: BookSense Top Ten Summer Pick". Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  4. 1 2 "Mark Twain Readers Award". Missouri Association of School Librarians. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  5. 1 2 Nawotka, Edward. "Son of Poseidon Gaining Strength". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  6. ↑ Sarah, Weinman. "Will 'Percy Jackson' Author Rick Riordan Ever Reach J.K. Rowling Territory?". DailyFinance. DailyFinance.
  7. 1 2 "'X-Men: First Class' & 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' Sequels Set For Summer 2014; 'Independence Day 3D' Hits July 3, 2013". indiewire.com. 2012-05-31. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
  8. 1 2 Piehl, Norah. "Kidsreads.com – The Sea of Monsters". Kidsreads.com. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  9. 1 2 "The Sea of Monsters: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2". School Library Journal. 1 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  10. 1 2 "The Sea of Monsters review". Matt Berman. Common Sense Media. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  11. ↑ "The Sea of Monsters". Publishers Weekly. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 2010-07-23.
  12. 1 2 3 "The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #2)". barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rick Riordan : Percy Jackson". Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  14. ↑ "Barnes & Noble.com". Barnesandnoble.com. September 26, 2007. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Top Shelf Fiction Pick for Middle School Readers, 2006" (PDF). voya.com. Voice of Youth Advocates. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2008. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Mark Twain Award 2007–08 Winners". maslonline.org. Missouri Association of School Librarians. Archived from the original on September 21, 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  17. 1 2 "Sequels for summer". Publishers Weekly. 24 July 2006. Retrieved 2010-07-23.
  18. ↑ Bernstein, Jesse. "Jesse Bernstein". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Bernstien, Jesse (2006). "The Sea of Monsters". AudioFile. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
  20. ↑ 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Sequel Could Be Coming Soon?
  21. ↑ "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  22. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (12 October 2011). "Fox Moves Ahead With New 'Die Hard' and 'Percy Jackson' Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  23. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (February 29, 2012). "Missi Pyle, Yvette Nicole Brown, Mary Birdsong Join 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter.
  24. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (March 15, 2012). "Nathan Fillion to Play Hermes in 'Percy Jackson' Sequel (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  25. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (March 20, 2012). "Anthony Head to Play Chiron in 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter.
  26. ↑ Fleming, Mike (April 3, 2012). "Vancouver High Schooler Gets Dream Role In 'Percy Jackson' Sequel". Deadline Hollywood.
  27. ↑ "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters Moved up to August 7". ComingSoon.net. April 6, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  28. ↑ Riordan, Rick (April 1, 2007). The Titan's Curse. Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 978-1-4231-0145-1. OCLC 76863948.
  29. ↑ Piehl, Norah. "The Titan's Curse: Kidsreads". Kidsreads.com.
  30. ↑ Ruth, Sheila. "The Titan's Curse: Wands and Worlds Book Review". Archived from the original on October 23, 2008.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.