I had never ever thought that I would end up reading the books, much less writing about them. The Hunger Games trilogy has been a big hit in the United States. The publisher is the current client I am working for. None of this ever tempted me to read the book because, frankly, I never felt too excited about the premise. A teenager called to take part in a reality show where only the winner lived. I hate reality shows. Period. And I am not interested in teenagers killing each other (with bows, arrows, primitive tools and bare hands). There is too much killing in the world without resorting to this kind in a reality show.
So, how did I finally read it? A very interesting story which gives us an insight into the human nature, a topic which fascinates me endlessly. I have already said that I had no interest in reading the book. So, I never bought it or borrowed it from the library. Now ever since my sister gave me my Kindle, I have been thinking about paying the 80$ to become an Amazon Prime member. I had to think about it because I do not really do a lot of shopping so free shipping is no bonus for me. I do not watch movies a lot so prime instant video is again no bonus for me. What tempted me was Kindle Owners Lending Library where you can borrow one book each month. I figured that a couple of free shippings and 12 free books would make up for the cost. I knew I was deluding myself because I am still into paper and ink books and so I was indecisive (talk about both heart and mind not giving an inch). Finally one night, I was looking for something to read and just went ahead (I knew I am not the one to think so long about money related issues). And obviously, once I had paid the money, I found that there was no book worth borrowing. It seems that none of the good authors are included in the Lending program. Well, I scrolled through pages and pages of listings. I wanted a book which looked interesting, was kind of famous and cost more than 5$ (to give me the illusion that I was recouping my money). I could see only one fitting all three criteria was-----yes you are right - The Hunger Games. Since I had never wanted to read it, I browsed for a long time hoping to find a better option. Finally, I had to give in. So, I checked out Hunger Games because it was expensive and famous and not because I was interested. This is psychology for you. That is why advertising works.
Anyway, once I had started reading, I got really hooked. The author is pretty good. In spite of the premise being not so strong, the writing is really good. The story does not have a lot - it is all about the people in it. The characters come out really well - they are believable people in an unbelievable setting. The thing which really hooked me was that the heroine (and other characters) were portrayed as real people - she had all the failings, dreams, aspirations, feelings you and I have, whether it is love, hatred, rebellion, selfishness, jealousy, ambition and most of all - HOPE in face of adversity. The writing was good in another way - it was so strong that the scenes built up in my imagination even with the highly improbable settings. I could visualize the whole atmosphere as I am rarely able to do on the first reading. I was so impressed that I felt I had to watch the movie. If I, with a sadly lacking imagination, could visualize so much, what would a truly imaginative professional have done with the movie? Unfortunately, it was not available on netflix. But I was on a roll. I specially registered on redbox and drove out during my lunch to get it. Unfortunately, the movie did not live up to my expectations. Maybe because the book was so strongly written, I was able to imagine more, and the movie people were not able to capture everything my thoughts did. Also, I had imagined more exotic settings. And a movie has to trim the story line too.
The only thing I did not like about the book is the violence. Teenagers killing each other? I know death is a fact - I lost my mother when I was 6, but deliberate violence? I also think that a fictional book, is after all, fiction and should be treated as such, but somehow I am not comfortable with teenagers killing each other. This is not good over evil. The US society has a confused pshyche as a whole and this just does not help. I know I am sounding like the moral police but I cannot help my feelings. I think there is a lot of badness in the world without us looking for it and we should be looking for goodness in other people, not the evil which makes them brutally kill their fellow human beings.
So, how did I finally read it? A very interesting story which gives us an insight into the human nature, a topic which fascinates me endlessly. I have already said that I had no interest in reading the book. So, I never bought it or borrowed it from the library. Now ever since my sister gave me my Kindle, I have been thinking about paying the 80$ to become an Amazon Prime member. I had to think about it because I do not really do a lot of shopping so free shipping is no bonus for me. I do not watch movies a lot so prime instant video is again no bonus for me. What tempted me was Kindle Owners Lending Library where you can borrow one book each month. I figured that a couple of free shippings and 12 free books would make up for the cost. I knew I was deluding myself because I am still into paper and ink books and so I was indecisive (talk about both heart and mind not giving an inch). Finally one night, I was looking for something to read and just went ahead (I knew I am not the one to think so long about money related issues). And obviously, once I had paid the money, I found that there was no book worth borrowing. It seems that none of the good authors are included in the Lending program. Well, I scrolled through pages and pages of listings. I wanted a book which looked interesting, was kind of famous and cost more than 5$ (to give me the illusion that I was recouping my money). I could see only one fitting all three criteria was-----yes you are right - The Hunger Games. Since I had never wanted to read it, I browsed for a long time hoping to find a better option. Finally, I had to give in. So, I checked out Hunger Games because it was expensive and famous and not because I was interested. This is psychology for you. That is why advertising works.
Anyway, once I had started reading, I got really hooked. The author is pretty good. In spite of the premise being not so strong, the writing is really good. The story does not have a lot - it is all about the people in it. The characters come out really well - they are believable people in an unbelievable setting. The thing which really hooked me was that the heroine (and other characters) were portrayed as real people - she had all the failings, dreams, aspirations, feelings you and I have, whether it is love, hatred, rebellion, selfishness, jealousy, ambition and most of all - HOPE in face of adversity. The writing was good in another way - it was so strong that the scenes built up in my imagination even with the highly improbable settings. I could visualize the whole atmosphere as I am rarely able to do on the first reading. I was so impressed that I felt I had to watch the movie. If I, with a sadly lacking imagination, could visualize so much, what would a truly imaginative professional have done with the movie? Unfortunately, it was not available on netflix. But I was on a roll. I specially registered on redbox and drove out during my lunch to get it. Unfortunately, the movie did not live up to my expectations. Maybe because the book was so strongly written, I was able to imagine more, and the movie people were not able to capture everything my thoughts did. Also, I had imagined more exotic settings. And a movie has to trim the story line too.
The only thing I did not like about the book is the violence. Teenagers killing each other? I know death is a fact - I lost my mother when I was 6, but deliberate violence? I also think that a fictional book, is after all, fiction and should be treated as such, but somehow I am not comfortable with teenagers killing each other. This is not good over evil. The US society has a confused pshyche as a whole and this just does not help. I know I am sounding like the moral police but I cannot help my feelings. I think there is a lot of badness in the world without us looking for it and we should be looking for goodness in other people, not the evil which makes them brutally kill their fellow human beings.
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