"the Hunger Games" Series By Suzanne Collins ***SPOILERS***

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

Neil W

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2008
1,203
2,592
Isle of Wight UK
One of the things I liked most about it is that Katniss (the protagonist, the audience identification figure) isn't actually very likeable. I completely understand that the main reason for this is the dreadful circumstances in which she has grown up, but I get a strong impression that even if she had grown up in relatively affluent present day western society, she would still be prickly, difficult, and borderline anti-social. And how refreshing to have a heroine who doesn't comply with the customary social expectations!
 
  • Like
Reactions: skimom2

Van Blaricum

Deleted User
Oct 28, 2014
320
1,830
I don't know what it's " about " but it reminds me of a lot of things. It reminds me of the televised wars in more than one country, young people dying in someone else's game, broadcast in between laugh tracks, and sales pitches.

It reminds me of our " if it bleeds it leads " mentality, the popularity of awkward talk shows like Jerry Springer, violent and ugly every day common peoples problems shows like COPS, and all the spin offs, the testicle jarring pain of America's Funniest Home Videos( AKA Guys Getting Kicked in the Nuts a Lot ), Jackass, people watching the tele waiting for Nick Wallenda to fall, waiting for NASCAR cars to crash and explode, waiting for high speed chases on the news, watching Honey Boo Boo. People like to see other people suffer live on tv and just can't help watching.

The pre-game society Katniss lived in reminded me at times of what it was like for native Americans when they were forbidden from hunting, when native children were stolen and stripped of their ways and often their lives in boarding schools, yet still later went on to root for the team, in a transference of the warrior mentality.
 

OldDarth

Well-Known Member
Jul 10, 2006
730
2,994
Canada
First book was good and then each book after that got progressively worse. Biggest problem with the books is that Katniss lost her agency as the story progresses and was no longer an interesting character to follow. So far the movies have corrected that glaring Achilles Heel of the books.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Van Blaricum

Susan Hood Parker

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2015
50
188
Am slightly obsessed w/ these 3 novels, wish there were more. Feels to me like it's also about 'don't send our children to war'. I like that they didn't pretty it up. Think that, of course, in that world that 'spoiler above' would have happened. Agree, there is a nod to 'The Lottery' & glad to see it. These are fast reads for me & I do re-read them often. I'm pleased to see they are not perfect & have issues, almost like real people, not as fake as in most novels. While I do see what you're saying about 3rd, don't agree. The words flow so well in all 3, I get lost in them.

The World of Hunger Games intrigues me. Maybe it's because my grandfather was a coal miner. Like it much more than the 'Divergent' series, which to me is colder. It started me thinking. If I was to write a book or series, what would the world look like, slightly in the future & how to involve school kids.

I'd like to write a cross between Hunger Games & the Harry Potter's. Now, /deep breath, if only I could. So far, have a 'what if' idea, locations, characters & part of why they collide. Want to include words from vocabulary lists from 4th grade & up. Love that black & white is simply not an issue in these worlds or gay. Want a world where men & woman roles are more interchangeable, sort of like in Star Trek. Why not include some magic & a nod to Piers Anthony, 'A Spell for Chameleon' & 'Total Recall'.

Lately, all I see in moves & TV are minimum 3 parts for men & maybe, maybe, ... maybe 1 for a female. What is That all about, don't guys who write have sisters? Who is producing this stuff & why so bitter towards women? Has anyone else noticed this trend? Always wanted more female lead characters that aren't in a romance novel, w/o going quite as dark as SK. So, guess I'll just have to write it myself.