I just finished Re-reading Hunger Games, and once again, it occurs to me that this book is both excellent and infuriating to me, for the stupidest of reasons.
Collins says that the idea for The Hunger Games came from channel surfing on television. On one channel she observed people competing on a reality show and on another she saw footage of the invasion of Iraq. The two "began to blur in this very unsettling way"[5] and the idea for the book was formedBattle Royale
At least in Battle Royale, all the contestants are not so painfully stupid that I'd have slotted them by Thursday of the first week. Assuming it started on a Monday. All of them - Career tributes, Rue, Katniss, they all act like people who've never stepped off pavement in their lives, and are only familiar with the outdoors through books.
Admittedly, the Games shown in the first book played to my strengths, I'd have been a bit boned if it was a snow arena, or something like that.
I am currently two thirds of the way through Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. It's interesting that Harry recalls finding a book about him. I too feel like I've found a book that describes a character with characteristics that I too posess to some degree. It's a dark mirror.
I intend to watch Battle Royale so I can compare the two. I would like to have a discussion against those who claim that The Hunger Games is a ripoff or a tween version of Battle Royale.
In all honesty, from what I've seen on the intertrons with all the excitement on the FB fan pages of The Hunger Games, a lot of naysayers dismiss it outright conflating that it's the new Twilight to the tween/teens. (Yes, I know you were being sarcastic @Devil)
I can see similarities in a few aspects of the series, but it is in no way near as bad as the The Twilight Saga is.
What I really enjoy about the series is how The Capitol personifies modern society's insatiable thirst for entertainment at expense of human lives as well as the absurd things they do to themselves in order to keep up with current trends. Collins make the residents of The Capitol to be absolutely garish with their appearances. Capitol residents will do any sort of body modification in order to be with the Jones and appealing. Our current society can be easily compared to doing the same thing.
This one particular part of series Katniss is at some banquet and there is so much food there. She wants to keep eating because of how delicious everything is, but she can't because she's full. Then she hears from Capitol people that they are able to have each and every dish there because throughout the banquet, they go and take a potion to make them vomit to empty their stomachs.
Perhaps the target audience, young adults, will see these things and realize how similar it is with our society in regards to plastic surgery or anorexia/bulimia and see how really stupid it is.
I have to agree with you, although I'd be wary of lumping in anorexia or bulimia with cosmetic plastic surgery. I've known my fair share of people who've had eating disorders, and it is neither something they wanted nor could control.
I have to agree with you, although I'd be wary of lumping in anorexia or bulimia with cosmetic plastic surgery. I've known my fair share of people who've had eating disorders, and it is neither something they wanted nor could control.
While that's true, Anorexia and Bulimia are almost always comorbid with Body Dismorphic Disorder, which can often lead those with the means to get plastic surgery, and those without the means to plan to do so, however successfully or unsuccessfully.
You're not wrong by any means, but as you know, it's quite a complex set of disorders.
Nothing abou this book makes me want to read it really. The story seems bland and that I'd get more enjoyment Battle Royal. Also the intervirews that I have seen with the author has put me off a bit, least of all for a bit of hisotrical pants on headness but thats just me being picky.
Nothing abou this book makes me want to read it really. The story seems bland and that I'd get more enjoyment Battle Royal. Also the intervirews that I have seen with the author has put me off a bit, least of all for a bit of hisotrical pants on headness but thats just me being picky.
They're very young-adult-ish, but if that doesn't bother you too much, they're really quite enjoyable. The first one is a bit meh in some parts, admittedly, but they do get better in the second and third books of the trilogy.
One thing I'm looking forward to the most in film adaptation is book 2, Catching Fire. In particular, the last section of the book "The Enemy". It was very imaginative on Collins parts.
I intend to watch Battle Royale so I can compare the two. I would like to have a discussion against those who claim that The Hunger Games is a ripoff or a tween version of Battle Royale.
I've only read the first book (and quite enjoyed it actually) but there are some very striking similarities: oppressive government uses the spectacle of kids killing kids to suppress uprising by the masses but then the kids turn the instrument of oppression back on the oppressor.
Where Hunger Games differs greatly is in the HOW and the WHY the tool of oppression is turned on the oppressor and fact that the back two thirds of the series are the consequences playing themselves out (as I understand it, haven't read them yet).
My only real complaints about the first book is that Katniss wins a gladiatorial competition but is allowed to remain more or less morally spotless through through pure luck and is never really forced to choose between doing the wrong thing or death and that felt like a cop-out.
Also, the tracker jackers were totally the result of the writer painting herself into a corner.
Concurrently with Trainspotting, I started Gang Leader for a Day. It's a fascinating non-fiction book by a sociologist who embedded with a Chicago vice gang (the Black Kings) in order to study and document them and their associates (cops, prostitutes, pimps, crack addict customers, etc).
I've found in the past that reading more than one book at one increases my retention and overall reading speed. I'm already noticing a steady improvement; I'm hoping to get back to my reading speed from around Freshman year, where I could kill a book like Hyperion in less than ten hours.
Also, the tracker jackers were totally the result of the writer painting herself into a corner.
The one that did my head in - Katniss can move quietly around the forest, silent as a cat. Yet, she can't walk in high heels because she can't walk on the balls of her feet, isn't used to it. Despite that it's an essential part of, y'know, moving silently in the forest.
Just read The Quantum Thief (amazon, wikipedia) and was pleasantly surprised. It is very far future with quite imaginative (plausible but fictional) science. The story is an excellently complicated detective/action piece with some nice characters. I read through it in three days.
Killed Ready Player One in under twelve hours. Got the old speed-reading back. That book was really fantastic.
I thought so too, but I know a lot of people don't. Ie a bunch of descriptions of 80's nerd references, do not a book make.
Having just read Pandors's Star and Judas Unchained (bloody good!!!!), I then read the Dreaming Void and am a good chunk into the Temporal Void. Fuck I love hard Sci fi
Having just read Pandors's Star and Judas Unchained (bloody good!!!!), I then read the Dreaming Void and am a good chunk into the Temporal Void. Fuck I love hard Sci fi
After looking those up I am added them to my book log of things I need to read. They sound interesting. Thanks.
Having just read Pandors's Star and Judas Unchained (bloody good!!!!), I then read the Dreaming Void and am a good chunk into the Temporal Void. Fuck I love hard Sci fi
After looking those up I am added them to my book log of things I need to read. They sound interesting. Thanks.
Yes those two books, Pandora's Star and Judis Unchained are just SO good. Blew my mind. The SCALE of the story is staggering. They are fairly big books and the author is in no hurry to tell his tale, but trust me, shit gets real!
Started to read Shogun. Made it about 130 pages so far, its really interesting but kind of full of the old tits and violence which I didn't really expect.
They made us watch the miniseries in high school and I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT. So many better jidaigeki out there, so dumb that movie!
Having just read Pandors's Star and Judas Unchained (bloody good!!!!), I then read the Dreaming Void and am a good chunk into the Temporal Void. Fuck I love hard Sci fi
After looking those up I am added them to my book log of things I need to read. They sound interesting. Thanks.
Yes those two books, Pandora's Star and Judis Unchained are just SO good. Blew my mind. The SCALE of the story is staggering. They are fairly big books and the author is in no hurry to tell his tale, but trust me, shit gets real!
There's a totally different kind of novel set in the same timeline and universe as Pandora's Star, Judas Unchained and the Void Trilogy. It's called Misspent Youth and it tells of the impact on the family of the very first person to get the rejuvenation treatment so common in the later books. I liked it, but many readers didn't considering it is totally different to Hamilton's other science fiction novels (no space battles or shooting). It also has the disadvantage of being about not very nice people doing not very nice things to each other, and it's hard to make that a compelling story. Hamilton succeeded for me, but it didn't rate well with others.
I think I will read Misspent youth afterwards. Mainly because I am investing so much time into this universe, I should finish it off properly. Might have to hit up the SFBRP to find something similar. Love the space stuff
I plan on buying it and having it as my new coffee table companion.
Man, I need to get a coffee table that I have complete control over. I have enough coffee table books to probably build a coffee table out of and still have some to put on top.
You know those coffee tables that the top raises up to be used as a dinner table or to just be higher? I think it would be awesome to make one of those tables with a glass or clear top where on the inside you can put all your coffee table companion books inside for people to see and pick at their leisure.
You know those coffee tables that the top raises up to be used as a dinner table or to just be higher? I think it would be awesome to make one of those tables with a glass or clear top where on the inside you can put all your coffee table companion books inside for people to see and pick at their leisure.
I wonder if it already exists?
This would help me so much with storage, but I already have a coffee table.
Comments
I want a Team Peeta shirt or perhaps make one for myself. Or a canvas bag to tote my knitted crap around.
I really look forward to how the arena is portrayed in book 2, if they do that at all. They way they described the water dome sounds pretty awesome.
Admittedly, the Games shown in the first book played to my strengths, I'd have been a bit boned if it was a snow arena, or something like that.
In all honesty, from what I've seen on the intertrons with all the excitement on the FB fan pages of The Hunger Games, a lot of naysayers dismiss it outright conflating that it's the new Twilight to the tween/teens. (Yes, I know you were being sarcastic @Devil)
I can see similarities in a few aspects of the series, but it is in no way near as bad as the The Twilight Saga is.
What I really enjoy about the series is how The Capitol personifies modern society's insatiable thirst for entertainment at expense of human lives as well as the absurd things they do to themselves in order to keep up with current trends. Collins make the residents of The Capitol to be absolutely garish with their appearances. Capitol residents will do any sort of body modification in order to be with the Jones and appealing. Our current society can be easily compared to doing the same thing.
This one particular part of series Katniss is at some banquet and there is so much food there. She wants to keep eating because of how delicious everything is, but she can't because she's full. Then she hears from Capitol people that they are able to have each and every dish there because throughout the banquet, they go and take a potion to make them vomit to empty their stomachs.
Perhaps the target audience, young adults, will see these things and realize how similar it is with our society in regards to plastic surgery or anorexia/bulimia and see how really stupid it is.
You're not wrong by any means, but as you know, it's quite a complex set of disorders.
Where Hunger Games differs greatly is in the HOW and the WHY the tool of oppression is turned on the oppressor and fact that the back two thirds of the series are the consequences playing themselves out (as I understand it, haven't read them yet).
My only real complaints about the first book is that Katniss wins a gladiatorial competition but is allowed to remain more or less morally spotless through through pure luck and is never really forced to choose between doing the wrong thing or death and that felt like a cop-out.
Also, the tracker jackers were totally the result of the writer painting herself into a corner.
I've found in the past that reading more than one book at one increases my retention and overall reading speed. I'm already noticing a steady improvement; I'm hoping to get back to my reading speed from around Freshman year, where I could kill a book like Hyperion in less than ten hours.
Oh wait, I take that back. It was "Fall" that was the mind fuck.
Having just read Pandors's Star and Judas Unchained (bloody good!!!!), I then read the Dreaming Void and am a good chunk into the Temporal Void. Fuck I love hard Sci fi
How to Archer: The Ultimate Guide to Espionage and Style and Women and Also Cocktails Ever Written
I wonder if it already exists?