Post by Olivia the Pig on Apr 3, 2012 17:23:14 GMT -5
Hunger Games madness is everywhere! Just wanted to take a survey on the Islands. Personally, I thought her style was great, but the concept deeply disturbed me.
Last Edit: Apr 3, 2012 17:24:10 GMT -5 by Olivia the Pig
Hope Springs Eternal Je ne comprends pas les gens... Espérez pour la paix!
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I've watched the film twice with my wife, and other than some really all over the place cinematography in the beginning scenes, I enjoyed watching it. I've always been big on the dystopian future type stories and the different takes storytellers can come up with in the situations.
I haven't read the books, however. I've tried, but I have a big problem with the present-tense first-person thing. It just doesn't flow when I try to read it. But I liked the story of the movie, and since I won't be drowning in homework over the Summer I plan to get through the trilogy. I'm hoping I can contribute to the discussion much more by then
edit: But I'm voting for rip-off at this point. Bachman/King's "The Long Walk" has a very similar base in its story, but it's still different enough that you could get away with calling it an influence.
Last Edit: Apr 3, 2012 17:47:01 GMT -5 by Shizensky
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I really rather enjoyed the books XD I liked the style and felt that, unlike Battle Royale, the plot had a little more substance than just 'kids killing eachother to win a game/competition'! The concept is, granted, disturbing, but then I think that's probably the point :3
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I enjoyed the book, the film less so (what can I say? They threw out some important parts ). The concept is highly disturbing, but that's the sort of literary effect that brings attention to the symbolism and meaning behind the work. Now, when that symbolism is force-fed to me, I gag a little, but overall I loved the series.
Now that I've read the trilogy, I'll dig this grave.
***WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS***
My score of the trilogy as a whole sits around a 6.5/10. These are arbitrary numbers of course, but it's kinda the feeling I got.
I still had a problem with the first-person present-tense thing, and maybe with the way the author writes as a whole. There were several paragraphs that threw me off because they weren't used as paragraphs are supposed to be used. I remember some of them starting out well enough, but then they would jump to entirely different and unrelated subjects within the same paragraph. The only excuse I could find for this is that as a reader, we're supposed to be jumping around the thought Katniss is currently having.
If this is the case, start a new paragraph. I can see some artistic merit to breaking writing conventions, but for the most part those conventions are there because readers are used to them and it makes reading easier to do. Granted, not everybody is as miffed as I am, otherwise the books wouldn't have sold like hot cakes and the first entry in the series wouldn't have made crazy amounts of money.
Although it helps that they released it so far ahead of The Avengers
I can get over technical issues if the story is gripping and compelling enough. The core of the idea is great. I loved that the tyrannical Capital was using the children of the districts as a weapon against them, that this had become to commonplace that it was celebrated, that bets were taken, highlights were replayed, all of that. I loved that the Capital had a special drink and room that let someone throw up their food so they could continue a feast since, after all, that's the fun in a feast!
I had one issue that seemed to persist among the books. I felt like I would really be getting into the story and the characters, but a little past the halfway mark of the book I just wouldn't care anymore. The author lost me. So when the book ended, I wasn't floored or left wanting for more.
However, the biggest issue I had with the trilogy may have been my own fault. As a reader, or even just an individual seeking some form of story-telling entertainment, we seem to have come to some sort of conclusion that we're following the story of a hero. The ending will be very happy. Good will triumph definitely. That's not the story we were being told.
I just finished re-reading the Harry Potters and LotRs before jumping into this. All of the above was true. My misconception that Katniss is/was a hero turned out to be my biggest downfall in reading these books. At every turn I kept expecting the click that brought Katniss from her troubled life, to where she could use those experiences to be the best of them. Instead, she's the first to pull the trigger when she goes back into the Games. I was disappointed in the character when she made her decision about the new Hunger Games. When she believed Snow. When she shut down, just as her mother did.
But then it hit me. This was never a story about a hero. If it was, we'd have been fallowing Peeta the whole time. If this trilogy has a true hero, it's Peeta Mellark. Anyway, we were told a story about a young woman, thrust into violence and war, and the detrimental effects this has on her, her life, and all of those she cares about. Katniss from the first book would have made all of the right decisions in the end, but her experiences changed her, and as she was no hero, those changes were not for the best.
Anywho... if you bothered to read through that, thanks!
The best thing about UDP jokes is that I don’t care if you get them or not.
Now that I've read the trilogy, I'll dig this grave.
***WARNING: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS***
My score of the trilogy as a whole sits around a 6.5/10. These are arbitrary numbers of course, but it's kinda the feeling I got.
I still had a problem with the first-person present-tense thing, and maybe with the way the author writes as a whole. There were several paragraphs that threw me off because they weren't used as paragraphs are supposed to be used. I remember some of them starting out well enough, but then they would jump to entirely different and unrelated subjects within the same paragraph. The only excuse I could find for this is that as a reader, we're supposed to be jumping around the thought Katniss is currently having.
If this is the case, start a new paragraph. I can see some artistic merit to breaking writing conventions, but for the most part those conventions are there because readers are used to them and it makes reading easier to do. Granted, not everybody is as miffed as I am, otherwise the books wouldn't have sold like hot cakes and the first entry in the series wouldn't have made crazy amounts of money.
Although it helps that they released it so far ahead of The Avengers
I can get over technical issues if the story is gripping and compelling enough. The core of the idea is great. I loved that the tyrannical Capital was using the children of the districts as a weapon against them, that this had become to commonplace that it was celebrated, that bets were taken, highlights were replayed, all of that. I loved that the Capital had a special drink and room that let someone throw up their food so they could continue a feast since, after all, that's the fun in a feast!
I had one issue that seemed to persist among the books. I felt like I would really be getting into the story and the characters, but a little past the halfway mark of the book I just wouldn't care anymore. The author lost me. So when the book ended, I wasn't floored or left wanting for more.
However, the biggest issue I had with the trilogy may have been my own fault. As a reader, or even just an individual seeking some form of story-telling entertainment, we seem to have come to some sort of conclusion that we're following the story of a hero. The ending will be very happy. Good will triumph definitely. That's not the story we were being told.
I just finished re-reading the Harry Potters and LotRs before jumping into this. All of the above was true. My misconception that Katniss is/was a hero turned out to be my biggest downfall in reading these books. At every turn I kept expecting the click that brought Katniss from her troubled life, to where she could use those experiences to be the best of them. Instead, she's the first to pull the trigger when she goes back into the Games. I was disappointed in the character when she made her decision about the new Hunger Games. When she believed Snow. When she shut down, just as her mother did.
But then it hit me. This was never a story about a hero. If it was, we'd have been fallowing Peeta the whole time. If this trilogy has a true hero, it's Peeta Mellark. Anyway, we were told a story about a young woman, thrust into violence and war, and the detrimental effects this has on her, her life, and all of those she cares about. Katniss from the first book would have made all of the right decisions in the end, but her experiences changed her, and as she was no hero, those changes were not for the best.
Anywho... if you bothered to read through that, thanks!
I read your post. Anyway, I gave up in Catching Fire, I couldn't read anymore of this violent series. I've read violent books, yes, but for some reason this series is just too much for me.
Hope Springs Eternal Je ne comprends pas les gens... Espérez pour la paix!
The name for the nation comes from a book and it represents one of my many alter-egos
Visit my other nations: Age of Riven, Paula Deen, Luke the Pig, Squirrel Empire, Olivia the Pig Colony and Michele Bachmann America.
Post by Badger Mountain on Jun 16, 2012 11:15:55 GMT -5
I enjoyed the Hunger Games, although I thought Katniss got progressively whiny throughout the books. This led to the books getting progressively worse. That said, definitely a fun read. And the movie was pretty good too. Obviously parts were left out, but I thought the whole behind-the-scenes of the Games (which wasn't in the book) was cool.
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