I'm about to start reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I'm excited, I must say. Literally, this book has been EVERYWHERE this past year. I've talked with teachers who said this series swept through their school like pink eye. A blockbuster movie also debuted, which added to the Hunger Hysteria. LeBron James even took to reading this series prior to his games in this year's NBA playoffs. (proof)
Clearly, this book has something going for it, and I can't wait to join in on the fun. My question is: what is it that everyone likes so much about this book?
Is there a reason that everyone from adolescents to teachers to professional athletes seems to enjoy this book immensely? For those of you who have read it, what did you like about it? Is there more to it than just another page-turner a-la the Da Vinci Code or something similar? Without having read a single page, I would bet that there's something more to this book.
In other posts, people have brought up the ideas of "honest" books and "truthful" books. Is this one either? Both?
All in all, I'm trying to locate what it is that captivates us all about this book. Hopefully in my reading, I'll come across some answer, but in the meantime I would love to hear from everyone else!
Tim, you raise some valid pre-reading questions! I too am fascinated by the hype and hooplah that surround the THG franchise. Prior to reading the first book of the series, I just expected an easy read with some blood and romance and all that jazz. What I found was an interesting commentary on our society, both in the explicit and implicit content of the text itself, as well as the fascination with it on a national (global?) scale. It does have a DaVinci Code-esque page-turning quality, but does not get bogged down with mid-chase explications and history lessons. In fact, I was a bit annoyed at the lack of elaborate back story, but I haven't read the other two books yet, so I don't know if that is addressed.
ReplyDeleteIt says a lot about readers/consumers today that the idea of being watched constantly is so easily accepted -- Katniss questions the reactions of people back home, or the fact that the entire nation is watching her, just a handful of times (and as a means to an end). Personally, the very idea of being watched constantly freaks me out! Generational perspective, I suppose.
What are your thoughts so far? Have you finished the book yet?