A few of my friends adored "Fifty Shades" -- but several others (including my sister) warned me that the writing was atrocious and the books were basically Harlequin romances dressed up with leather & chains. As for "Twilight," the vampire thing has never appealed to me. SIL tried to get me to read Anne Rice, more than 20 years ago. Just couldn't get into it.
On the other hand, I do enjoy a bit of dystopian fiction/alternative history now & then. One such book that springs to mind is "Fatherland" by Robert Harris, which I read some years ago. It's set in early 1960s Germany, but the twist here is that Hitler won World War II, Joseph Kennedy (father of the real-life President Kennedy, who was opposed to the war) is now President of the United States, the Jews have disappeared from Europe and the Holocaust has been covered up. (Or almost.) There's even a moptop quartet from England that makes a cameo appearance in Hamburg. ; )
Another is "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, which we covered in an earlier version of Mel's book club. (I actually noticed a number of parallels between that book and this one as I read.)
So I figured I might actually like "The Hunger Games" if I ever got around to reading it, and the GRAB(ook) Club offered the perfect excuse to put it next on my list. ; )
"The Hunger Games," if you haven't heard by now, is set in a future United States, now a totalitarian nation known as Panem, divided into 13 districts. Our heroine & narrator, Katniss Everdeen (one thing I did NOT particularly like in the book were the characters' rather ridiculous names), lives in the poorest area, District 12, once known as Appalachia. Each year, the children aged 12-18 in each district gather for "The Reaping," in which one boy & one girl are chosen by lottery as "tributes," then whisked away to the Capitol, where they will fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games until just one warrior is left standing. The Hunger Games serve as a sort of sick form of reality entertainment for the wealthy citizens of the Capitol, and also as a reminder to the rest of the country about the power the Capitol holds over them. And when Katniss's younger sister Primrose in chosen in the Reaping, Katniss volunteers to fight in her place.
This was a good book, and a quick read (I put it on my e-reader and read it on the commuter train to & from work last week). I wouldn't say it's the best book I've ever read, as my nephew (age 20) did. Perhaps the whole idea of children being forced to kill each other is just a little too barbaric for my tastes. It's certainly nothing like the books I would have read as a young adult, but I can see how it would appeal to a generation raised on violent video games (not to mention episodes of "Survivor").
But I did enjoy it -- enough that I was tearing up in the last 15 pages, and enough to download the other two books in the series, and to think about seeing the movie. (I like Jennifer Lawrence; I thought she was brilliant and deserved the Oscar in "Silver Linings Playbook.") ;)
It made me think.
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My question:
I've mentioned that the book reminded me of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Survivor and other reality TV shows, and violent video games. What if anything about the book reminded you most of our life in the here & now, and why?
After you answer my question, please click over to read the rest of the book club questions for The Hunger Games. You can get your own copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins at bookstores including Amazon.
I think the divisions between the Capital and the Districts is a cautionary tale regarding our potential societal divides. The ultimate result of class warfare - the undesirables penned up far away from the elites. We're not close to that yet, but I think the idea floats around in the heads of many people...
ReplyDeleteIt actually didn't remind me of anything from fiction. It reminded me (in general terms of course) of how victors have so often dealt with the vanquished, the utter dehumanization of your opponent, your "other". And, again, in an exaggerated form, of course, of how media covers events, focusing on the sensational, rarely addressing the root causes of events, dealing with them as if they exist in isolation, utterly ahistorical. Keep reading on, it is also an interesting portrayal of the rise of resistance moments, and how a single figure becomes a symbol of resistance. It is actually a very smart trilogy, and I think that sets it apart.
ReplyDeleteThis is a smart trilogy, which is what sets it apart!! Read on: It addresses the rise of a resistance movement, how a single figure becomes a symbol for a unifying cause. For me, it comes from the pages of history and current events. The utter "othering" of your opponent, their absolute dehumanization. The ridiculous media coverage of events; sensationalism, where everything is theater and entertainment. It is far better written and much deeper than the other two popular books you brought up.
ReplyDeleteI could relate to the poverty and horrors of mining, as I live in WV and am surrounded by mining communities. The isolation, poverty and deprivation are still found in some rural communities here in WV and KY where mining used to rule and mines have been closed.
ReplyDeleteKeep reading! I loved book two...
ReplyDeleteThe more modern and glamour of the capitol reminds me a bit of a big city...with the surrounding countryside/suburbs being in its shadow.
I think what it reminds me of most is our society's focus on being entertained no matter what, including by the misery of others. How many people snap up the latest In Touch when there's a celeb divorce on the front of it? We may not have gotten to the point where we're watching war zones to bet on the soldiers, but various forms of media and advertisers make a LOT of money on our voracious appetite for entertainment, and a decent amount of it is not pretty when you look closely at it.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that Handmaid's Tale connection too: that idea of women being forced to do something they don't want to do (or at the very least a female protagonist since it's both men and women being forced).
ReplyDeleteI do think that there was a lot of truth to the divide that exists across America; the way different regions view each other. How without even going to the place, we hold opinions about the places themselves and the people within.
I noticed that Handmaid's Tale connection too: that idea of women being forced to do something they don't want to do (or at the very least a female protagonist since it's both men and women being forced).
ReplyDeleteI do think that there was a lot of truth to the divide that exists across America; the way different regions view each other. How without even going to the place, we hold opinions about the places themselves and the people within.
I read all three of them last year fairly quickly. While the subject matter is appalling the books really did grab my attention and pull me in. I think for me what kind of got me though is how I could see something like this happening in real life somewhere down the road. I guess maybe I don't have a lot of faith in humans but I could see the human tendency to be fascinated by the pain or difficulties of others by those who can sit back and watch and do nothing.
ReplyDeleteI loved THG trilogy and recommend the film, it's a pretty good adaptation. I'm really excited for Catching Fire in November, I just reread Catching Fire actually and it's my favourite of the three.
ReplyDeleteThe names - I think it's cool actually because name trends do change over several years.
I think that it's all too easy to fall into the trap of "panem et circenses" (which is why the country is called that) - people in this country certainly seem to ignore, I don't know, war in Syria, when they can get caught up in who might win the X Factor.