Although she did not read the Harry Potter series, she did make a point to see the first movie to try to understand what this popular phenomenon was all about. It immediately became clear to her that what author JK Rowling had brilliantly done was feed the hunger of young (and not-so-young) readers for a well-crafted, archetypal story.
On the other hand, after hearing Oxford educated (and part-time Oxford professor), Philip Pullman, being interviewed she did read - and deeply appreciate - his fantasy (archetypal) series, "His Dark Materials" the title of which comes from seventeenth century poet John Milton's Paradise Lost, Book 2:
Into this wilde Abyss,
The Womb of nature and perhaps her Grave,
Of neither Sea, nor Shore, nor Air, nor Fire,
But all these in their pregnant causes mixt
Confus'dly, and which thus must ever fight,
Unless th' Almighty Maker them ordain
His dark materials to create more Worlds,
Into this wilde Abyss the warie fiend
Stood on the brink of Hell and look'd a while,
Pondering his Voyage; for no narrow frith
He had to cross.
— Book 2, lines 910–920
(Aside: Please note Milton's reference to the 4 elements in line 912).
Currently, at the recommendation of one of her military clients at the barber shop who piqued her interest when he placed himself (as someone who is "trained to kill") in the plot of Cormac McCarthy's novel, "The Road", she is reading the first volume of "The Hunger Games" trilogy.
Like Rowling and Pullman, author Suzanne Collins has written her stories to appeal to younger readers. What this means - in the case of all 3 authors - is the writing style is simple, yet elegant, while the story itself is strong, well-crafted and strikes the archetypal nerve of its reader (which, under these exact circumstances, can legitimately and joyfully be of any age).
In Collins' case, the main classical source of her inspiration came from the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
Yum!
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