The Hunger Games Trilogy

[Mel]

I ordered The Hunger Games trilogy from the library, but I didn't expect to really read it. I glanced at the first book, not expecting to be very interested, but after reading page 1, I couldn't put it down. I read the books as fast as I could. I enjoyed them so much, I ordered them again from the library. There aren't many books I want to read more than once.

I dunno what it says about a senior citizen who loves books apparently written for middle schoolers! I loved both movies too and can't wait to see the last one. OMG, I just read that Mockingjay will be in two parts. Dang!

[CRAMBAM]

Age isn't important. It's not like you're reading Dr. Seuss.

These books were good. That's all that matters. Not sure middle schoolers were really the target,but I actually couldn't say.

Did you finish all 3 books?

[Mel]

Age isn't important. It's not like you're reading Dr. Seuss. These books were good. That's all that matters. Not sure middle schoolers were really the target, but I actually couldn't say. Did you finish all 3 books? - Cram

Oh yes, I read all three.  Every situation in the books, and the end of each book, left me dying to know what happened next, so I read all three books as fast as I could. I particularly liked the ending.

[StarFuryG7]

May 21, 2014 22:54:30 GMT -5 Mel said:

I ordered The Hunger Games trilogy from the library, but I didn't expect to really read it. I glanced at the first book, not expecting to be very interested, but after reading page 1, I couldn't put it down. I read the books as fast as I could. I enjoyed them so much, I ordered them again from the library. There aren't many books I want to read more than once.

I dunno what it says about a senior citizen who loves books apparently written for middle schoolers! I loved both movies too and can't wait to see the last one. OMG, I just read that Mockingjay will be in two parts. Dang!

I don't know what it says about me that I find these new stories somewhat entertaining, but also incredibly corny as well. And I'm talking well beyond the absurd outfits that the wealthy don in these films. It's also the way the writer goes about making her points, such as when Katniss reveals her Mockingjay outfit on stage in the sequel (I've heard the movie was exactly the same as the book, but don't know how true that is, not having read any of them for myself). The symbolism there is so thick that it amounts to bonking the viewer on the head with it, particularly when Lawrence does her twirl in the outfit.

"Well, Gee, doesn't she look pretty ...I guess President Snow is supposed to be outraged now, and the fools watching across their country are supposed to realize that she's the symbol of the emerging resistance."

The imagery and what it's supposed to represent is so blatant that it actually offends my sensibilities.

As for who these books were written for, the author is, at this point, just over fifty years of age, so she's no kid herself.

[TrekBeatTK]

May 22, 2014 14:28:56 GMT -5 StarFuryG7 said:

I don't know what it says about me that I find these new stories somewhat entertaining, but also incredibly corny as well. And I'm talking well beyond the absurd outfits that the wealthy don in these films. It's also the way the writer goes about making her points, such as when Katniss reveals her Mockingjay outfit on stage in the sequel (I've heard the movie was exactly the same as the book, but don't know how true that is, not having read any of them for myself). The symbolism there is so thick that it amounts to bonking the viewer on the head with it, particularly when Lawrence does her twirl in the outfit.

"Well, Gee, doesn't she look pretty ...I guess President Snow is supposed to be outraged now, and the fools watching across their country are supposed to realize that she's the symbol of the emerging resistance."

The imagery and what it's supposed to represent is so blatant that it actually offends my sensibilities.

As for who these books were written for, the author is, at this point, just over fifty years of age, so she's no kid herself.

I don't much like the Hunger Games. The movies are passable (only saw the first one because Jennifer Lawrence is smoking hot as a brunette); the second one was a better movie. I read the first book and didn't like it. It was better written than Twilight, but I still didn't much like the writing. Doing it in first person means there's far less chance of Katniss dying in the book (unless it's one of those weird ones where it's narrated beyond the grave), so that kills a lot of the tension. Some things the movie improves because it's out of Katniss' limited point of view, but other things which are silly enough in the book are downright ridiculous as presented in the movie (Peeta decorated cakes, so this makes him great at camouflage. sure.).

I just find the whole world incredibly unbelievable, the villains too cartoonishly bad with poorly thought out plans. Collins' points are very trite to me and there was nothing really in it that wasn't already done on TOS in "Bread and Circuses". The only bit I liked about the book was the way Katniss discussed her feelings toward Gale and Peeta. And I haven't read the other books, but if she ends up with Peeta I'll be so mad. I find I just have to suspend way too much disbelief to really enjoy these books.

It seems to me more women and girls like them than men, though I've met guys who really like them. But I've never ever met a woman who read them and didn't like them. I guess I'm just not the target audience. It's not the worst of the YA dystopia stuff, but that doesn't make it good, in my opinion.

At least we got a good soundtrack album out of it. The first movie's soundtrack was really good. The second was not, but that's because it wasn't produced by T-Bone Burnett.

-TK

[Mel]

I don't know what it says about me that I find these new stories somewhat entertaining, but also incredibly corny as well. And I'm talking well beyond the absurd outfits that the wealthy don in these films. It's also the way the writer goes about making her points, such as when Katniss reveals her Mockingjay outfit on stage in the sequel (I've heard the movie was exactly the same as the book, but don't know how true that is, not having read any of them for myself). The symbolism there is so thick that it amounts to bonking the viewer on the head with it, particularly when Lawrence does her twirl in the outfit. "Well, Gee, doesn't she look pretty ...I guess President Snow is supposed to be outraged now, and the fools watching across their country are supposed to realize that she's the symbol of the emerging resistance." The imagery and what it's supposed to represent is so blatant that it actually offends my sensibilities. - Gary

Maybe it's my XX chromosome, but I think the movie costumes, hairstyles, and hair colors are fascinating. I think the wedding dress that changed to the mockingjay was supposed to be blatant symbolism. Cinna wanted to stir up potential rebels.

In the book, in District 12, the mayor's daughter gave Katniss the mockingjay pin (in the movie her sister gave it to her). I wondered if the mayor's daughter was a fledgling rebel. As the mayor's daughter, she could see uncensored newscasts that showed what was really going on in the various districts.

[Mel]

I don't much like the Hunger Games. The movies are passable (only saw the first one because Jennifer Lawrence is smoking hot as a brunette); the second one was a better movie. - TK

I had never heard of Jennifer Lawrence until THG movie. OMG, she is stunning as a brunette, and as a blonde in real life.  She's beautiful in an utterly charming and disarming way. She's fascinating in real life (what I've read and seen of her). Even her tripping is interesting because it's so normal.

I read the first book and didn't like it. It was better written than Twilight, but I still didn't much like the writing. Doing it in first person means there's far less chance of Katniss dying in the book (unless it's one of those weird ones where it's narrated beyond the grave), so that kills a lot of the tension. Some things the movie improves because it's out of Katniss' limited point of view, but other things which are silly enough in the book are downright ridiculous as presented in the movie (Peeta decorated cakes, so this makes him great at camouflage. sure.).

What bothered me about the books is that the first person view was also in present tense. Most books are written in past tense. I was bothered enough that I almost stopped reading the first page, but I kept going, and got hooked.  I've never looked at the Twilight books, as I'm not into vampires.  But I did see the very last movie and enjoyed it.

As for Peeta being good at camouflage, I've ordered birthday cakes with a camouflage theme, so that didn't seem such a stretch. But I find it unlikely that he could do it on his body, then lay down, and the camouflage wasn't damaged by the change of position.

(Btw, when camouflage is misspelled, spell check offers the correct spelling. The other word to consider is guacamole! Funny.)

[CRAMBAM]

I tried to read Twilight. I got through 125 pages of the first book and just couldn't continue. I didn't like it.

I started the Wicked series yesterday. It'll take time. I may alternate back and forth between that and Game of Thrones. Haven't decided.

Regarding Hunger Games, I really liked the first 2 books, but I didn't like the third book.

SPOILERS....IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE THIRD BOOK, STOP HERE.








The thing about Mockingjay is that clearly, we had an oppressive government under Snow, that was capable of not only holding the districts in check, but powerful enough to force them to sacrifice their children.

And if they didn't like it, tough shit.

Given that, and given what they had been doing, they clearly had a powerful military. But once the rebellion started, it felt as if the rebels won too easily.

More important, the war seemed to end too quickly with a LOT of pages left.

The war wasn't OVER, but it was really mopping up for most of the second half of the book.

I felt it dragged.