「Hunger Games」FINAL REVIEW
As I said, here I am, talking about books.
I want to start with this trilogy 'cause I've already read it 3 times (I want to read it again!) and it's the trend of the moment sice we have the second movie in every movie theatre.
Before starting with my review I want to tell you how I discovered the trilogy.
I haven't heard about this story for many years. I remember that some years ago I went to a comicon-like event here in Milan and I saw many stands selling the Mockingjay pin. It was odd, I guess, or else I wouldn't remember this particular, but, yeah, I didn't ask anybody about it and I continued ignoring the existence of this story for a long time.
Then, the first movie was on big screen. I don't even remember to have seen the movie advertising!
One day I was looking for a new movie to watch while doing something else on my mac... you've to know that I usually do it: "watching/listening" a movie or a series while I'm studing, writing, doing graphic work, tiding up my room or something else. Now, for example, I'm writing this entry, right? But in the meanwhile I'm watching "The Dark Knight" for the Idon'tknowwhatnumber° time.
So, I was looking for a movie and I found "The Hunger Games". I downloaded it and I watched it. Back then I was disgusted. The story was ok, but I was completely shocked by seeing very young boys and girls killing each others. I thought it was too rough for me. I deleted the file.
Some months passed and, again, I wanted something to watch, but something I already knew so that I didn't have to pay too much attention. I didn't feel like watching my usual movies so... I downloaded Hunger Games, again!
This time I liked it a bit more, but it was still too brutal for me to become one of my favourite stories. Then, one day, I was walking in a big book store in the center of Milan and, passing through the "young adult books" section, I noticed the Hunger Games books. I was speechless. How was it possible that a violent story like that, has young boys and girls as readers? I thought about it carefully and I decided that probably the scenes of violence and blood were emphasized in the movie, while the story of the book would be probably lighter.
I first read it downloading the ebooks for free, but I bought the original books and movie DVD too =P Actually I'm a big fan of this story ^^v
This is my review, the images are the Italian edition book's covers.
The Hunger Games
Reads: (1)31/05-03/05, (2)05/09-08/09
A book written in first person may be disliked by many. It's a complicated choice for the writer: choosing one point of view may close many doors, but it opens many others and it fulfills things that a third-person story can't do.
Katniss character is really genuine: young, confused, afraid of life -as any teenager- stoic, distrustful and introverted -as any teenager from the Seam (il Giacimento). She's like a wild animal, ready to defend herself and the ones she loves with tooth and nail, she's not used to hypocrisy and half measures. Somehow I don't like her as a person, but she's truly considerable as a character: well conceived, coherent, unconventional. And -I must say it- we need a character like this when the ideal women is like Bella in Twilight or the character of Fifty Shades of whatever: stupid, without spine, slaves of mens and destructive feelings of love.
Peeta too is a good character, it's a pity there's nothing written by his point of view. He's good, full of positive feelings and hopes -as someone who lives outside the Seam and far from absolute poverty- but he's from District 12 too: he knows that nobody is on his side and the best thing is to distrust everyone. His kindness won't probably keep him alive, but he is strong, smart and -admit it- cunning. Without being a possessive and invasive lover (or Katniss would hate him), Peeta is a kind of man that a smart girl would prefer to any vampire.
In this first book these two are THE characters. The others are still secondary, but this is the book that prepare the story for the future developes: the bond with Haymitch and with the team of stylist, the recovery of Katniss' mother, the President's gaze. Nothing is accidental in this story: words, gestures, locations, sensations, flowers.
I think the arena is one of the most powerfull metaphore of our society. A society where you're a no-one if you don't accept to lay your cards on the table -photos, journeys, love stories, thoughts, feelings- you are a no-one if others aren't interested in you and they don't "follow" you. A society where everything has to be public, where they dragged out us always the same things and we're almost forced to watch them. A society that asks to work without giving nothing in return, that forces people to put up with the same things, hoping we will stop thinking, leaving them to think for us. A society where we must sort out to go on living and we must reinvent ourself to survive, if necessary, at the expense of others.
Catching Fire
Reads: (1)03/04-05/04, (2)25/04-02/05, (3)09/09-20/09
Let's start talking about Katniss. I'm appreciating her more and more, not because she's pleasant but because she's not: instead of a totally good or bad character, I prefer a character who seems real, with ups and downs like all of us. Because of this Katniss is more real, while Peeta seems more a book character.
In this second volume I read Katniss grow a bit and get used (unfortunately) to violence, death and blood: at the beginning she tells us she usually run out of her house when someone severly wounded was on the table of her house, but at the end of this volume we read of her trying to heal Betee's wound. She developes a sense of justice hearing about the people of the district who rebel to Capitol City and I can say that now she voluntary decide to turn against the governement (in the first book was.. kind of, accidental). She developes also some feelings, not for Gale, who she leaves behind her quickly, but for Peeta. Maybe they can't be called "romantic feelings" yet, but now she treasures him, she wants to defend him and she deals with him as ally and partner because the pain of the arena create a bond between them.
Peeta too has some small developings: he's less naive and quite, more emotionally unstable and distrustful.
About the story... someone may think that the return into the arena is expected, but I don't agree. The chapters right after the annouce of the Quarter Quell (Edizione della Memoria) must be read carefully. The parade, the training, the interviews and then the arena... what is described is an emotional climax of the whole Panem, not an expected and boring repetition. The author re-wrote about the arena not because she didn't have any new idea, but I think she had precise goal: re-raping the winners of the previous Hunger Games is a tactic to made the Districts lower their heads, but the real effect is that the Capitol City citizens too are displeased! This is a smart pick for the story.
The discontent and the revolutions don't come from nothing. Events that raise strong emotion and bring to a big emotive explosion: that is what's needed to change the world. And this is what the return into the arena is.
Mockingjay
Reads: (1)31/08-03/09, (2)21/09-30/09
I'm strongly convinced that this book must be read twice. Once to know how the story ends. Once to really understand everything and follow in detail how the story went on.
The first time I read the book I was a bit disappointed, but after the second one I was able to talk about this volume with awareness of the facts.
The third book is harsh and "cold": the games ended, the real slaughter begins. For everyone. Many readers were disappointed and I understand them: there's nothing pleasant in this story. But this is also the reason why I think it should be appreciated. The real war isn't funny, nor thrilling, it's harsh, dangerous, sometimes boring with long moments of boredom and short adrealin rushes. The long and continuous tension of the first 2 book is over.
After the first time I thought that Katniss spended almost 3/4 of the book sedate and hidden somewhere, but while reading it again I realized it was just an impression. Sure, she has many good reasons to be sedate or to stay away from the battle, but in the end the time she spend in this way isn't so much respect the entire book. The third book follows the same schemes of the others: half of the story in preparation for the action, the other half completely sinked in the action with death, tragedy and continue turns of the events.
Peeta finally is less a character and more a person. I don't understand myself: it's a good thing, but somehow I preferred his old version XD I suffered so much reading how he was changed. I guess, I hoped Katniss would have gave him more attention or affection and I think she should have done something to save him a little earlier. But I liked that he had a complete different role in this book, that he conquered his part of action scenes and shocking revelation.
Another critic to this book was for the final Katniss/Peeta scenes. To me, people who complained for she choosing him, didn't understand this story. From the first book, I've never had any doubt about the fact that Katniss and Gale won't live together: they're too different, they have different priorities and see life in two completely different ways. In this book it become perfectly clear and she wouldn't be able to live with the murderer of her sister, with someone who planned a bomb to kill innocent people (she wouldn't do that! She killed innocents, yes, but in order to survive. There's a big difference). Thinking that the last scenes are just something added to make Katniss/Peeta fans happy means to completely misunderstood the moral that Hunger Games teaches us.
The end of the book tell us that we mustn't forget the atrocities. They can be horrible, but we must talk about them, even if our listeners are young. It tells us that we must remember our history to learn from our mistakes. It tells us that we must go on leaving: inside of us there's the strength to get up again, fight our own war and our own ghosts.
It tells us that time heal every wound.
That peace is a precious victory and it has to be defended.
I want to start with this trilogy 'cause I've already read it 3 times (I want to read it again!) and it's the trend of the moment sice we have the second movie in every movie theatre.
Before starting with my review I want to tell you how I discovered the trilogy.
I haven't heard about this story for many years. I remember that some years ago I went to a comicon-like event here in Milan and I saw many stands selling the Mockingjay pin. It was odd, I guess, or else I wouldn't remember this particular, but, yeah, I didn't ask anybody about it and I continued ignoring the existence of this story for a long time.
Then, the first movie was on big screen. I don't even remember to have seen the movie advertising!
One day I was looking for a new movie to watch while doing something else on my mac... you've to know that I usually do it: "watching/listening" a movie or a series while I'm studing, writing, doing graphic work, tiding up my room or something else. Now, for example, I'm writing this entry, right? But in the meanwhile I'm watching "The Dark Knight" for the Idon'tknowwhatnumber° time.
So, I was looking for a movie and I found "The Hunger Games". I downloaded it and I watched it. Back then I was disgusted. The story was ok, but I was completely shocked by seeing very young boys and girls killing each others. I thought it was too rough for me. I deleted the file.
Some months passed and, again, I wanted something to watch, but something I already knew so that I didn't have to pay too much attention. I didn't feel like watching my usual movies so... I downloaded Hunger Games, again!
This time I liked it a bit more, but it was still too brutal for me to become one of my favourite stories. Then, one day, I was walking in a big book store in the center of Milan and, passing through the "young adult books" section, I noticed the Hunger Games books. I was speechless. How was it possible that a violent story like that, has young boys and girls as readers? I thought about it carefully and I decided that probably the scenes of violence and blood were emphasized in the movie, while the story of the book would be probably lighter.
I first read it downloading the ebooks for free, but I bought the original books and movie DVD too =P Actually I'm a big fan of this story ^^v
This is my review, the images are the Italian edition book's covers.
The Hunger Games
Reads: (1)31/05-03/05, (2)05/09-08/09
A book written in first person may be disliked by many. It's a complicated choice for the writer: choosing one point of view may close many doors, but it opens many others and it fulfills things that a third-person story can't do.
Katniss character is really genuine: young, confused, afraid of life -as any teenager- stoic, distrustful and introverted -as any teenager from the Seam (il Giacimento). She's like a wild animal, ready to defend herself and the ones she loves with tooth and nail, she's not used to hypocrisy and half measures. Somehow I don't like her as a person, but she's truly considerable as a character: well conceived, coherent, unconventional. And -I must say it- we need a character like this when the ideal women is like Bella in Twilight or the character of Fifty Shades of whatever: stupid, without spine, slaves of mens and destructive feelings of love.
Peeta too is a good character, it's a pity there's nothing written by his point of view. He's good, full of positive feelings and hopes -as someone who lives outside the Seam and far from absolute poverty- but he's from District 12 too: he knows that nobody is on his side and the best thing is to distrust everyone. His kindness won't probably keep him alive, but he is strong, smart and -admit it- cunning. Without being a possessive and invasive lover (or Katniss would hate him), Peeta is a kind of man that a smart girl would prefer to any vampire.
In this first book these two are THE characters. The others are still secondary, but this is the book that prepare the story for the future developes: the bond with Haymitch and with the team of stylist, the recovery of Katniss' mother, the President's gaze. Nothing is accidental in this story: words, gestures, locations, sensations, flowers.
I think the arena is one of the most powerfull metaphore of our society. A society where you're a no-one if you don't accept to lay your cards on the table -photos, journeys, love stories, thoughts, feelings- you are a no-one if others aren't interested in you and they don't "follow" you. A society where everything has to be public, where they dragged out us always the same things and we're almost forced to watch them. A society that asks to work without giving nothing in return, that forces people to put up with the same things, hoping we will stop thinking, leaving them to think for us. A society where we must sort out to go on living and we must reinvent ourself to survive, if necessary, at the expense of others.
Catching Fire
Reads: (1)03/04-05/04, (2)25/04-02/05, (3)09/09-20/09
Let's start talking about Katniss. I'm appreciating her more and more, not because she's pleasant but because she's not: instead of a totally good or bad character, I prefer a character who seems real, with ups and downs like all of us. Because of this Katniss is more real, while Peeta seems more a book character.
In this second volume I read Katniss grow a bit and get used (unfortunately) to violence, death and blood: at the beginning she tells us she usually run out of her house when someone severly wounded was on the table of her house, but at the end of this volume we read of her trying to heal Betee's wound. She developes a sense of justice hearing about the people of the district who rebel to Capitol City and I can say that now she voluntary decide to turn against the governement (in the first book was.. kind of, accidental). She developes also some feelings, not for Gale, who she leaves behind her quickly, but for Peeta. Maybe they can't be called "romantic feelings" yet, but now she treasures him, she wants to defend him and she deals with him as ally and partner because the pain of the arena create a bond between them.
Peeta too has some small developings: he's less naive and quite, more emotionally unstable and distrustful.
About the story... someone may think that the return into the arena is expected, but I don't agree. The chapters right after the annouce of the Quarter Quell (Edizione della Memoria) must be read carefully. The parade, the training, the interviews and then the arena... what is described is an emotional climax of the whole Panem, not an expected and boring repetition. The author re-wrote about the arena not because she didn't have any new idea, but I think she had precise goal: re-raping the winners of the previous Hunger Games is a tactic to made the Districts lower their heads, but the real effect is that the Capitol City citizens too are displeased! This is a smart pick for the story.
The discontent and the revolutions don't come from nothing. Events that raise strong emotion and bring to a big emotive explosion: that is what's needed to change the world. And this is what the return into the arena is.
Mockingjay
Reads: (1)31/08-03/09, (2)21/09-30/09
I'm strongly convinced that this book must be read twice. Once to know how the story ends. Once to really understand everything and follow in detail how the story went on.
The first time I read the book I was a bit disappointed, but after the second one I was able to talk about this volume with awareness of the facts.
The third book is harsh and "cold": the games ended, the real slaughter begins. For everyone. Many readers were disappointed and I understand them: there's nothing pleasant in this story. But this is also the reason why I think it should be appreciated. The real war isn't funny, nor thrilling, it's harsh, dangerous, sometimes boring with long moments of boredom and short adrealin rushes. The long and continuous tension of the first 2 book is over.
After the first time I thought that Katniss spended almost 3/4 of the book sedate and hidden somewhere, but while reading it again I realized it was just an impression. Sure, she has many good reasons to be sedate or to stay away from the battle, but in the end the time she spend in this way isn't so much respect the entire book. The third book follows the same schemes of the others: half of the story in preparation for the action, the other half completely sinked in the action with death, tragedy and continue turns of the events.
Peeta finally is less a character and more a person. I don't understand myself: it's a good thing, but somehow I preferred his old version XD I suffered so much reading how he was changed. I guess, I hoped Katniss would have gave him more attention or affection and I think she should have done something to save him a little earlier. But I liked that he had a complete different role in this book, that he conquered his part of action scenes and shocking revelation.
Another critic to this book was for the final Katniss/Peeta scenes. To me, people who complained for she choosing him, didn't understand this story. From the first book, I've never had any doubt about the fact that Katniss and Gale won't live together: they're too different, they have different priorities and see life in two completely different ways. In this book it become perfectly clear and she wouldn't be able to live with the murderer of her sister, with someone who planned a bomb to kill innocent people (she wouldn't do that! She killed innocents, yes, but in order to survive. There's a big difference). Thinking that the last scenes are just something added to make Katniss/Peeta fans happy means to completely misunderstood the moral that Hunger Games teaches us.
The end of the book tell us that we mustn't forget the atrocities. They can be horrible, but we must talk about them, even if our listeners are young. It tells us that we must remember our history to learn from our mistakes. It tells us that we must go on leaving: inside of us there's the strength to get up again, fight our own war and our own ghosts.
It tells us that time heal every wound.
That peace is a precious victory and it has to be defended.