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Yeah, the Hunger Games is as gory and destructive as some other stories/books, but that's not really the point of the story. It's a story of a revolution.
And the strong female protagonist that isn't flaky or love-obsessed. She's smart and humble... and personally, if I had a daughter, Katniss is exactly the kind of character I would want my daughter to read about and strive to be. None of that Twilight crap.
But the first book isnt about a revolution. Maybe the series progresses there, but the first book should be laying the ground work for that. And I dont think it does that well.
I think the characters themselves are allowed to remain shallow. And that's mostly a structural thing. When the story itself is about this competition, the isnt much down time for narrative and development. It stays at a fever pitch.
And now, is on to something that is 100% personal preference. I like my characters flawed. And not just a little flaw, but terrible flaws that make them despicable. And with this story I think it had the perfect opportunity to do that, but the author didnt choose that route. Maybe because it's YA, maybe because there was a greater plan in mind for the series.
You're right, the first book isn't about a revolution, but it DOES lay the groundwork for the revolution that comes in the other books. I can see how it would be hard to see that just reading the first one, but the first book does its job.
And yes, it's YA so it's not going to be the best character development. But for what it is, I think she did a fantastic job. It's not deep, thought-provoking, but personally, I can't stand that in a book
I haven't read through this whole thread, so forgive me if this is a repeat. If you liked the Hunger Games, read Divergent! I just swept through it in 3 days. It's a future distopia story like the Hunger Games, with a strong female lead, but most of the similarities end there. It's got that same revolution theme, but I a much more realistic/less annoying love story. It's fantastic! Plus it's new. The second book comes put in May.
chico, I have never even heard of Graceling so, no, I haven't read it Is it deep and thought-provoking? Cause I ain't reading that crap. Wanna tell me about it?
Clairity, I have Divergent on hold at the library!
chico, I have never even heard of Graceling so, no, I haven't read it Is it deep and thought-provoking? Cause I ain't reading that crap. Wanna tell me about it?
Clairity, I have Divergent on hold at the library!
It's been a while since I read it, but it's a YA fantasy novel where the main character is a chick that kicks a bunch of asses. Some characters have "graces" think X-Men kinda stuff. I really enjoyed it.
I read about 1/3 of this but it just didn't grab me. I don't know if it's worth pressing on or just moving to something else and forgetting this book. Follow up once you have gotten into it a bit. I'd like to hear your thoughts.
I am about halfway through at this point and I really enjoy it. I like the sort of looming fantasy and paranormality placed on the Everglades, and the prose definitely drives you to keep reading and is really interesting. I would keep reading.
Just finished Swamplandia last night. It wasn't really at all what I was expecting, and in that regard it was pretty impressive. I didn't think it was going to tackle such difficult questions and situations, which made it far more intriguing of a read than I had imagined, even halfway into the book. I would recommend it, for sure. The writing is beautiful and it really made me feel for the characters and the events taking place.
Now, I satiate my urge for more Hemingway! (I went to B&N last weekend and picked up this and two others.)
I think I'm in the minority here, but I really didnt like the hunger games. Read the first book and dont plan to read the others. It was entertaining I guess, but I feel like I wanted a more severe deconstruction of humanity.
Maybe I just like 1000 pages of grinding details. The kind that make you suffer a little to get to the end.
Isn't Hunger Games considered Teen Fiction? Don't think it's really meant to be a severe deconstruction, more or less just as JHo already said, something for teens to read that isn't pointless and lameballs like Twilight.
Also the writer of the series wrote like half the Clarissa Explains It All episodes. That's awesome!
Can anyone tell me how much the HBO series deviates from the books? I guess I'm worried they are going to "True Blood" the tv show and keep people alive that shouldn't be and deviate from the book plots so much that it's a different story.
Can anyone tell me how much the HBO series deviates from the books? I guess I'm worried they are going to "True Blood" the tv show and keep people alive that shouldn't be and deviate from the book plots so much that it's a different story.
In the Game of Thrones thread, this got discussed a little. Season One is pretty close with a few exception. Season Two has had more original content, but I don't think it is wildly different. A lot of the changes seem to me to be to explain characters better in a shorter time. From what is rumored, they may also be dropping a few characters to streamline the series and moving their roles to other characters.
I finished A Farewell To Arms and absolutely loved it. I should probably not have put off Hemingway for so long, but in a way I am glad that I did. This one hit me pretty hard especially. I cannot imagine going through what Henry went through. Very beautiful and sad.
I am looking forward to this, going to start this as soon as I finish typing this out.
Post by Adultishgambino on Apr 19, 2012 3:05:14 GMT -5
Started reading the hunger games this morning. Just finished it. I've not read a book in a day since like second grade. Haven't read anything but textbooks in three years. I'm getting the second one tomorrow.
i have less than 200 pages left of Dance With Dragons. So after starting A Song of Ice and Fire (or the Game of Thrones books as they are being called now) back in December, I am almost done with the books.
If I could go back, I would have stopped after Storm of Swords. Not because Feast for Crows/Dance with Dragons is a bad book, but because its the first book of the '2nd trilogy', setting up the main action for however many books there are left, and I can tell I am going to go crazy waiting for Winds of Winter.
Martin says there are two books left. But I am willing to bet that they are both going to be split into two volumes like FFC/DWD. Martin seems to have a struggle with editing his work and 'trimming the fat' so to speak, and if the '2nd trilogy' is anything like the original trilogy, then the narratives and storylines are only going to grow bigger.
with every one of the Game of Thrones books, the action doesn't start to pick up until about the halfway mark. (with Feast For Crows about the 2/3 mark).
The 2nd half of Clash of Kings is some of the best stuff of the series. It has the biggest battle scene so far in the series, taking up about 3 or 4 chapters. And everything that goes on in Winterfell and north of the Wall is pretty amazeballs too. Sucks that it seems HBO is writing some of it out. But that's another thread, another discussion.
I found the first book more interesting because we were learning about the characters and about Westeros. I realize right now there's some plot building going on, but crap, it's moving slow.
I should get the first season of the TV show in the next two weeks. I'm excited to watch it.
I found the first book more interesting because we were learning about the characters and about Westeros. I realize right now there's some plot building going on, but crap, it's moving slow.
I should get the first season of the TV show in the next two weeks. I'm excited to watch it.
I feel like there is some great character development in Clash of Kings, namely with Theon and Arya who are probably my two favorite characters.
How was the Murakami book? I just picked it up. More importantly how was Coachella? Fav sets?
I just finished Handling the Undead by Lindqvist. Despite an interesting take on the zombie genre it was too slow going and really didn't end up anywhere special. Lindqvist's earlier Let The Right One In is certainly a much better attempt at reinventing a genre.
Finished up "Kafka on the Shore" by Murakami on the way to Coachella. One of my favorites of his. Read "Sputnik Sweetheart" on the way back, and started "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" today. Been on kind of a Murakami kick lately. All of his books are worth reading in my opinion.
Netherland was pretty good. Didn't blow me away and I certainly wouldn't put it in the same breath as The Great Gatsby which are the comparisons that originally drew me to the novel. It was a good, quick read though.
I am about halfway through Philip Roth's American Pastoral at the moment. It is a really gripping story and I really enjoy the perspective with which it is written. Since starting it, I haven't gotten a really good stretch of time to sit and work through it, which is disappointing, but I am really enjoying it so far. It is my first reading of Roth and I am definitely a fan. I'll have to do another of his soon.
Post by g a b f r a b on Apr 27, 2012 13:07:34 GMT -5
These are the books I've read in the past month or so. Kool-Aid and Mister Wonderful were the best, but all were good. The Herzog book was kind of dry but was full of all kinds of interesting questions about our interactions with animals. Kool-Aid is insane and everyone should check that out. I really loved the experimental prose, but the subject matter of these people exploring acid and doing crazy stuff nonstop really appealed to the armchair adventurer in me. I would sit on my porch with some tunes going, bad booze, and just read it for hours on end. I'm going to read Hell's Angels by Hunter Thompson soon as a companion to it.:
Starting this today. I read one of his essays in this nonfiction collection Ira Glass edited called New Kings of Nonfiction. I've been trying to read some of the best authors from that and so here I am. One day I'll tackle Infinite Jest when I feel I am ready and smart enough to handle it haha:
I finished up American Pastoral and read Richard Russo's Straight Man over the weekend. Both were awesome. I think I enjoyed Russo more because it was a bit more light-hearted, funny even. American Pastoral was incredible though, for sure. I thought it was really great how he tied the past to the present in The Swede's life, using detailed stories from how he met various characters, or how they play into his life. I got a couple more of each of theirs though that I am really excited about digging into.
I am excited! I enjoyed The Yiddish Policeman's Union and I have heard this is on just another plane entirely.
Yes, they are very different books but both very good! I read this one before the Yiddish Policeman's Union, but only like a month before so it was still fresh on my mind.
^^AH Zapp I read that a few years ago. Definitely a fantastic book!
Agreed!!
Also, I don't know if you DFW fans saw the reference in last night's Simpson's episode. The episode, about the family going on a cruise vacation, was called "A Supposedly Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again."
Wanna tell me about it?
