Politics & Current Events
MeredithE
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I have a Flameworthy question. School me ladies!!
WTF is so great about Hunger Games? Kids fighting to the death? I don't get it.
"HOW many US citizens and ranchers have been decapitated in Arizona by roving bands of paperless aliens, and how will a requirement that I have papers on me make that not happen?"courtesy of SueSue
Re: I have a Flameworthy question. School me ladies!!
The story is well written. Also the creativity of the scenes is compelling. I am somewhat of a freak and like gore and interesting deaths. So, despite the people dying being young children, the Games are really interesting.
Did you want a synopsis of the book? It's a great story, and dystopian similar to Handmaid's Tale.
Zuma Zoom
I would like one. I'd like to know what it's about since everyone keeps talking about it, but the odds of me reading or watching it are almost nil.
I completely agree.
HG is fine. It's certainly better than Twilight. Not nearly as good as Harry Potter. It was an entertaining read, and for actual young adults reading it, I think it brings up some interesting things and discussion points. I'll probably see the movie eventually but I wouldn't consider myself a "fan."
40/112
(SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Sure thing! (anyone else feel free to add/edit)
In a land that could be North America, there are 12 districts and the Capitol. 74 years prior to the book's setting, there was a riot in which district 13 revolted against the controlling Capitol. Since the Capitol wanted to teach the land a lesson, they decided to hold annual Hunger Games. The Hunger Games takes two tributes, which includes one boy and one girl ages 12-18 to compete to a last man standing competition.
The districts represent different areas for production. Coal, agriculture, metal, etc. 12 being coal, and one of the poorest.
The main character is Katniss, who has a sister who is 12. Since District 12 is the poorest, and other areas struggle as well, the Capitol enacted this deal where you can put your name into the tribute lottery to get more food for your family. More entries, better chance you'll get chosen.
The 74th Hunger Games is the first lottery Katniss' sister is being entered. Her name is Primrose. During the lottery ceremony, Primrose's name is called. Katniss volunteers for her, and is the girl tribute for the battle. Peeta is the other name called. He is a baker's son.
Katniss often goes out of bounds of her area that is fenced in with an electric fence. She is a hunter and her father taught her to hunt. She hunts with her friend Gale, dreamy hunky boy that is secretly in love with her.
Anywho, Katniss and Peeta are hauled off to the Capitol to train for the games. They're assigned stylist to prepare them for the Opening Ceremony and for video showings. The games are fully televised across all districts.
Cinna is assigned to Katniss as her stylist. Also, the people of the Capitol are all cray cray with fashion to the extreme. Like, dying their skin lavender or leopard and stuff. Cinna just has a trademark gold eyeliner instead of going crazy.
During the pre-games interviews, Peeta announces that he's been in love with Katniss, and that the games are going to be tough because he wants to be with her. They start this propganda to gain popularity with the districts and Capitol. (when you're in the games if people like you, they can send you 'gifts' which can include medical supplies, food, etc.)
It should also be noted that the game arenas are specifically designed. Some are in odd locations with extreme weather, others in water, or mountainous terrains, etc.
They start the games, and like half of the tributes die within the first night. They tributes know who die each day because they shine their faces each night in the sky.
Katniss befriended a girl from District 11, named Rue. She connects with her because she's 12 like her sister. She is a good climber and sweet and timid. Also a good survivor.
The rest of the story involves the games and how they end. Then it also involves what happens after the games end and carries through to the next two books.
Hopefully that is a good run down.
Sorry so long.
Zuma Zoom
It's a nice combo of action (fighting to the death, you don't get more action-y than that) and stuff to actually make you think...
So... in the future North America is this other country, Panem. There was some kind of environmental disaster, so people are kind of effed. Panem was originally the Capital + 13 "districts" (kind of like big states), but each has one thing that defines their economy.
But the Capital basically takes everything from the districts and leaves them dirt poor, or struggling. There's a ton of wealth and leisure time in the capital, and the districts range from upper middle class (districts 1 and 2) to living on the margains and barely scraping by...
75 or so years before the start of the first book, the districts said "eff this schitt" and rose up against the Capital. And they lost. Big time. District 13 was obliterated from the map, and the other districts took that as a sign that they were outgunned (makes sense, given that the Capitol has all the technology, see).
So, as part of the "peace treaty" or whatever, following the uprising, the districts promised to participate in the Hunger Games every year. Kids, between 12 and 18 (or so, I might have the numbers wrong) are selected at random to go and fight to the death, to remind the districts that the Capitol is the big boss.
Now, if you aren't selected, you can volunteer as "tribute"... so for the kids in the upper middle class districts, it's a big honor to go, and they're always volunteers who've basically been training their whole lives for it.
Why? Because the winner is set for life. House. Food (which, in many districts is a big deal). All of it.
Now, our heroine is in District 12, Appalachia, where they mine coal and things are not pretty. She volunteers when her 12 year old sister is selected, cuz she wouldn't have lasted a minute.
The heroine knows how to take care of herself, having fed the family after the death of her father (coal mining accident, natch) by crawling under the big fence and bowhunting animals.
That's the setup. It goes from there.
There's a romantic triangle. There are pretty dresses. There's a kick-azz female heroine.
But there's also some depth. Something to think about in terms of class stratification, and in terms of who we are. It's not out of line to put contemporary America as the "Capitol" and the rest of the world as the "districts", in terms of our priorities, our consumption, and our treatment of those who make the garbage we consume every day.
I am the 99%.
It has interesting characters, a different storyline from your typical YA, its written in a way that is very easy and fast to read, and it has suspense - you care about what happens next so you keep reading. She does a good job of investing you fairly quickly in the characters.
Is it the best-written, most original series out there? No. But it's definitely thought-provoking and considering how fast I flew through the books, i thought they were worth it. They aren't huge time investments and I felt I got a lot of enjoyment out of them for that time.
DH doesn't like the book because he thinks (and ITA) that it's written down for the YA crowd.
i like the story a lot. i think it can translate into a really good movie and am crossing my fingers that this is the case.
that said, i likened it to my trashy romance novels. it's something that doesn't take long to read and i'm not going to kill any brain cells in the process.
I have a real problem with these books. I dislike that it's a book series about children killing children marketed for children.
However, I think that they will make good movies, and am planning on going to see it.
But, my mostest favoritist thing about the books? That a costume designer is a pretty big hero.
I really appreciate y'all typing those synopsises (I have no idea how to make that plural) out for me. The premise for the story is a really interesting one and I dig it. I always love me a strong female lead, too.
I'll def add it to my watch list.
Agreed. The characters are nothing more than cardboard cutouts that are pranced through various scenes.
I'm hoping the movie is something that better fleshes out the characters.
This is one of the rare occasions where I think the movie will be better than the books. Similar to harry potter, there's imaginative fantasy. The people in the Capital have crazy fashion and technology to alter their bodies in novel ways. There are hybrid techno-animal monsters. There's some futuristic space design. I picture the capital in Denver with buildings from Star Wars
One element of the selection of tributes, it's not entirely random. The poorer you are, the more likely you are to be chosen. So, more social commentary there.
We will know more than just Katniss' perspective, so it has the potential to flesh out a lot.
I am the 99%.
Don't all teenagers spend their teenaged year reading dystopian books? At least it's humans killing humans, not Ayn Rand.
I can't be the only one who read Battle Royale as a teenager. And Ender's Game in elementary school. And Lord of the Flies for school. And Rand too, lol--Anyone else write the essay on The Fountainhead and apply for the Rand scholarship?
I'm so thankful my parents never censored my reading. Even when I checked out Clan of the Cave Bear books at the library to read the sex scenes over and over.
<a href="http://www.thenest.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Home D**golf clap**
Well done, mominatrix. That was the first thing I've read that has made me even remotely interested in reading these books. I'm finishing up several books right now, but think I'll download HG for my trip next week. I'll just make sure I have a back-up because I hate science fiction. LOL.
So I usually hate Sci Fi, hate futuristic stuff, and really dislike sad/death related stuff. So I avoided these books like the plague for a LONG time. Then I was finally convinced by a friend and my sister to pcik the first one up....and I could not put it down. I flew through all 3 and I am DYING to see the movie now (goign tomorrow night! Eeep!) So I suggest that you try them, I think you will be suprised.
And I actually thought the characters were well developed for a YA novel. No, it is not Harry Potter, but it is certainly one of the best YA series I have read.
Are you, me? :oD I read a lot worse than The Hunger Games, while a child.
All my friends keep trying to get me to read these... I might now that I know more about them, I guess. I resisted Twilight for a long time and I enjoyed that. I didn't know there was crazy fashion stuff, I might be into that...
Of course, I don't claim to read the classics all the time, b/c I read a lot of trashy romance novels.
I'm sure I read a lot worse as a child. I started reading romance novels in 4-5th grade. My parents let me read whatever I wanted, and I know we read stuff like Lord of the Flies in Literature class, either freshman year of high school or in middle school - can't remember which.
Lord of the Flies is a good example. I think I read it in 9th grade. That's also the time I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings which has a description of a peen and subsequent incest. That was certainly more adult than how the HG story is told.
I'm glad I wasn't the only person who loved the Clan sex scenes. I think b/c my aunt gave me her books, my parents never thought to question it. Otherwise, they restricted access to books with sex.
I hated Lord of the Flies b/c my teacher was obsessed with it. I swear it was all we talked about for a semester. Okay, that might be an exaggeration.
But, now, all I can remember is talking about how Simon was a Christlike figure or the symbolism around him. Oh and that there was a boy named Piggy.
When we read Caged Bird, our district had instructed the teachers to tell us not to read Chapter 4 (or whatever chapter her molestation is described in, it's beena while). I asked the teacher why it was on the curriculum at all if we we're 'allowed' to read the whole story.
Lol, like any V.C. Andrews book (another childhood fave)
omigod, the fashion stuff!
promoting the movie, there's a whole website devoted to capitol fashions...
http://capitolcouture.pn/ (get it, the .pn is the extension for all Panem websites. slick geekery. Love.)
I am the 99%.
DD #1 passed away in January 2011 at 14 days old due to congenital heart disease
DD#2 lost in January 2012 at 23 weeks due to anhydramnios caused by a placental abruption
Ditto those that posted synopsises (?) I had asked another group what's the big deal with HG. Perhaps I'll cave