The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne CollinsAlways a sucker for YA literature, I had been told that the Hunger Games series was a legitimately interesting novel for all ages, and was excited to borrow a copy from my cousin for a recent trip. After plowing through the first book (outstanding, by the way; more on that in a moment), I devoured the second of the series before taking a break (while continuing two other books and starting a third....dangerous addiction, this 'reading' fad). Over the holiday weekend, I flew through Mockingjay, the third and final installment of the series.
I've had a number of conversations already about the surprising depth of the series. It is, quite wonderfully, a combination of The Most Dangerous Game (favorite short story), Gladiator (among favorite movies), and 1984 (the book- a favorite- not the album (also a favorite)). As a teacher-to-be, it's a book I'd love to teach; there's a lot to consider from a number of perspectives. After finishing the first book of the series, I sent a series of points to a good friend of mine with plenty of YA lit. exposure. Here are some of those points:
1) The level of emotion in this book is pretty astounding, particularly for YA lit. It's got REAL depth, without the pretension of an exhaustive vocabulary. I love the feeling of a page-turner out of excitement, rather than for the sake of finishing a book, if that makes sense...and this did it. Big time. 2) I didn't want to do a search for where in today's North America the Districts were supposed to represent, but I gave it a LOT of thought. I will assume this is the geography nerd in me. Feel free to not hop on that discussion track. 3) I don't like Gale, which is to say I don't like Edward Cullen, which is to REALLY say that the over-representation of the ideal male as a brooding, tight-lipped mystery is a tired idea, and a bit of a farce. I feel like there is a disproportionate number of males who're that tough to crack in real-life. The silver lining here is we learn too little to really cast Gale in the same light as, say, Mr. Darcy; he's not condescending (which is supposed to turn into something endearing by book's end...I never understood that), so good for him. Still, if this is how I am to perceive the female psyche, I give up. 4) Brilliantly-disguised love story within a suspenseful dramatic setting. Katniss's awkwardness cuts through a lot of the would-be mush, which is a good thing. I would venture to say that that's what kills a series like Twilight for men (boys? Should I even be sending this as a 27 year-old?): too much mush. From all three lead perspectives. Woof. 5) The clever loophole of "it's the future. Believe everything." is SO well-implemented here, I had next to no trouble believing that any of what Collins writes could actually happen. Can we discuss- in particular- the premise of entertainment as a mask for something bigger and exponentially more sinister? I would hope, as an English teacher, to get the chance to teach 1984 and Brave New World...and this is a breeze of a read compared to both AND deals with a mixture of themes of the two. I'm really liking the story and the idea that people just don't "get it"...reminds me a lot about reality tv and the danger in getting wrapped up in something so artificial and contrived. Bloodsport for entertainment, manufactured conditions for battle, and a fight to the death (among TEENS, no less) makes for quite an alarming scenario...except everybody LOVES it. It is (thanks to the single-channel TV setup) THE big story. I'd be interested to learn how exactly the government managed to strip away luxuries.
I then followed it up with a few more points after reading the other two books in the series (note: None will give away the ending entirely)...
1) Catching Fire was interesting in how it shifted from a story about the uprising to the Quarter Quell. I felt as though the victory tour had a lot more potential than what it was given, and that the Quell seemed to be a bit of a cop-out. I understand that it was necessary to develop certain characters and whatnot, but Beetee and Finnick's roles in particular could have been just as well-developed in the setting of the tour of the districts. 2) I'm really legitimately upset that Regis Philbin is not playing the role of Caesar Flickerman. Perhaps it's just that I see the interviews playing out like an episode of Who Want to Be a Millionaire? whenever I think about it, but I felt it was totally manageable. In fact, that's the first character I felt able to place with an actor in the entire series. 3) There's a weight to these books that makes me really sad. It's reaching to describe the uprising as a possibility within the confines of the plot of the series, let alone to put a teenager in the role of the face of the revolt. I suppose it's what makes Katniss a tragic figure; it just made me tired. 4) Mockingjay petered out towards the end, in my opinion. It seemed as though the buildup IN 13 far outweighed the amount of time spent in the Capitol. I felt-most of all- that there wasn't nearly enough playing up of the realization that Coin was playing the same game as Snow. It was as though the author wanted to surprise everyone with the assassination (which wasn't the case at all for me)....which is unfortunate because it is PRECISELY that hatred and bitterness that had been allowed to simmer throughout the first two and a half books. Frustrating..
I'm game for any sort of discussion about the series, so if you've read it, let me know!
Verdict: Highly recommended!
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