The Hunger Games

**CDNSushi** · 27th March 12, 11:55 PM

I'm relying on the rabble to help this cultural recluse re-adapt to western society. I'd never even HEARD of The Hunger Games before taking my trip to Canada. Now it's all over! Both movie and book trilogy are all what everyone is talking about.

Could someone please help explain what the appeal is here? I got the one-liner explanation from IMDB, but surely it doesn't take an entire book trilogy to tell such a seemingly simple story...

So in a nutshell... What are the books about? Are they worth reading? And is the movie worth watching?

Then I can go crawl back under my Asian rock where things like this take many months and even years to surface in popular culture.

**CMcG** · 28th March 12, 01:51 AM

My girlfriend has been reading the books and is dying to see the movie. She says they are extremely well written, exciting, and engrossing, so I guess I'll give them a shot. Perhaps it is not the premiss or the story, as much as it is the telling of the tale?

**Bee** · 28th March 12, 02:34 AM

When I read The Hunger Games, I didn't really know what it was about either, only that the games themselves are morally repugnant...(kids fighting each other to the death).

The first book is mainly about the games but in the trilogy, there is a greater story arch about a rebellion against the Capitol. The books are very well written and easy to read, and I like that from one book to the next, there isn't much recapping and goes straight into the story.

Focusing on The Hunger Games book though, it was very descriptive and the author managed to create a setting that is so clear and vivid that it's basically like you are watching a movie. If you plan on watching the movie, I would suggest you read the book first (it only took me a couple days). From what I hear, if you go see the movie not knowing what the book is about, it will feel like an inside joke that you're not a part of...

I didn't give too many details because I don't want to spoil it

**madmacs** · 28th March 12, 04:13 AM

I did read a review that mentioned Stephen King rated the writing, which is the opposite of what he said about the twilight saga...

**Mickey** · 28th March 12, 04:40 AM

On the advice of my wife, I read the books about three years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them, even though it is outside of my usual reads. The second book is a bit boring, but overall, a ripping good yarn. And I agree with Bee. From the beginning, I had an extremely detailed visual while reading, which to me, is what a good book should do.

I will be (pleasantly) surprised if the movies can come even close to capturing it.

On the surface, it does appear to be a simple story, but there is quite a bit going on. If the story had been attempted in one book, it would have been a failure, IMO.

**Tobus** · 28th March 12, 10:43 AM

CDNSushi, don't feel badly - I'm apparently just as uninformed as you are on this trilogy. My only defence is that I usually only read books that are considered classics, tending to avoid modern literature.

I had seen the previews for the movie and thought it looked pretty interesting, but had no idea what it was really about (or that it was even based on a series of books) until I saw this thread. A little Googling has me convinced that it's worth reading.

**Riverkilt** · 28th March 12, 11:35 AM

My 14yo grandson is hot for the books, saw the movie premiere and said it wasn't as good as the books. Current issue of Rolling Stone Magazine #11154 has the star on the cover, an article on the star, and a review of the movie.
Haven't developed any interest in it myself.

**be da veva** · 28th March 12, 11:44 AM

Fisrt time I heard about it was when I saw a preview on tv. My first tought was '' oh, an american version of Battle Royale.'' I'm not that far out..... Read the serie, it's writen for young adult, so the plot line is easy to figure out.
I still consider Battle Royale far better.

**Blackrose87** · 28th March 12, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by be da veva

Fisrt time I heard about it was when I saw a preview on tv. My first tought was '' oh, an american version of Battle Royale.'' I'm not that far out..... Read the serie, it's writen for young adult, so the plot line is easy to figure out.
I still consider Battle Royale far better.

From the trailer and plot outlines in reviews, that's what I thought as well. A toned down Battle Royal for young teenagers, I guess.

**Zardoz** · 28th March 12, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by be da veva

Fisrt time I heard about it was when I saw a preview on tv. My first tought was '' oh, an american version of Battle Royale.'' I'm not that far out..... Read the serie, it's writen for young adult, so the plot line is easy to figure out.
I still consider Battle Royale far better.

Yeah, that's been my thinking as well, but if I say it online I get accused of being a hipster jumping on the 'Battle Royale bandwagon' even though I read it and first saw the movie in like 2004

That being said, Hunger Games is a good young adult read, (if not terribly original) it's good as an adventure story, so-so as science fiction. But I'd rather see a young girl read it than Twilight.