The Hunger Games (Finally!)
Jan. 29th, 2011 05:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
next_to_normalOkay, kids. I think we need to do this in two parts - first, for those of you who haven't read The Hunger Games, I will attempt to explain to you why you TOTALLY SHOULD without spoilers. Then, y'all who have already read it, LET US SQUEE TOGETHER!
The Hunger Games is another novel that hits my dystopian future kink. After the United States has been effectively destroyed, a new nation called Panem is established consisting of a capital city and twelve surrounding districts. Each year, two children - one boy and one girl, between the ages of 12 and 18 - from each district are chosen to go to the Capitol and compete in the Hunger Games, which is a Running Man-esque fight to the death in a futuristic gladiator's arena, broadcast live across Panem in the biggest reality TV event of the year. You know, like American Idol, if the AI contestants killed each other instead of singing songs. :)
The wealthier districts are able to train their contestants - called "tributes" - and for them it's an honor to be chosen and represent their district. But in places like District 12, where citizens are barely able to scrape together enough food to survive, being selected as a tribute is essentially a death sentence. Which is why Katniss Everdeen immediately steps up to volunteer when her twelve-year-old sister is chosen. Katniss had to grow up fast, when her father's death and her mother's breakdown forced her to provide for her family at a young age, but that responsibility has made her a skilled hunter/gatherer, which will help her survive in the wilderness that serves as the Game's arena.
The life-or-death struggle tests Katniss' wits, her strength, and her humanity. Which, oh by the way, totally hits my OTHER kink, awesome ladies being awesome and kicking ass. Katniss is like Buffy and Veronica Mars and Kara Thrace all rolled up in one sixteen-year-old girl. (If that doesn't get you reading, I don't know what will!) She's heroic and self-sacrificing, courageous and resourceful, fiercely protective of her sister, hardened by circumstances, and naive about love and relationships.
I also love that it combines so many disparate genre elements, so that it works on several levels. You can read it as a post-apocalyptic survival story, you can read it as a romance, a sci-fi thriller, an action-adventure novel, a statement about injustice and abuse of power, or commentary on our current obsession with reality TV. :) The premise is dark, but Suzanne Collins manages to inject enough humor that it's not all doom and gloom, although there are certainly enough heartbreaking moments to go around. It's fantastically well-written and incredibly compelling - I stayed up until 2am to finish it because I couldn't put it down.
Okay, this is the part where Hunger Games virgins cover their eyes and shit gets real. Go! Read! Then come back and let's talk more!
So... OMG, you guys! OMG! I am so totally a Katniss/Peeta shipper now, lol. The funny thing is, this is the kind of story I should be immediately predisposed to hate, because it includes three annoying tropes:
1. Couple gets together under false pretenses, one or both develops real feelings and then gets hurt when the truth is revealed. I think it's been done in just about every romantic comedy EVER. This story puts a slight twist on it, though, in that the pretense is part of a strategy for survival, which ups the stakes considerably beyond the simple "he loves me/he loves me not" rom-com angst. It's obvious why Katniss and Peeta's tragic story was so popular with the Panem audience - it was fascinating to watch them not only struggle to survive, but to risk everything to keep each other alive, too. And even though you know it's all going to come crashing down at some point, you can't help longing for those crazy kids to make it work somehow. Also, Peeta is kind of irresistibly adorable. I AM A SUCKER FOR UNREQUITED LOVE, OKAY?
2. The impending love triangle. Gale doesn't have much of a role in this book, which made it a rather one-sided love triangle, but I'm assuming that things get complicated, given the totally unsubtle way Collins kept throwing in Katniss thinking about Gale and how he'd react to seeing her and Peeta "pretending" to be in love. Usually that would be a total red flag for me, because I don't want to spend the next two books with Katniss dithering over which guy to choose, Twilight-style, but Katniss is about the farthest thing from Bella Swan I've ever seen, so I'm not terribly worried. I also like the way the guys have been set up to represent a metaphorical choice - Gale represents the life she knew, what she's used to and comfortable with, whereas Peeta represents something new and kind of scary. I'm not entirely sure how that will play out, but I liked the layer it added here.
3. Character is oblivious to the fact that the guy is in love with her. I usually loathe this level of unself-awareness in a character, because it makes them seem stupid, but I'll give Katniss a pass on the grounds that she's kind of preoccupied with, you know, not getting killed.
Things I loved:
1. The gender-bendiness of Katniss/Peeta! They remind me of Buffy/Spike in that way, how he's the weaker, more vulnerable one, the one who's able to recognize his feelings and is honest about being in love with her (even if she thinks it's just an act).
2. Katniss and Rue! I love how everyone underestimates Rue, but Katniss recognizes the value of her skills. And how much she reminds Katniss of Prim (because I am also such a sucker for sibling relationships) and that makes Katniss protective. OMG I cried when Rue died, but I loved how Thresh and the people of District 11 acknowledge and appreciate what Katniss did for Rue. It's like this little spark of hope when everything else in the story kind of makes you want to lose your faith in humanity.
3. Katniss being clever! I liked that she doesn't win by brute strength, but that she outwits a lot of the other players and is resourceful in keeping Rue, Peeta, and herself alive. There are more ways to kick ass than, well, kicking ass. :)
4. Probably other things! I kind of read it a month ago! Remind me of all the awesome things you loved!
*flails* Gah! Now I want to read the other two books. No! Bad! Must do homework!... This will be an ongoing internal struggle.
Okay. Let's talk movie casting! Who do you want to see?
The Hunger Games is another novel that hits my dystopian future kink. After the United States has been effectively destroyed, a new nation called Panem is established consisting of a capital city and twelve surrounding districts. Each year, two children - one boy and one girl, between the ages of 12 and 18 - from each district are chosen to go to the Capitol and compete in the Hunger Games, which is a Running Man-esque fight to the death in a futuristic gladiator's arena, broadcast live across Panem in the biggest reality TV event of the year. You know, like American Idol, if the AI contestants killed each other instead of singing songs. :)
The wealthier districts are able to train their contestants - called "tributes" - and for them it's an honor to be chosen and represent their district. But in places like District 12, where citizens are barely able to scrape together enough food to survive, being selected as a tribute is essentially a death sentence. Which is why Katniss Everdeen immediately steps up to volunteer when her twelve-year-old sister is chosen. Katniss had to grow up fast, when her father's death and her mother's breakdown forced her to provide for her family at a young age, but that responsibility has made her a skilled hunter/gatherer, which will help her survive in the wilderness that serves as the Game's arena.
The life-or-death struggle tests Katniss' wits, her strength, and her humanity. Which, oh by the way, totally hits my OTHER kink, awesome ladies being awesome and kicking ass. Katniss is like Buffy and Veronica Mars and Kara Thrace all rolled up in one sixteen-year-old girl. (If that doesn't get you reading, I don't know what will!) She's heroic and self-sacrificing, courageous and resourceful, fiercely protective of her sister, hardened by circumstances, and naive about love and relationships.
I also love that it combines so many disparate genre elements, so that it works on several levels. You can read it as a post-apocalyptic survival story, you can read it as a romance, a sci-fi thriller, an action-adventure novel, a statement about injustice and abuse of power, or commentary on our current obsession with reality TV. :) The premise is dark, but Suzanne Collins manages to inject enough humor that it's not all doom and gloom, although there are certainly enough heartbreaking moments to go around. It's fantastically well-written and incredibly compelling - I stayed up until 2am to finish it because I couldn't put it down.
Okay, this is the part where Hunger Games virgins cover their eyes and shit gets real. Go! Read! Then come back and let's talk more!
So... OMG, you guys! OMG! I am so totally a Katniss/Peeta shipper now, lol. The funny thing is, this is the kind of story I should be immediately predisposed to hate, because it includes three annoying tropes:
1. Couple gets together under false pretenses, one or both develops real feelings and then gets hurt when the truth is revealed. I think it's been done in just about every romantic comedy EVER. This story puts a slight twist on it, though, in that the pretense is part of a strategy for survival, which ups the stakes considerably beyond the simple "he loves me/he loves me not" rom-com angst. It's obvious why Katniss and Peeta's tragic story was so popular with the Panem audience - it was fascinating to watch them not only struggle to survive, but to risk everything to keep each other alive, too. And even though you know it's all going to come crashing down at some point, you can't help longing for those crazy kids to make it work somehow. Also, Peeta is kind of irresistibly adorable. I AM A SUCKER FOR UNREQUITED LOVE, OKAY?
2. The impending love triangle. Gale doesn't have much of a role in this book, which made it a rather one-sided love triangle, but I'm assuming that things get complicated, given the totally unsubtle way Collins kept throwing in Katniss thinking about Gale and how he'd react to seeing her and Peeta "pretending" to be in love. Usually that would be a total red flag for me, because I don't want to spend the next two books with Katniss dithering over which guy to choose, Twilight-style, but Katniss is about the farthest thing from Bella Swan I've ever seen, so I'm not terribly worried. I also like the way the guys have been set up to represent a metaphorical choice - Gale represents the life she knew, what she's used to and comfortable with, whereas Peeta represents something new and kind of scary. I'm not entirely sure how that will play out, but I liked the layer it added here.
3. Character is oblivious to the fact that the guy is in love with her. I usually loathe this level of unself-awareness in a character, because it makes them seem stupid, but I'll give Katniss a pass on the grounds that she's kind of preoccupied with, you know, not getting killed.
Things I loved:
1. The gender-bendiness of Katniss/Peeta! They remind me of Buffy/Spike in that way, how he's the weaker, more vulnerable one, the one who's able to recognize his feelings and is honest about being in love with her (even if she thinks it's just an act).
2. Katniss and Rue! I love how everyone underestimates Rue, but Katniss recognizes the value of her skills. And how much she reminds Katniss of Prim (because I am also such a sucker for sibling relationships) and that makes Katniss protective. OMG I cried when Rue died, but I loved how Thresh and the people of District 11 acknowledge and appreciate what Katniss did for Rue. It's like this little spark of hope when everything else in the story kind of makes you want to lose your faith in humanity.
3. Katniss being clever! I liked that she doesn't win by brute strength, but that she outwits a lot of the other players and is resourceful in keeping Rue, Peeta, and herself alive. There are more ways to kick ass than, well, kicking ass. :)
4. Probably other things! I kind of read it a month ago! Remind me of all the awesome things you loved!
*flails* Gah! Now I want to read the other two books. No! Bad! Must do homework!... This will be an ongoing internal struggle.
Okay. Let's talk movie casting! Who do you want to see?
