COULD YOU SURVIVE ON YOUR OWN, IN THE WILD, WITH EVERYONE OUT TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T LIVE TO SEE THE MORNING?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she …
COULD YOU SURVIVE ON YOUR OWN, IN THE WILD, WITH EVERYONE OUT TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T LIVE TO SEE THE MORNING?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.
Much of this is pedestrian YA, but the part that really struck me was the reality TV aspect. Collins excels in this area - exploring what it is like for her characters to be in life or death situations, but have to focus on how the TV audience will react and how that affects the situation. The concept is novel and really has room for exploring private vs. public self. I'm definitely going to finish off the series
When my wife first read this a while back, I read the first paragraph over her shoulder and couldn't resist making fun of it. The phrase "the reaping," smacked of cheap sci-fi melodrama. Later, after The Hunger Games blew up and everyone was hysterical over the movie, I tried reading the book again, but again couldn't get past a few pages. The sentences were too short, lifeless, devoid of meaning.
When I discussed this with my wife, she advocated for the "truncated" sentences as having more power due to the circumstances of the character in the story. This idea of the power of truncated sentences made me think immediately of Hemingway. And that's when I found out that she had never read Hemingway!
So I made her a deal. I would read this pop culture phenomenon of a book if she would read A Farewell to Arms.
I finished reading …
When my wife first read this a while back, I read the first paragraph over her shoulder and couldn't resist making fun of it. The phrase "the reaping," smacked of cheap sci-fi melodrama. Later, after The Hunger Games blew up and everyone was hysterical over the movie, I tried reading the book again, but again couldn't get past a few pages. The sentences were too short, lifeless, devoid of meaning.
When I discussed this with my wife, she advocated for the "truncated" sentences as having more power due to the circumstances of the character in the story. This idea of the power of truncated sentences made me think immediately of Hemingway. And that's when I found out that she had never read Hemingway!
So I made her a deal. I would read this pop culture phenomenon of a book if she would read A Farewell to Arms.
I finished reading the first book of The Hunger Games this morning, and I admit to enjoying it much more than I thought I would, given my initial reaction. Sticking militantly to her short sentences, the author creates a fantasy world of warfare, romance, and survival that reads like an updated, media-driven cross between The Most Dangerous Game and The Lord of the Flies. The fact that Collins' sentences are short and slick ends up contributing to the overall theme of all actions and words being tuned to the everpresent eye of the camera and an audience hungry for cheap action and thrills. The story is thus imbued with some sense of self-awareness and deeper critique of human society, though I do wonder whether the book thus ends up falling under it's own subversive critique.
In other words, it may be just a little too action driven and slick for its own good. I understand that it is a book marketed, ostensibly, for teen girls, and I also get that the entire realm of deeper thought and critique of society is left up to the reader to develop. And I do appreciate that the main character is a girl who is strong and who resonates with values of the working class and the poor. But I wonder about the shallow world, lacking any sense of real history, that Collins has created, and about the true powerlessness that her characters have if that world is taken as one of reality. There is no hope in such a world, no matter the outcome. Such worlds can indeed be effective settings for deeper explorations of humanity, such as Cormac McCarthy weaves in The Road and Blood Meridian.
I question whether the depth of feeling we are ultimately made to feel for Katniss, Peeta, and Rue is fully earned, and furthermore, the critique that then comes as a result of that questioning must be confined to pointless comparisons of our own society. I say pointless, because beyond some obvious parallels to the patrician society of Rome, there's nothing enough to add up as a substantial critique, beyond our own infatuation with sensationalist media and our own ease in being led towards projecting emotion for characters that stand unmoored from any history or depth of context and relationships.
It either speaks to the power of the author that this is indeed her very point, or it speaks to our credulousness as consumers. I guess I'll just have to let you be the ultimate judge on that point.
At the end of the day, the most we can say, perhaps, is that we enjoyed the experience.
Review of 'The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Entertaining? Yes. Was I expecting more? Yes.
So I'm a bit late to this series, but I wanted to read it before seeing the movie. If you are looking for a good "vacation" read, this will definitely satisfy.
However, I had one fundamental issue/nitpick/complaint about this book: It reads like one long run-on sentence. Seriously! There is absolutely no pacing and no sense of time. Apparently the actual "Game" itself lasted weeks! But there is zero sense of that time passing when you read it. I imagine Katniss as the narrator telling this story in complete monotone and never once stopping for breath.
Glad I finally got around to read it, but sincerely wished it was better.
I don't know if, after reading these books so long ago, I could write a review for each one...so I'm going to write and all-encompassing review of The Hunger Games Trilogy.
The Hunger Games (Book #1) - The best of the three. Catching Fire (Book #2) - Gets better from about the half-way point on. Mockingjay (Book #3) - Not that great. Probably the weakest of the three. Then the ending sucked HARD.
The Hunger Games is a story about North America after a horrific war has wiped out life and government as we know it. The survivors have banded together to form the Capitol City and various outer Districts, each with its own jobs/manufacturing tasks. The Capital City controlled everything to the point that the Districts rose up and revolted. And they were crushed. To remind the Districts that they must never revolt again, the Capital initiated The Hunger …
I don't know if, after reading these books so long ago, I could write a review for each one...so I'm going to write and all-encompassing review of The Hunger Games Trilogy.
The Hunger Games (Book #1) - The best of the three. Catching Fire (Book #2) - Gets better from about the half-way point on. Mockingjay (Book #3) - Not that great. Probably the weakest of the three. Then the ending sucked HARD.
The Hunger Games is a story about North America after a horrific war has wiped out life and government as we know it. The survivors have banded together to form the Capitol City and various outer Districts, each with its own jobs/manufacturing tasks. The Capital City controlled everything to the point that the Districts rose up and revolted. And they were crushed. To remind the Districts that they must never revolt again, the Capital initiated The Hunger Games. Each District must deliver one boy and one girl to fight to the death against the other District children for food.
All this happens before our story begins...
We begin with the 74th annual Hunger Games and our main character, Katniss Everdeen from District 12, is competing in the Games. While it won't shock readers to know that the main character wins the Hunger Games, there are still surprises, twists, and gut-wrenching scenes of loss and heartbreak. This is the first book. It was fantastic and an exceptional read. The Hunger Games could stand alone without the other two books and still be a knock-out first novel. In fact, I kinda wish I stopped reading here.
The second book picks up with the Victory Tour that follows the Hunger Games. Katniss, am anti-authoritative rebel, ended up pissing off the leaders of the Capital City with her actions in the 74th Hunger Games. So during the Victory Tour, she has to deal with the consequences of her actions from her Hunger Game win. This part really seemed somewhat repetitive and boring, especially after all the excitement of the first book. Then, everything changed from the middle of the book on. And it was almost as good as the first book. Definitely full of unexpected surprises until the cliffhanger ending...
The third book picked up from the cliffhanger ending of book two and completely different than the other two books. Mockingjay deals mostly with Katniss Everdeen being the figurehead of a District-wide revolt against the Capital City. The difference in plots alone doesn't make the book bad, just not as interesting as the other two. Then came the surprise "dramatic" conclusion to the trilogy and...IT SUCKED HARD. The ending was SO BAD it pretty much ruined the entire trilogy for me. I don't think I'd ever read these books again, cause I know how it ends and IT. IS. HORRIBLE.
My advice to anyone...Read "The Hunger Games" book #1 and THEN STOP.
Review of 'The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I'm afraid after finishing this, my opinion is one of a somewhat overrated, low-brow book. There's no doubt that it's incredibly enthralling and more or less impossible to put down (I've read it within 2 days). But there was something about the book which didn't really convince me, something somewhere between the mediocre writing style of the author and the facepalm-worthy naiveté of Katniss (when it comes to some topics). In addition to that, it is ridiculously predictable and the graveness of the situation never really sinks deep. You could say it's a bit shallow for a dystopia. I've read all the dystopian masterpieces from 1984 over Brave New World to The Handmaid's Tale, so I suppose I have high standards.
While the content as well as the morality within is a bit heavy handed, I appreciate the fact that it was extremely tightly plotted. Only 3 or 4 times did the author feel the necessity to repeat scenes to heighten the tension. Some scenes seemed a bit to heavily borrowed as well, with the protagonists fighting a pack of human wolves atop a brass sculpture in the sunset.
I suppose that I am willing to forgive a bunch, so long as it doesn't ramble.
Review of 'The Hunger Games Movie-Tie in-Edition [Paperback] [Nov 10, 2014] SUZANNE COLLINS' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
An interesting setting houses an action-packed plot and some intriguing sci-fi ideas. But, the writing is clearly aimed a teen girl audience and to be sounds clumsy, particularly the narrator's inner monologue. I assume the movie will be retooled for a blockbuster's general audience by omitting the narration but keeping the violent action and will be, as a result, better than the book. If that turns out to be true, I will avoid the book sequels but see the movie sequels.
This book reminded me why I enjoy reading young adult fiction. Yes, you have to deal with a little teenage angst, but I prefer that over some of the adult novels which try to hard to mask their characters in a confidence which I'd be willing to bet doesn't really exist.
I read this book because the movie is coming out, but I had no expectation that I'd like it. I thought it might be a version of the Twilight books. My expectations were completely unfair. Although it's clearly for the "Twilight" era young reader, it's a much better book. Strong women characters, a slightly unrealistic world, but still interesting. A main character who is complicated, flawed and well worth rooting for. A fun read!
Review of 'The Hunger Games Movie-Tie in-Edition [Paperback] [Nov 10, 2014] SUZANNE COLLINS' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Very engaging book. Fast-paced and a quick read. The main character can be frustrating, and I agree with Stephen King's take that "displays of authorial laziness that kids will accept more readily than adults". I have never read Battle Royale, but am familiar enough with the book and the movie to note the similarities. Still, I will be picking up Book Two.
Yeah, I read it. And I liked it, for the most part. I'm not a big fan of present-tense writing, but it does give the story a quick pace. The character pissed me off with her inability to understand her own feelings, but it seems like that's the way the author wants it, so I suppose it's forgivable.
Review of 'The Hunger Games Movie-Tie in-Edition [Paperback] [Nov 10, 2014] SUZANNE COLLINS' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Quiconque aura lu ou vu Battle Royale reconnaîtra une intrigue très proche entre les 2 livres : des ados balancés dans une zone de bataille où ils devront s’entretuer par tous les moyens possibles jusqu’à ce qu’il ne reste qu’un seul survivant. Le tout étant filmé façon téléréalité, dans une société dictatoriale où chaque individu est obligé de regarder et de suivre assidument The Hunger Games. Bref, cette trilogie étant destinée à la jeunesse, on pourra être déçu par le réalisme édulcoré de la chose, car Battle Royale ne nous épargnait pas grand-chose. Passé cet éventuel a priori, on peut (ou pas) profiter du premier volume de la trilogie. Des ados donc, qui en bavent dans leur district, qui luttent pour survivre. Katniss, notre jeune et intrépide héroïne, nous narre son histoire au présent et se révèle une jeune fille responsable, aimante, mais habituée à garder ses émotions et ses …
Quiconque aura lu ou vu Battle Royale reconnaîtra une intrigue très proche entre les 2 livres : des ados balancés dans une zone de bataille où ils devront s’entretuer par tous les moyens possibles jusqu’à ce qu’il ne reste qu’un seul survivant. Le tout étant filmé façon téléréalité, dans une société dictatoriale où chaque individu est obligé de regarder et de suivre assidument The Hunger Games. Bref, cette trilogie étant destinée à la jeunesse, on pourra être déçu par le réalisme édulcoré de la chose, car Battle Royale ne nous épargnait pas grand-chose. Passé cet éventuel a priori, on peut (ou pas) profiter du premier volume de la trilogie. Des ados donc, qui en bavent dans leur district, qui luttent pour survivre. Katniss, notre jeune et intrépide héroïne, nous narre son histoire au présent et se révèle une jeune fille responsable, aimante, mais habituée à garder ses émotions et ses sentiments pour elle. Pour éviter à sa petite sœur une mort certaine et publique, elle se porte volontaire à sa place pour participer aux « Jeux de la faim ». De prime abord l’histoire m’a paru assez simpliste, surtout dans son traitement : jeune fille débrouillarde, une ado pleine de promesses encore à l’état de chrysalide qui va devoir se révéler devant un peuple tout entier, devant des millions de gens opprimés obligés d’assister à la romance naissante des principaux protagonistes. Au-delà de ces aspects cucul-la-praline, on peut voir une inquiétante version de nos téléréalités toujours un peu plus trash et indignes. Suzanne Collins porte cet art à son paroxysme, les participants meurent massacrés, les plus aimés du public reçoivent des « cadeaux » de la part de sponsors émus par leur personnalité, leurs récompenses étant conditionnées par leur comportements et tactiques de survie. Le soin que met l’équipe des stylistes pour présenter les candidats au mieux démontre à quel point l’apparence est un point crucial du déroulement des jeux. Chacun doit non seulement paraître à son avantage, mais doit correspondre à une image bien précise à donner au public. Ainsi Katniss, à moitié fille des bois à moitié garçon manqué, apparaît féminine, délicate et innocente lors des présentations. Car au-delà de la nécessité de se défendre, d’attaquer afin de survivre par les moyens, il faut aussi plaire au public et lui donner des frissons, en assurant un spectacle de tous les instants. Katniss devra elle aussi jouer un rôle, au point de se perdre et de perdre (un peu) le lecteur au passage. L’auteur essaie de jouer avec les nerfs du lecteur, mais les grosses ficelles sont vraiment très visibles, même si sur la fin elle s’en sort avec une ou deux pirouettes, toutefois pas très fines. Dans tous les cas, la sauce prend assez bien, malgré tout, pour me pousser à lire la suite dans la foulée.
