msjones Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I've been told and told that I must read this book. I'm not too far -- just far enough to read about the children bludgeoning one another to death in past games, or freezing to death... and not too sure I want to continue. (I'm generally a Charles Dickens/Jane Austen/Victor Hugo kind of reader, but also enjoy Cormac McCarthy-type stuff.) Is there more to it than a really violent version of Survivor? How violent is it? Is it explicit and gory and disturbing? Is it a gives-you-nightmares kind of book? Is there any redemption? Am I going to love Katniss? I'd love to hear from anyone who has read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabeline Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yes, you want to read it! I loved the whole trilogy. I recommended it to my friend that usually reads more Austin type books and she enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy it too.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Some of Cormac McCarthy's stuff is pretty brutal, so IMO if you can handle him, you can handle The Hunger Games. It is more than a violent version of Survivor. It is about social control, violence as entertainment and particularly about trusting gut instincts to find what is true and real...there's a lot of substance. More than there is to Survivor, anyway, lol. It is explicit without being gory, IMO. For me it was quite disturbing in that I am still haunted by some of the images, particularly from the first book, but it didn't give me nightmares. There is redemption, but it is hard-won. One of the things I appreciate about the book is that Collins doesn't have any all-good guys or all-bad guys. She tries to be very real in how she represents humans as beings both flawed and capable of great good. You will probably love Katniss and hate her, like and dislike her, and wish she made different choices and wish that the story was different at least once if you read the series. There was one point in particular (in the 2nd book) when I had to put the book down and walk away, and I seriously considered not continuing the series. I think it's worth reading and thinking about a lot, then re-reading when your kids are teens. There's much food for discussion. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 It isn't explicit. It tells you of violent things but it's more emotionally draining than violent. I found it a compelling series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I loved the series. Loved. It. I read them all back to back over the course of maybe a week or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orangearrow Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 it's a WONDERFUL series. Not graphically violent, nor is it gratuitous. I cannot handle gore and descriptive violence. This series has scenes that are definitely disturbing, but ... she does a master's job at keeping it on <--this side of too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 It's pretty violent and a few of the scenes were on the gory side for my tastes. I couldn't put it down, however. I really liked the first two books but the third book I found pretty disturbing due to the moral ambiguity of the ending. I particularly didn't care for the not-so-subtle political agenda the author put forth in making an analogy with a controversial incident in America's past. I disagree with her take on that event and felt that she made it too one-sided in her fictionalized depiction. And I worry that young people may not realize that the truth about the real event is much more nuanced than Ms. Collins' "spin" in her novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I just finished the trilogy last week - it's definitely worth the read. There's definitely a lot to chew on. I'm still thinking about some of the frivolties in the Capitol and how those relate to our society today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Am I going to love Katniss?I loved Katniss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldskool Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I started it, was disturbed, and decided it wasn't worth it. I am not sure why because I have read other similar books before (not for a while though). Maybe I need to pick it up at another time. Sometimes books just hit you wrong at certain points in time/life and they are fine later. I have also found that since having children of my own, my tolerance for these kind of books and movies is really low. Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I've been told and told that I must read this book. I'm not too far -- just far enough to read about the children bludgeoning one another to death in past games, or freezing to death... and not too sure I want to continue. (I'm generally a Charles Dickens/Jane Austen/Victor Hugo kind of reader, but also enjoy Cormac McCarthy-type stuff.) Is there more to it than a really violent version of Survivor? Yes, much more. How violent is it? There are some scenes that are pretty bad but, asstated by a pp. not gratuitous. Is it explicit and gory and disturbing? Yes to all three. Especially parts of the third book. Is it a gives-you-nightmares kind of book? Not "what's lurking behind the couch" nightmares but more of the psychological, questioning your philosophies and moral standards nightmares. Is there any redemption? yes, but it's not quite what you expect. Am I going to love Katniss? I didn't like her character by the end of the third book. But that might be due to the way the story was resolved. I did like Katniss better than Bella Swan from Twilight. My son read them over Christmas break and said they were along the same lines as Ender's Game. I expected him to have a number of questions and to need to talk about the books (like I did when I finished readingthem) but he moved right into the next book without really saying anything. Which is odd, I guess, now that I think about it. He is always talking about the books he reads. Mmmm...maybe I should bring it up. I'd love to hear from anyone who has read it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad 4 Boys Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I say don't read The Hunger Games unless you have time to also read the next two in the trilogy. If you end up liking HG, you won't be able to resist getting the other two, and they're just as hard to put down once you start them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yes, I loved the Hunger Games! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckabell Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I enjoyed "The Hunger Games", but it had a lot of tough material. The first book was my favorite, and the third my least. I am glad I read the series, but especially the third one was one of the books whose morals will stick with me for quite some time. Having said that, I have decided that the series will not be a re-read for me. I read them once and got what I needed, but they are too emotionally/morally hard to read again. One of the reasons I did like the series was that they didn't glorify war, but it wasn't entirely hopeless either. Crimson Wife, perhaps I'm dense but I missed the historical event she was alluding to. If it gives away too much information about the book would you mind PMing me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Crimson Wife, perhaps I'm dense but I missed the historical event she was alluding to. If it gives away too much information about the book would you mind PMing me? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 The Road is a book that I love to hate. The storyline is completely compelling, but the images stuck in my mind for ages. I think the thing about The Road was it was so "real" -- not sci-fi scary. Is the Hunger Games series as disturbing as The Road or is it more sci-fi-scary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I LOVED it. I recommended it so much that my DH, who has only read 1 book since high school, is reading it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I just finished the first book last week. I loved it! I have a long wait at our library for the 2nd and 3rd books but I'm willing to wait. I loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I loved the triology and read all of them within a week. I passed it onto my sister who also devoured them. There are parts as others have mentioned that are very disturbing, but they target who we are as humans and the lengths we may go to in order to protect ourselves/survive. The morality between the characters and within the society are relevant to humans today, and you will find yourself thinking about the various situations and the characters often. It has been weeks since I read them, and I will still periodically think about the characters. I recently recommended them to a friend of mine who has similar reading preferences to you, and she is enjoying them. The story is profound and gripping, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classical Country Mama Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I am an avid reader and tried reading HG, but I couldn't make it past the first couple of chapters because the writing was so poor--neither the story nor the characters grabbed me enough to keep going (and for the record, monsters like Brothers Karamozov are favorites of mine, so I'm used to slogging). Obviously many people are passionate about these books, though, so perhaps the writing improves. Or perhaps I was reading it on a morning before coffee. :D Based on what I read, I do not recommend these books to friends. However, I'd love to hear I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I put off reading it because the *concept* just seemed so horrific to me. I wasn't sure I could handle it. For me, it's not about the "gore", but the psychological aspects of being force to battle other innocent victims. It's just so very awful. But I did read it, and ended up reading the whole trilogy and loving it. I think it's excellent, and Ms. Collins handles a brutal topic in a fascinating, thought provoking, and careful way. Parts of it are ... well, I don't think there's much gore. It's violent, but it's the context of the violence that makes it horrific, not the acts themselves, devoid of context, that's hard to bear. I think it's worth reading. You have to read the whole of the series though, to get the full picture and to see where it's really going. ... Katniss is flawed, but yes, I think you'll come to love her despite her flaws... And other characters even more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I put off reading it because the *concept* just seemed so horrific to me. I wasn't sure I could handle it. For me, it's not about the "gore", but the psychological aspects of being force to battle other innocent victims. It's just so very awful. But I did read it, and ended up reading the whole trilogy and loving it. I think it's excellent, and Ms. Collins handles a brutal topic in a fascinating, thought provoking, and careful way. Parts of it are ... well, I don't think there's much gore. It's violent, but it's the context of the violence that makes it horrific, not the acts themselves, devoid of context, that's hard to bear. I think it's worth reading. You have to read the whole of the series though, to get the full picture and to see where it's really going. ... Katniss is flawed, but yes, I think you'll come to love her despite her flaws... And other characters even more... :iagree: with everything she said. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 I am an avid reader and tried reading HG, but I couldn't make it past the first couple of chapters because the writing was so poor--neither the story nor the characters grabbed me enough to keep going (and for the record, monsters like Brothers Karamozov are favorites of mine, so I'm used to slogging). You sound just like me! I haven't been "grabbed" by the story. And, like you, I'm very willing to slog along -- I loved the Brothers K! Like I said, I've only read the very beginning, but the writing seems very... thin. I think I enjoy reading beautiful writing as much as (if not more than) reading a good plot. That's why I like Cormac McCarthy. He's got more than a plot -- he's an amazing, awe-inspiring writer. I think I'll give it another half-hour or so.... I'm wondering why all the people don't revolt, start a revolution, do something other than go along with this "reaping" thing. If someone is essentially going to kill your daughter, would you really just hug her goodbye and send her off to her death while all the other adults just tsk, tsk? The whole premise just seems kind of silly and unbelievable to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I got through the first chapter and took it back to the library. The writing seemed so....blah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I started it, was disturbed, and decided it wasn't worth it. I am not sure why because I have read other similar books before (not for a while though). Maybe I need to pick it up at another time. Sometimes books just hit you wrong at certain points in time/life and they are fine later. I have also found that since having children of my own, my tolerance for these kind of books and movies is really low. :iagree: I am an avid reader and tried reading HG, but I couldn't make it past the first couple of chapters because the writing was so poor--neither the story nor the characters grabbed me enough to keep going (and for the record, monsters like Brothers Karamozov are favorites of mine, so I'm used to slogging). Obviously many people are passionate about these books, though, so perhaps the writing improves. Or perhaps I was reading it on a morning before coffee. :D Based on what I read, I do not recommend these books to friends. :iagree: I tried HG last year because so many people recommended it. I couldn't make it through because 1) the entire concept was so horrific that I had a hard time getting beyond that and 2) the writing was mediocre at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Actually, I think it's quite well written -- but it's a very stylized writing. It matches the story well, but it does take some acclimatization. I had trouble getting through the first few chapters because of that as well, just finding the cadence of the words. As to why the people don't rebel, the history of Panem and the Districts becomes clearer over time, and the sacrifice of rebellion as well. I don't think one has to look far in history or even current events to see situations of equal horror where the "people" are so downtrodden, powerless, and hopeless that they allow similarly awful things to occur over and over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 As to why the people don't rebel, the history of Panem and the Districts becomes clearer over time, and the sacrifice of rebellion as well. I don't think one has to look far in history or even current events to see situations of equal horror where the "people" are so downtrodden, powerless, and hopeless that they allow similarly awful things to occur over and over. This is one of the elements that makes it a compelling read and a good book for discussion. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 What's it like compared to Stephen King? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yes! I just finished reading The Hunger Games. It was great suspense and had some great we-shouldn't-go-there warnings about government and control. I was apprehensive about a story whose concept involved 24 children who were either going to wind up dead or murderers or both, but Collins accomplished it rather well. A few things were pretty brutal, but not gratuitously so. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I liked the beginning, but as they got into the actual games, I felt that the morality of the storyline was kind of glossed over. I also thought the whole romance angle was a little ridiculous, but I know they have to throw that in there because the protagonist is a girl. The parts where they get ready for the games annoyed me as well. I don't really care what outfits everyone was wearing, or what their hair looked like. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Crimson Wife, perhaps I'm dense but I missed the historical event she was alluding to. If it gives away too much information about the book would you mind PMing me? :iagree::bigear: :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Actually, I think it's quite well written -- but it's a very stylized writing. It matches the story well, but it does take some acclimatization. I had trouble getting through the first few chapters because of that as well, just finding the cadence of the words.:iagree: The story is told in present tense from a first person viewpoint, by a relatively uneducated girl in a wholly desperate situation. I forgive the character her terseness of thought and choppy sentences, a technique the author employs to heighten the reader's feeling of involvement and immediacy. However, I can see how it would drive some people crazy. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Actually, I think it's quite well written -- but it's a very stylized writing. It matches the story well, but it does take some acclimatization. I had trouble getting through the first few chapters because of that as well, just finding the cadence of the words. As to why the people don't rebel, the history of Panem and the Districts becomes clearer over time, and the sacrifice of rebellion as well. I don't think one has to look far in history or even current events to see situations of equal horror where the "people" are so downtrodden, powerless, and hopeless that they allow similarly awful things to occur over and over. I liked the writing too. The writing, the focus on the pomp, fashion etc. all of it works together to tell the story. What's it like compared to Stephen King? Nothing like. This might be considered to be more like Hitchcock in that it is more a mind game but it might also be more like Orwell because it has to do with forms of government, control etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yes, it's a great read. It's basically what the Roman Games would have been with technology. The Romans did bring technology to bear upon the games, I posted it a great article about it here) and it's a fascinating dystopian view of what could happen if... It's a good series to speed read.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 :iagree: The story is told in present tense from a first person viewpoint, by a relatively uneducated girl in a wholly desperate situation. I forgive the character her terseness of thought and choppy sentences, a technique the author employs to heighten the reader's feeling of involvement and immediacy. However, I can see how it would drive some people crazy. :D Hmm... this might help me enjoy the writing a bit. I'm going to give it another chunk of time tonight -- bowl of popcorn and all. I love a quick-reading series, and do enjoy some 'light' reading now and then. (I usually read classics, but my friends call me a book snob, so I make an attempt to read the NYT Bestsellers from time to time. ;)) I intend to like this book and appreciate everyone's input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 There is SO much more to it. I do not like violence at all, but I really enjoyed the entire series of Hunger Games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I just read the trilogy last weekend, and I really enjoyed it. Parts of it are a great social commentary, especially for the genre, which is usually fairly brainless (though oh so much fun). I thought it was a nice compromise- like a more serious novel, there was enough there to be intellectually stimulating, but with the compelling plot and action of a YA book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I loved it. If I had to compare it to any other book, I'd say it's most like Ender's Game. I read all three books in a week (I would have finished in three days if I'd had the time). The romance thing makes more sense as you get further into the story. I enjoyed the trilogy very much because the characters were so realistic and flawed. I long for the back stories of people like Cinna. He is one of my favorites. I plan on reading the trilogy again, but I have to wait for other people to be done with them first. :) Dd was literally asking me every few minutes if I was done with the second book because the first one ends with you wanting more. As soon as I read the last word she was grabbing it out of my hands. :tongue_smilie: HG is a million times better than Twilight (which I like ok, even though I HATED Edward--creepy!). ;) I even liked the ending of Mockingjay. I love Dickens and Austen, too, but HG is a very compelling, character-rich story. It did not give me nightmares like Stephen King (I've avoided him for several years now), but it did give me lots of food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I liked the beginning, but as they got into the actual games, I felt that the morality of the storyline was kind of glossed over. I also thought the whole romance angle was a little ridiculous, but I know they have to throw that in there because the protagonist is a girl. The parts where they get ready for the games annoyed me as well. I don't really care what outfits everyone was wearing, or what their hair looked like. :001_huh: Hmmm. Maybe you should have kept reading. The "romance" was an integral point to the plot and...well, I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll just say that it wasn't what you would think it was. And you are SUPPOSED not to care about their clothing. That's sort of the point. The people in the Capitol are so shallow that all they can think about is the clothing, while the contestants are preparing to die. It's supposed to annoy you that the clothing has such an important part in the games (to the people of the Capitol.) I think the term might be juxtaposition: comparing the shallow Capitol people to the rest of Panem, who live these very "real", gritty lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I'm surprised no one else seems to think that some of the violence is gratuitous. I enjoyed the books, and obviously it's gladiators and totalitarian regimes and war and all, so violence is expected. But some of the scenes (such as towards the end of the third book) struck me as somewhat gratuitously violent and gory, and felt more like the author showing off the creative killing methods she could think up than actual plot development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Both the violence and the fashion in the books are over the top. But Collins is purposefully making them over the top in order to make her points and raise the questions she wants to raise. Whether you think she's successful sort of depends on whether you like the series, IMO. I really enjoyed these books. But I don't think they're quite in the same league as The Road or something like Oryx and Crake, which is are more literary. The writing is solid and all, but Collins is primarily a storyteller (and nothing wrong with that - it's a well-crafted story). I think comparisons to Stephen King (even though her themes are very different) and Ender's Game are both good ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Read what Pres. Snow says to Katniss in the 3rd full paragraph on page 356 of Mockingjay and the 4th sentence from the end of the 1st full paragraph on page 377. Then think about the way WWII ended. See the analogy now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) Remember, The Hunger Games is adolescent lit - at my library they're in the teen section and not the adult section. That means that the character and plot and descriptions are less complex than a corresponding adult version would be (it also means the violence is not as graphic and that there isn't any explicit sex). They're also more sci-fi as a genre. I too would like to know what event is a historical characterization...I keep trying to figure it out and I can't. Is it something that occurred during WWII??? What I found intriguing is how the Capitol is basically modern LA culture x100 (the extreme fashion/cosmetic alterations) and that the rest of the districts were subdivision of the US. I was frustrated that character development was not nearly as robust in the second (and especially third!) books - that was annoying, as if she was rushed through the writing/editing of them or else ran out of inspirational ideas. The 1st book was the best by far IMO. Edited January 13, 2011 by Sevilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I really enjoyed the books. I'm not much of a fiction reader, but dd read them after dh did. She really wanted to be able to discuss it with me, so I read them. It wasn't too violent for me, but since I don't read much adult fiction, I don't know how to compare it to others. I enjoyed the first enough that I did want to finish the whole series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I'd say it's more sci-fi, but I was never *scared*, really. I agree with you about The Road and why it was a frightening, difficult read at times. The Hunger Games is not like that, although it is more violent, IMO. But there isn't any dwelling on it and I don't find it too graphic. (I'm a Stephen King reader, though, and this is nowhere near that.) Good story, but I was disappointed in Mockingjay. I was having FUN with the first 2 even though the characters were going through hardships...I guess I didn't take it too seriously and the third book hit me like a brick because it was SO serious/depressing. That was my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I enjoyed the series, but I don't think I'd read it again. The writing definitely took some getting used too (another classics junky here), but once I got into it, it did seem to fit the story line. I agree with the others that the violence, for the most part, is not gratuitous, but Collins manages to paint some pretty haunting images and ideas. I found Katniss annoying through a lot of it, but the plot was compelling enough to keep me hooked. I was disappointed in the 3rd book for a lot of reasons though. Some of which will spoil the story line if you choose to read the entire series, so I won't go into them ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Hmmm. Maybe you should have kept reading. The "romance" was an integral point to the plot and...well, I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll just say that it wasn't what you would think it was. That could be it. I've only read the first book...I did just check out the second book because the first one ended so abruptly (I hadn't realized it was a trilogy when I first read it) but I'm only a couple of pages in. And you are SUPPOSED not to care about their clothing. That's sort of the point. The people in the Capitol are so shallow that all they can think about is the clothing, while the contestants are preparing to die. It's supposed to annoy you that the clothing has such an important part in the games (to the people of the Capitol.) I think the term might be juxtaposition: comparing the shallow Capitol people to the rest of Panem, who live these very "real", gritty lives. I get that, but that part didn't ring true to me. It seemed like Katniss forgot all about the games at that point and got sucked into the whole fashion thing. I understand that we are supposed to think that the way the government lives is so seductive that she was just swept up in it, but I didn't buy it. She was headed into a life or death situation, and I don't think any normal person would ever forget that, no matter how many pretty dresses are dangled in front of them. I think it might be that I read a lot of YA novels and I am tired of seeing these protagonists that doesn't realize they are beautiful until somebody tells them so (or makes them over). For once I'd like to see a main character that isn't gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Some of Cormac McCarthy's stuff is pretty brutal, so IMO if you can handle him, you can handle The Hunger Games. It is more than a violent version of Survivor. It is about social control, violence as entertainment and particularly about trusting gut instincts to find what is true and real...there's a lot of substance. More than there is to Survivor, anyway, lol. It is explicit without being gory, IMO. For me it was quite disturbing in that I am still haunted by some of the images, particularly from the first book, but it didn't give me nightmares. There is redemption, but it is hard-won. One of the things I appreciate about the book is that Collins doesn't have any all-good guys or all-bad guys. She tries to be very real in how she represents humans as beings both flawed and capable of great good. You will probably love Katniss and hate her, like and dislike her, and wish she made different choices and wish that the story was different at least once if you read the series. There was one point in particular (in the 2nd book) when I had to put the book down and walk away, and I seriously considered not continuing the series. I think it's worth reading and thinking about a lot, then re-reading when your kids are teens. There's much food for discussion. Cat Exactly!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 (edited) The Road is nihilistic while The Hunger Games is dytopian lit. McCormack's style of writing is very poetic but I found The Road far more disturbing than THG regardless of any gratuitous violence due to the utter dispair and lack of redemption or purpose in The Road. It can be argued that the Mans relationship with the Boy was the point of redemption but it's a weak argument, imho. The violence of the "Games" was gratuitous. Wasn't that the point? Edited January 13, 2011 by laughing lioness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarthyMama Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Now I have to add these to my list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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