Tuesday, October 2, 2012

The Hunger Games

     I am currently reading the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire.  When I was talking to my mom the other day, she couldn't believe that I was continuing to read them. She pointed out to me that the premise of the book is kids killing other kids in the arena. I have to say that I briefly did realize this when I started to read the first book, but brushed that fact aside and became ensconced in the book itself and later on the movie.

     As I read, Catching Fire, I am once more bothered by the whole idea of "the games." I think it is very sad and ironic that as a society we have fallen in love with these books that follow such a gruesome storyline. Why do we find it infatuating to read about 24 kids kill each other until there is only one left standing? Don't get me wrong, I will continue to read the book and the next one after that as well, but how did such a book become so popular?
PS. Catching Fire, the movie comes out next November

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1 comment:

  1. UnknownOctober 2, 2012 at 2:29 PM

    I don't think anyone reads the series hoping that everyone will die. Suzanne Collins uses the possibility of death to absorb the reader into the story. Since the characters serves as the reader's eyes and ears in the fictional world, a deep connection to Katniss and the other characters is created. The idea of them dieing does not excite the reader, instead it provides anxiety to the reader, compelling them to continue the story. The compulsion of this book series is the same with TV shows such as NCIS or Law and Order, which are often rated as being heavily viewed: audiences like to see good triumph over evil, and they like to see it even more when it is a David triumphing over a Goliath.

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