The Hunger Games Trilogy

[Rody]

Sorry to revive this topic, but I also just finished reading the Hunger Games, and off course not close to the stuff we used to in ASOIAF, but we all know that heading into the book, and it is like comparing apples to oranges.

Anyways, the book is great not adult rated as ASOIAF but a break from that is good once in a while, so I read the Hunger Games in 3 days (and I read ASOIAF the whole series in 3months), and I loved the Hunger Games very good book and if you need a book fix until AGOT Season 2, this is the series (there is 3 books total - Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockinjay)

[Balefont]

Almost finished with my re-read of the trilogy and I think all three books are equally strong and I loved them all for what they are. I'm not sure exactly why the hate for book 3 but I'd suggest, given that these are all such a quick read, people try reading them back to back to back and see them for a single story rather than a trilogy.

And the movie looks fucking awesome!

[Michael J Sullivan]

So I've not read this thread yet...Don't want spoilers. I started the first book a while ago and put it down several times....unimpressed. But my wife kept after me to "keep going" and it finally started to click for me and by the end of the first book I was quite satisfied with the read overall. My daughter recently finished the other two...and she has some pretty negative things to say about the last one. If I ever do get around to reading them all I'll stop back in this thread and comment on the "full enchilada."

[Michael J Sullivan]

Oops sorry - double post somehow...Not sure how to delete.

[Balefont]

I have my ideas why people, who like the first book or two, didn't care as much for the third book but I'd rather hear what they have to say about it, now that's I've done this re-read, before I share my thoughts. :)

[SkynJay]

I have my ideas why people, who like the first book or two, didn't care as much for the third book but I'd rather hear what they have to say about it, now that's I've done this re-read, before I share my thoughts. :)

My thoughts are on the second page of this thread. But to recap, the entire middle section of the book was mediocre, unrealistic urban war.

[Rody]

I finished book 1 (Hunger Games) in 3 days, now I am reading the 2nd book and so far liking it, it is aimed for the young adult fans so nothing compared to the stuff we used to in Martin's work.

Anyways it is a good read to pass time and to get ready for the movie which looks awesome.

So far though I'm really into the book.

[Balefont]

It's frustrating that people get the impression that there is an intention of romantic love as a theme in the story because I just can't see it myself. Yes, Katniss does ponder her feelings about Gale and Peeta a bit but it's not ushy gushy stuff. It's survival. It's a sense of confusion about what her feelings should be when all focus in life has been directed towards the survival of her family and herself.

Unlike that crap the goes through Bella's head throughout that crap-fest that is Twilight.

My thoughts are on the second page of this thread. But to recap, the entire middle section of the book was mediocre, unrealistic urban war.

I see. Well, there's no point my trying to sway an argument about an "unrealistic, urban war" because that's just a matter of personal taste.

[kairparavel]

It's frustrating that people get the impression that there is an intention of romantic love as a theme in the story because I just can't see it myself. Yes, Katniss does ponder her feelings about Gale and Peeta a bit but it's not ushy gushy stuff. It's survival. It's a sense of confusion about what her feelings should be when all focus in life has been directed towards the survival of her family and herself.

I agree with this, completely. Something is broken inside Katniss that prevents her from being a 'normal' teenage girl as we in the real world know them. There isn't a shallow thing about her. Her entire life structure is survival and providing for her family without any real thought about herself, ever. That's why I never understood the earlier comments about the lack of sex. Katniss knows nothing of intimacy and revealing vulnerability, so how could she even entertain the thought of sex? She approaches companionship from a perspective of pragmatism, not emotion. To her detriment? Yes but Christ, I don't think she'd know true contentment or could achieve happy ever after given the entirety of her first 15-16 years. And the war just does her in almost completely beyond hope.

Unlike that crap the goes through Bella's head throughout that crap-fest that is Twilight.

I'm not going to defend Twilight, but Bella resembles more of your everyday not challenged by life teenage girl than Katniss. There are way more Bellas out there in life than there are Katnisses, I'm willing to bet. Many teenage girls battle with their feelings for more than one person. Bella (even with all the mopey angsty stuff) was your classic torn between two lovers where Katniss didn't even really realize she was torn between two anything, in the beginning.

I think much of the disappointment of the third book stemmed from half of it being inside Katniss' foggy head as she recovered and recuperated. She wasn't the girl out fighting. She was on the sidelines, which was a dramatic departure. And it was over the top political. And pretty emotional things were treated like Kleenex like Finnick's fate. It felt rushed and not fleshed out enough to give the main storylines - the war, and Katniss' relationships with Peeta, Gale, and President Snow any real service. I think it almost needed to be longer or split into two books. I guess what happened to Cinna in book two (which frustrated me) should have been a sign of things to come, from a storytelling/on screen booktime perspective.

[Balefont]

Excellent points, kair.

That's how I feel about the third book. However, my feeling with regard to the character deaths in the third book are that Katniss is in a situation that forces her to have to quickly move on. She doesn't have time for grief and after all she's been through, she doesn't register shock so much anymore either.

[The Wedge]

The trilogy was my beach reading last week. Here's a recap:

Book 1: I give non-stop paragraph-by-paragraph updates to my wife about what's happening in the story. Great holiday page turner.

Book 2: First half of the book and the updates keep coming fast, but not quite as fast. A few moments of "Oh, sh!t just got REAL!" but nothing as urgent as book 1. Second half of book and my wife is asking for updates, which I'm providing, but with less zeal.

Book 3: It's getting difficult to provide updates when asked. A lot of people manipulated mentally, stuff blowing up, main characters getting shot, somehow making it through and generally recovering over and over. Losing interest in the characters and just kind of hoping it ends. Skim a lot of the last part of the book praying for some nightlock, find out what happens, and put it down.

The end.

[Errant Bard]

I have my ideas why people, who like the first book or two, didn't care as much for the third book but I'd rather hear what they have to say about it, now that's I've done this re-read, before I share my thoughts. :)

My thoughts, and those of several others, are likewise on page two. Can you read that page so you can share yours? I'm interested.

[Balefont]

My thoughts, and those of several others, are likewise on page two. Can you read that page so you can share yours? I'm interested.

But I sorta did. On this very page. :)

[Errant Bard]

But I sorta did. On this very page. :)

Oh, right, I thought it would be lengthier and would touch my reasons a bit, I guess. Well, sorry for that, then, never mind :)

[awesome possum]

I don't know if I mentioned it in this thread or the movie thread. I know it's been touched on here. The third book was hurt by crazy PTSD Katniss. The narrative being stuck in her head and her head being all sorts of messed up for a good chunk of the book, hurts because there's an entire freaking revolution going on outside that pretty little noggin.

That's what I wanted to see. I wanted to see the war in District 8 and 4 and 11. I wanted to see how the Districts were able to beat back the Capitol this time when it's made to seem like they just got absolutely massacred 75 years earlier. I wasn't a huge fan of, "I woke up. After days of being awake I talked to *Insert Character Here* who told me that District 11 had been won. I fell back asleep. I woke up. After some more time of being awake, *insert character here* told me that only District 2 was still holding out. Oh, and Peeta's still crazy but I'm crazy too so I'm mad that Peeta's so crazy and I don't want to talk to him or see him. So there! Take that Crazy Peeta! Oh, then I feel back asleep and when I woke they told me it's time to invade the Capitol so let's go do that! Also, stuff."

Just far too much telling. Or it was like Collins became bored with the series and just wanted it over so she could get back to swimming in her pile of money.

The end was satisfying, but the journey there wasn't so much. And that's why I'm looking forward to the movies, because they won't be hamstrung by staying in Katniss's POV like the books. I read an interview the other day that said Donald Sutherland not only campaigned for the role of President Snow but he had a couple ideas to introduce two new scenes to the first movie. It's stuff like that I'm looking forward to. We might get to see Haymitch doing his job as mentor while the two are in the games. We might get to see what's happening out in the world as Katniss goes to sleep or catatonic or whatever for the 8th time. We might actually get to see more than what is in the immediate vicinity of a 16-year-old girl suffering from terrible shock but who still manages to be a self-obsessed 16-year-old girl.

[Balefont]

I like and agree with a lot of what you say, possum, except for the whole "self-obsessed 16 year old girl" part. I think the first person narrative of the story might make her seem that way. Yet, in actuality, she's being a survivor. She keeps checking her own oil, so-to-speak, knowing that she sees and feels things very differently than others and she pretty much admits that her perceptions may not be in line with reality.

She's constantly questioning herself, her motives and those around her because she never knows who to trust - including herself.

[The Wedge]

I like and agree with a lot of what you say, possum, except for the whole "self-obsessed 16 year old girl" part. I think the first person narrative of the story might make her seem that way. Yet, in actuality, she's being a survivor. She keeps checking her own oil, so-to-speak, knowing that she sees and feels things very differently than others and she pretty much admits that her perceptions may not be in line with reality.

She's constantly questioning herself, her motives and those around her because she never knows who to trust - including herself.

I get this, but after a while it starts to be like an ASOIAF chapter POV'd by Hodor.

Well, not that extreme, but Collins seemed painted into a corner having to communicate a whole revolution through the eyes of a very damaged Katniss. All the while having her turn on her inner Rambo to take the Capitol. The first book was fine for this, given the confines of the Games arena, but the scope in Mockingjay just made it tough for the telling.

Edit... a better ASOIAF POV analogy would maybe be trying to explain all the wars going on exclusively through a single Stark kid, as opposed to seeing it through the eyes of dozens of characters throughout the story.

[The Anti-Targ]

I just read the first book a month or so ago. It was good, held my attention. But I didn't really feel like I needed to continue with the series. My sone devoured the series (15 years old) and gave me the cliff notes version of the 2nd book.

Maybe seeing the movie will get me to read books 2 and 3, but if the opinions of some on here are anything to go by I've read the best book in the series already. Pity that, hardly encouraging to continue reading. At least the books are short so wouldn't take up too much time.

[williamjm]

That's what I wanted to see. I wanted to see the war in District 8 and 4 and 11. I wanted to see how the Districts were able to beat back the Capitol this time when it's made to seem like they just got absolutely massacred 75 years earlier. I wasn't a huge fan of, "I woke up. After days of being awake I talked to *Insert Character Here* who told me that District 11 had been won. I fell back asleep. I woke up. After some more time of being awake, *insert character here* told me that only District 2 was still holding out. Oh, and Peeta's still crazy but I'm crazy too so I'm mad that Peeta's so crazy and I don't want to talk to him or see him. So there! Take that Crazy Peeta! Oh, then I feel back asleep and when I woke they told me it's time to invade the Capitol so let's go do that! Also, stuff."

Just far too much telling. Or it was like Collins became bored with the series and just wanted it over so she could get back to swimming in her pile of money.

I think to some extent the structure of book 3 was inevitable given books 1 and 2. It would have been a bit incongruous if the first two had been entirely focused on Katniss and then book 3 had turned into an epic story of a revolution with multiple main characters - especially when the world-building in the first two books had been simplistic and there wasn't much for Mockinjay to build on. Of course, Katniss could have been on the frontline of the rebellion more often, but I think it would have been a bit implausible (as it is when she does eventually end up on the frontline). I'm not sure I'd really have been that interested in an in-depth story of the rebellion anyway, I don't think we need to know how the battles were won, it's not really what the series is about.

Although I'm partially defending Mockinjay here, I do agree it wasn't as satisfying a read as the first two. I think Collins' approach to the story where she concentrates very heavily on the high cost of conflict, even for the victors, was interesting and I thought the bittersweet ending mostly worked well (although the last tragedy was maybe a bit heavy-handed), but it didn't make it as entertaining or compelling a read as the first two.

[Balefont]

No tears for books two and three, though. What was not good in first book came back and took a more central place. A lot of stuff began to make no sense, including some characterisation. The main character spent more time being catatonic because of LOOOVE, recovering in the nick of time, than being realistic.

I think I addressed this point in particular. :)

Villains became (more) chaotic stupid, all the while doing the most evil shit one could think of, short of eating babies. And raping people. Speaking of that, not that I mind, but it's annoying to see once again that gruesome deaths are cool to have by the bucketful, but the most you can get out of romance is holding hands and a few kisses. From 17 years old.

IMO, that's Katniss' world, though. It's run by ruthless people who pull no punches in order to maintain the status quo. There is no room for romance.

The ending... I don't know what I was supposed to feel about it. The "twists" felt forced, some details didn't make sense at all, and it all felt like a giant caricature.

It's hard to argue against this other than to say, I disagree. It's a matter of taste.

Regarding your spoiler section: To me, by the end of the books, the character, from whose point of view we are subjected, has gone through so much horror that she's shocked and pretty numb. So naturally, events such as those, to me, are seen in a washed out manner. Did it bother me? No. It fit and is also a product of the first person narrative.

:)