I finally understand societies’ infatuation with The Hunger Games. Having just completed the first book in the series, I must say, I’m definitely hooked. When I read the first book, I laughed, I cried, I gasped, and I smiled with a great deal of suspense. Who could have thought the game of love could last so long?
It centers around its’ title, The Hunger Games; in which, a set of “Games” occur annually. Each of the 12 Districts in a city of the future have two children ages 12-18, compete for survival, in a quest called, “The Games.” Every year, during the ceremony known as “the reaping,” two children are selected from each of the 12 Districts to participate in the event. The 24 children are thrown into an arena, with a forest-esq ambiance, in which they fight until there is one person left standing. A person’s likelihood of being chosen to participate increase year after year. Thus as age increases, so does one’s chances of being selected.
This year, the public witnessed a set of games, which tested the limits of love, lust, extremity and will to survive as Katniss Everdeen—the girl from District 12, who can kill squirrels, rabbits, and people with one shot from her bow and arrow, and Peeta Mallamark—the “baker’s son,” were faced with the ultimate test: partnership. I made so many predictions as to how I imagined the first book would end (all of which were erroneous); but, regardless, I already began reading the second book. I developed unique conjectures of the characters in the book and let my imagination paint a picture. Until I finished the book, I refrained from watching any of the film's trailers. The first time I saw Lions Gate's portrayal of the film was during last week's episode of
the Ellen Degeneres show, where they shared a brand new trailer with the audience; who would have thought Lenny Kravitz would assume the role of Cinna--the stylist for District 12!? The book in and of itself is riveting, and at the end, leaves the reader yearning for more (hence why I had to buy the second book, IMMEDIATELY).
My creative vision of the book's characters ceases to exist, thanks to an inundation of images from US media coverage. Regardless, I finished the first book and the frenzy is everywhere. The next chapter will begin when Lionsgate releases,
The Hunger Games, worldwide
on
March 23, 2012. Side note: (I finished the book the minute my plane touched down at a New York airport. The cover of Glamour was the first magazine I saw upon arrival. Can you guess who's on the cover?)
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Flare Magazine
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I couldn't agree more with you that the Hunger Games is an incredible series that plays out the game of love. Although the book is centered around more physical games of violence and survival strategies to stay alive, the most prominent game that lasts from start to finish is the love between Katniss and Peeta. I too experienced a roller coaster of emotions while reading this book. Not only have I seen the Hunger Games movie being advertised in magazines, but there are ads placed on Facebook, Pinterest, and commercials found on many television stations. I cannot wait to compare my vision of the characters with the way the movie portrays them. It should be interesting!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the Hunger Games series, but I would have to say that it's important to consider the mind games and games based on politics that are the background, the concrete to the story. Without these mind-games and strategies that Katniss must devise during her journey through the Hunger Games themselves, her love game with Peeta and Gale would be nothing more than a girl's diary entry in a preteen novel. The series gives off a Orwell's 1984 vibe where every character is always being watched, and thus Katniss' motivations behind her initial attractions to Peeta are yet another way to stay alive.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that you say this because at the moment I am in the middle of the third book in the Hunger Game series. Just as you did, I did not watch the first trailer until after I finished the first book. However, I found myself still using my original imaginations of what these characters were like in my mind when reading the second and third book. For some reason, I do not see Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth when reading each new chapter of each new book. To me, I think my imaginations were so different from what the media is now portraying, that I just couldn't change my thoughts. However, I am still very excited for the movie to come out!
ReplyDelete-Emma Kessler
Sydney,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your view on The Hunger Games. I was recently torn deciding if I should go see the movie or not. While I had already finished reading the book, I was not sure I wanted to take a chance with the movie, after all, movies are notoriously known for ruining many novels. I decided against seeing the movie for one main reason that you touched on. The media often overplays and distorts the brilliance in books. Especially The Hunger Games, which is such a wildly imaginative and expressive novel. Could a movie really capture this creativity? Furthermore, when I read a novel I am able to make my own meaning from it, I come away with it with my own personal interpretation, with no one telling me I am right or wrong. Yet, a movie is made by a producer and a producers generally have their own motives for doing certain things. Thus, I chose not to see the movie because I want to stay true to Suzanne Collins, to not taint this vision with that of the media. The Hunger Games is just too good of a novel to take a chance with.
Taylor Rothman
I’m an exchange student for Holland, and I want to thank UC 256 for dragging me into the Hunger Game madness. I never heard of the book if it wasn’t for this course. When my guild decided to read the book, if saw it as something that had to be done, but after reading a few pages I was hooked and I was glad the second and third book where already written so I didn’t have to wait and I could continue ‘escaping’ into the world of the Hunger Games. When Skyping with my family back home and telling them about my new addiction they hadn’t heard anything about it yet! The movie came out this week in Holland, but the advertisement is minimal, no madness over there! Titanic 3D is the talk of the day…… Gladly I got my cousin and my sister to start reading the books, so I could share my new passion with them as well + I’m living with 25 American’s in a co-op that are all addicted thanks to me and the books are doing it’s rounds as we speak. After reading 3 books and seeing the first movie I’m said that it’s over for now but for me, it is also for the best since I stopped doing anything else until I finished the book. I guess all that rest me to do, is waiting for the second movie and find a new reading addiction in the mean time!
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