I agree with (this is pretty far back) Kaede, (even further back) Aoife and (really far back) Alyse.
I have read all three. I heard about the first one through a friend, and got the second one soon after it came out.
And then the really long wait until the third. I barely survived. But the day it came out another friend invited me to go get it. And i finished it the next day.
I found how
Katniss married Peeta, but ignored Gale, a little bit odd. Katniss loved Gale so much and in the end just left him. I think it really should have been Gale who died, making Katniss' choice more believable.
I also cried when Prim and Finnick died, and when I found out Annie was pregnant. Like someone else up there, I like to think Finnick knew his wife was pregnant.
I also wonder what happened to Johanna. She was such a strong character, then she just disappeared.
I could go on all day about Mockingjay, but I'll stop here.
Wanderer Ward
13 years ago
Wed Dec 08 2010, 07:20pm
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
I think one of the major contributing reasons as to why Katniss chose Peeta was because
she would never be able to be comfortable around Gale, always having the knowledge that something he suggested may have led to Prim's death
That's how I understood it anyway. I also think that Gale and Katniss's personalities kind of clashed.
I mean they were obviously brilliant friends, but I think some of the fire in Gale's personality reminded Katniss of some of the things she had to do in the Games and how hard she had to be, and I think Peeta's kindness is what she needs more.
EDITED BY CAT: Sorry Kaede, just the few words you left out of the spoiler tag were quite a large spoiler to someone who's only read the first book, particularly since this thread is also for people reading it for the OBC :)
I just read Hunger Games, haven't read the other two yet. I really liked it, much more than I thought I would. It wasn't the kind of book that normally becomes over-hyped and Twilight-ish (ie, it wasn't bad! :P ) I liked Katniss, I liked the world (although did it remind anyone else of the 12 colonies from BSG and a bit of a Firefly alliance vs independents?), I liked all the other characters, people had believable emotions and reactions.
On the movie front, I agree Lol. The whole point is that this society is so far gone they're making children kill each other, and we're going to make a movie of it. Oh yeah. And I agree, Nef (I think it was Nef!), the book works because it's first person, I don't think it'll translate across that well.
Oh, it also reminded me a lot of that episode of Doctor Who when he goes to the future and ends up in deadly Big Brother! :P
Wanderer Ward
13 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Waah! I'm sorry Cat! I hope I didn't spoil anything too horrifically for you |:(
What's BSG?
That's ok Kaede, I don't really mind :)
BSG = Battlestar Galactica. The backstory in it is that there were 12 colonies who all settled on different planets, but there may have been a 13th colony who found a planet called Earth, but the Earth bit a lot of people think is just a myth or a legend.
I really thought that from the first book when Gale and Katniss met that they would get into a relationship but now that I know Gale dies I'm really sad because he was one of my favourite characters. I'm sorry but I'm not a Peeta and Katniss fan. It really does remind you a bit of BSG doesn't it Cat?
I still haven't got the third book yet but I hope it is as good as the first two. :) Well... I did onto a fanfic website and read the first four chapters because it is addictive.
In some ways I agree with you Lol that it is not ethnically correct to create a movie where children kill each other but it is not reality and as long as we understand that it is fictional I would agree to it.
Wanderer Ward
13 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
In response to VC's spoilered bit, Gale doesn't die.
The part I was most annoyed about [Book 3 Spoilers] was FINNICK DYING WHEN HE WAS ALL SET UP TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING AND A GOOD LIFE WITH THE WOMAN HE LOVED! Also; it seemed so hard on Annie! She was so fragile with her shattered mind and emotional state, and I got the impression that being with Finnick could have healed her, and now that he's gone, I think that she's likely to get worse.
Wanderer Ward
13 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
About Annie: I think Annie'd get worse for a while, I mean, who wouldn'y after their husband just died so soon after their marriage? But I think having his child will kind of stabilise her. That's what I hope anyway!
^I suppose so. Maybe I'm just overreacting, I guess I just pegged Annie as a woman very easily depressed, maybe even post-natal depression.
13 years ago
Mon Dec 13 2010, 03:04am
I finally received my fall 2010 issue of Ms. magazine (a teen feminist magazine), and The Hunger Games was picked as one of Ms.' YA favorites, and listed as "action hero"!
It also mentioned that the film-script has been completed and at press time, 6 top directors were trying to direct it, only one of them a woman. I think it'd be amazing if someone like Kathryn Bigelow directed it.
Also about Annie, I agree that a child from Finnick would probably help her heal. I guess it's better than nothing.
EDIT by CAT: I guessed that the bit you put in action tags was meant to be a spoiler (the buttons are next to each other :) ) so I've changed it.
EDIT: Sorry Cat!! I'm sure that's exactly what happened |facepalm|
Wanderer Ward
13 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
That's okay :) For some reason whist I was reading the second book, I was convinced that Peeta was going to die, I was so certain that he was, but it was a lovely surprise when he made it!
^ I was talking about Gale not Peeta.
Ok, I have no idea how to operate this spoiler thingy, so beware when reading this if it doesn't work, then you might be...spoiled.
I HATED that Gale had a hand in Prim's death. I don't think she should have died, because wasn't she basically their mother's and Katniss's reason for living in the first place? Her mother didn't pay much attention to Katniss, so I don't think she would be enough to keep their mother alive. It's not believable. I liked Katniss's reaction and that Peeta turned into her reason to live, but I thought the ending was anticlimactic.
I loved the first book, and the second was alright, but the third just made me sad. I think it would have been better had she finished it off after The Hunger Games.
AHA! Success! :)
13 years ago
Sat Jan 08 2011, 04:30am
Also, where's the OBC thread? :)
NVM, found it! Hahaha
Megabyte, I agree that the ending was very sad, or rather, very bittersweet.
I think that by the time Prim died, Katniss and Prim's mother had become strong enough to not rely on either of her daughters as a reason to live, and the fact that she was so good at healing gave her life purpose.
No one, not Katniss, Gale, or even Beetee, could know for certain whether or not Gale actually had any sort of role in Prim's death. I think this uncertainty was a huge factor in Katniss choosing Peeta.
I think the ending was left anticlimactic because it was trying to show that after such devastating events, life can return to a somewhat ordinary, "normal" state, and even after Katniss and Peeta suffered and lost so many people they could make a life for themselves.
I'm trying to think of alternate, more exciting endings--I guess the book could have ended after Katniss killed Coin, but readers might have been outraged and want to know what happened after that, or everybody could have died but no one would like that, or Katniss could have kept fighting for something, but what did she have left to fight for?
P.S. You got the spoiler tags right!
I agree with your anticlimactic ending, but I don't really think their life turned "normal". More like some parody of normal. I'm glad she chose Peeta though. I hated it when he got hijacked :(. I guess I would have liked more of a resolution towards the end though.
And it took some trial-and-error, but I got it!!! :D
Ashling Guildmistress
13 years ago
Sat Jan 08 2011, 09:06am
Ashling Guildmistress
Mage
Woo-hoo! An OBC that I've read recently!
Overall - I was addicted to this series - it's been such a long time since I had read anything that I felt so involved in, it was a pleasant surprise, and I would highly recommend this series.
In consideration of some of the topics mentioned in this thread:
Katniss - Peta or Katniss - Gale
When I initially started reading, I was a bit torn between the two, and probably initially favouring Gale, as the handsome childhood friend, versus Peta who seemed to be a 'romance of circumstance'. But as the series progressed Peta was starting to win me over.
I am glad that Peta and Katniss ended together, and I think it was a much more reasonable outcome. Sure, Gale appeared more attractive and they had gone through a lot in their childhood, but I felt that what Katniss and Peta went through was far more traumatic - they had to kill their team mates in order to survive. Furthermore, Peta was nothing but loyal and devoted to Katniss, and willing to standby her, even if she did choose Gale. Finally, as I think Kaede mentioned, Peta and Katniss compliment each other to a degree, and are both supportive. I think that they are who they needed given what they had all gone through and I think it was completely fitting.
I also think it is a valid argument to consider that Katniss may have been reminded of Prim's death as a result of Gale. Though there was no proof or suggestion that Gale was involved, I think the idea was still there, and considering how close Katniss was to her sister, I don't think that could ever be removed.
Regarding the Hunger Games concept in itself
Horrid. Vividly entertaining, but an appalling concept - which is what makes it so brilliant.
Think about how reality TV stole the prime time of television a couple of years back: how we were completely taken up in the lives of people we didn't know - but thought we did from tuning in each weeknight to watch them compete against others.
Humans are very social creatures, and we love to gossip. We'd speculate and gush over our favourite soapies, so how much more appealing is it when these 'soapie' events are being played out in real time, with real people, fighting for a real prize.
Someone hit the nail on the head when they thought of reality TV.
Now consider how appealing the news is to watch - how headlines are not all pretty and 'feel-good' but are often controversial, violent, sad. Why? Because what are you more likely to want to read about: how Mr Fireman saved the kitty from the tree, or how Mr Fireman hurled the kitty from the tree.
I consider that people are drawn to the tragedies, because in a way it makes them feel 'Well, my life sucks atm, but hey - at least it doesn't suck *that* much; which, is a thoroughly selfish thought, when you consider that the people you are watching are suffering.
Also consider this: something that a teacher once pointed out to me - a news station has to consider airing one story - either a landslide in China or a car accident. In China, no one died from this landslide, but in the car accident - 4 people did. What would be aired?
The landslide of course. Why? Because it is much more graphic, which video footage versus the car crash which many people have viewed before. Perhaps it would have been different if someone had actually caught the horrific crash on tape. But not many people anticipate a tragedy like that to happen, and unlike the landslide, which when the first slide occurs, there is likely to be more which can be filmed and therefore aired, a car crash happens in a split second. And watching the footage of bodies being carted away does not invoke the same kind of emotional draw as watching the crash (in replay from many different angles) and then watching emergency services do their bit.
So come back to the Hunger Games: combine people you can connect with (i.e. kids you support), a real tangible goal at the end (i.e. the kid wants to live), with tragedy, death and violence - all in real time, and I'm a bit sad to say that if that concept ever did come to life - well, let's just say I can understand if it is successful.
Which is horrendous right? But I think that it is kind of the same as our responses to watching death and tragedy on the screens on the news each night: the people in Capitol had these games ingrained as part of their lives - they had become desensitised to the idea as well, and instead accepted it willing as part of their culture.
It's not a completely new concept (e.g. the Romans who battled it out in the colosseum) - and again, it's about pushing the tragedy factor to another level: kids having to battle it out - kids who are innocent, who have not yet lived life.
... the people running Capitol are appalling monsters, but you have to give them some credit for thinking up this kind of way to suppress the people.
I think Suzanne Collins took an existing idea (or a couple of existing ideas i.e. death, reality TV, post apocalyptic world) and presented them in brilliant fashion. It's completely chilling, but at the same time, the stories have hope, love and courage which is a strong message.
I also loved how the theme of Hunger was prevalent throughout the series, particularly the first two books. Again, from Western society, where we always know where our next meal is coming from, I do not think that we can really appreciate what it must be like that there are people out there whose first concern is not grade what they are getting in school, if their crush likes them or where they are going to sleep for the night. No, their most pressing need is food and water - because life can go on only a limited number of days without them.
But Ms Collins had it such a strong underlying concept of the book that as we related to the characters, we could gain a sense of what that may be like, which was well done.
The 3rd book - Mockingjay
I enjoyed it - I was bracing myself as I was warned here that it wasn't as good as the first two, and while it differed in the sense that it wasn't a 'Hunger Game' - but I think it was the next logical step in the story development.
One thing I did hate and felt was completely out of character was
Katniss agreeing to the hunger games for the Capitol children. As others have mentioned here, all it meant was the move from one oppressive government to another, which defeated the entire purpose of the liberation from Capitol. While I can appreciate that Katniss was distraught over her sister's death, I cannot believe that she was so spiteful that she thought that innocent children who were only doing what their society sheltered/and taught them - would teach them anything. How would two wrongs make a right?
That's probably my biggest failing with the third book.
^.^; I've only read the series once, but I plan on reading it again, because I found it very thought provoking (perhaps evidenced by this rather large response ^.^;).
Highly highly recommend.
I just finished the series two days ago. WOW. I loved it.
^ I agree with MKiara on a final Hunger Games with the Capitol children. It was so out of character for Katniss to say yes, I guess she was struck with a lot of grieve but it still seems really out of place to me. I'm all for Peeta/ Katniss, after everything they went through and I guess the way I look at it they need eachother and are a cute couple. I did love how Katniss turned around and shot Coin instead of Snow at the execution. Great turn of events, of course I would have loved it if Katniss became a leader after that but a seventeen year old in government.. yeah. I guess I feel that way because I kind of don't like after the rebellion she just goes back to District 12 and steps out of the light.. But again that's probably what she wants after everything she's been through. GREAT BOOK ;D
OK. so because I saw this thread pop up so often I kind of went out while i was on holidays and bought the whole trilogy! and now I am finally finished (had to wait a while to get the third book...even though I bought it at the same time...ANYWAY)
They are certainly compelling and full of action. What struck me the most at first is that they aren't particularly well written, although other stuff makes up for that.
so I just finished Mockingjay about an hour or so ago.
I KNEW FINNICK WAS GOING TO DIE *CRIES* I was willing him not to the whole capitol infiltration part of the book!! dang it!!! poor Annie!!!! waaaaaaaah!!! :"(
I am glad that Katniss ended up with Peeta. It worked for me, she had not thought of Gale in that way until he kissed her really, and made her confused. no doubts about how much she cared for him, but I was hoping for Peeta.
Was NOT expecting Prim to die!!!! o_0
I hate finishing books that make me feel uneasy at the end. Like with a few extra words it could have been better ending. I was not necessarily wanting a happy ending but the way MOCKINGJAY ended, it crushed me!
A part of me is glad that Katniss ended up with Peeta but i think Peeta deserved a lot more... I was actually hoping that when Delly, Peeta's chilhood friend started getting Peeta in shape, they would get together. But oh well!
Poor Annie! The way Finnick died, he was entitled to a few paragraphs, probably how Annie felt after knowing the news.
And the final hunger games that Katniss says yes to -- they dont actually happen, do they?? ???
And finally, Gale should have died. Seriously, most of the times, his character was so ... (cant find the right word) eerie.
its like Rushton and Dameon all over again...
Go PEETA!!
i would certainly recommend this book :roll:
have fun
