Why You NEED to Go See "The Hunger Games" (But Read the Book First)

I am a recent Hunger Games convert, but my love for the series knows no bounds.  If you don't believe me, see here as well as all of my friends and family who I have forced to read the books.  (I am still working on my husband.)  After the fiasco that was the final Harry Potter movie, Deathly Hallows Part 2, I was dead set against going to see The Hunger Games movie.  I refused to have another series I loved revised to draw bigger box-office crowds.  Also, I was positive that even the best movie magic could not create the arena, costumes, and characters I saw in my head.  No way.

Enter my friend Sally who had just finished the first book a few weeks ago and excitedly asked me to join her at the movie premiere.  I expressed my trepidation but agreed to go with her.  I did not google the trailer or the cast list, only catching glimpses of both between TV shows (I love you Big Bang Theory!) and in line at the bookstore - hello People..., but yesterday, as we headed to dinner and the movie, my excitement mounted, and friends, I was not disappointed.  The movie was outstanding. (Warning: This review may contain some spoilers.)

Yes, naturally, there are some plot devices changed, but with the exception of how Katniss received the mockingjay pin (not a spoiler - the trailer shows this), I can't think of another creative liberty they took that was detrimental to the overall plot.  In fact, many of their additions add depth to static characters in the novel such as Seneca Crane and the Gamemakers.  The movie does an excellent job at depicting the process of manipulating the games and the characters in the arena that makes the whole concept even more creepy and sadistic than it seems in the novel.  Similarly, liberties are taken with Seneca's fate at the end of the movie that are very effective in the plot's greater context.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss is superb.  In the novel, Katniss strives very hard to put forth a stoic front, and succeeds, but Collins allows readers to enter into Katniss' intimate moments where she feels broken and helpless.  Lawrence is very adept at emoting.  Katniss' terrors and fears fly across the screen, skillfully depicting the tension of being in the arena and watching those around you perish.  Katniss is a very desirable character because she is so independent, equal parts brains and beauty, compassion and strength, but she is also just a normal girl.  Lawrence embodies this spirit well.

I must admit I was disappointed by the presentation of Gale.  I find Liam Hemsworth to be a good match on the surface; however, working in a coal district, I expected Gale to be rougher around the edges in appearance and personality.  Hemsworth didn't communicate this feeling to me on either account.

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta was a pleasant surprise.  I may be one of the only readers who doubted Peeta's feelings and intentions until Catching Fire, but Peeta grew on me throughout the series, and Hutcherson did the same throughout the film.  I was resistant to his eagerness at first, but as the film progressed, the sincerity of his feelings for Katniss trumped any residual ambivalence I had for his character.  This sincerity doesn't read as well in the first book but was very effective on the screen.

Likewise, the pacing and cinematography were well-executed.  Each major event in the film is given its due diligence, no more no less.  The plot never drags, but key scenes, such as Rue's death, are fully fleshed out.  The beginning montage depicting life in District 12 did an excellent job at creating the mood of the inhabitants and their livelihood.  Camera angles and filters are employed very effectively to give scenes of the district home-movie or documentary quality, and Katniss' terror at certain points in the arena are similarly conveyed with surprising angles and speed.  The scenes of murder in the arena are no less upsetting than in the novels; however, music and even the absence of sound are used to de-emphasize some of the brutality.  The natural quality of these scenes are juxtaposed against the clear artificiality of the Capital.  The bright colors and make-up that adorn the population are garish next to the muted earth tones of District 12.  Similarly, Katniss and Peeta's grand entrance in flames seems contrived.  Even more telling is the steel plated cornucopia at the center of the arena.  Although its design is not as I imagined it, in retrospect, it is just another example of the artifice of the Capital.    

Overall, I was very pleased with the effect; however, I think I enjoyed it so much because I had read the books.  I don't think I would have been as involved or interested in the movie if I didn't have the background from the novels.  The series and movie are a terrifying, intense ride from beginning to end that will leave the reader and viewer shaken to the core, but the experience is a memorable demonstration of human suffering and compassion.

Spring Reading (because who wants to be cleaning?)

Image from The Broke and the Bookish

With the impending approach of spring, The Broke and The Bookish and I are anticipating more time to read, and I have plenty to read.  Here are my top ten "spring read" picks as part of The Broke and The Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday.

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I have read so many rave reviews by book bloggers and authors that I respect.  I. Can. Not. Wait. to get my hands on this.

2. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan: A very literary friend of mine gifted me this book.  A modern re-telling of The Scarlet Letter sounds right up my alley.  Hello Nathaniel Hawthorne; we haven't met since Senior Seminar...

3.  Thumped by Megan McCafferty: Bumped was my all-time favorite book from last year.  The sequel arrives April 24th - the countdown is on!

4-5. The Matisse Stories and The Children's Book by A. S. Byatt: My fabulous English teacher introduced me to A. S. Byatt's Little Black Book of Stories freshman year.  I can't wait to sample more. 

6. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness: The intense dystopian premise of this series reminds me of The Hunger Games.  I hope it is just as original and arresting!

7. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore: My husband and I adore this movie.  We have seen it 4000 times.  We quote it - incessantly.  Plus, a graphic novel is always good fun. 

8. Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock: Another beautiful, interactive book written as letters between an artist and his (imaginary?) correspondent.  I have admired these books' format and design.  I am hoping to finally have a chance to enjoy their content. 

9. William Faulkner: I just want to pick up something by him again.  It makes me feel scholarly.  Plus, I adore him - three page long sentences and all.

10. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin: I picked this book up several months ago on the recommendation of a friend from graduate school, but I just couldn't get into it.  It was more Tolkien-esque than Rowling, and I infinitely prefer the latter to the former, but I am going to give it another shot.

So forget spring cleaning - curl up with a good book, and do some spring reading instead!

Oldies but Goodies

Image from The Broke and the Bookish

Today's Top Ten Tuesday, brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish, was a pick-your-own genre feature.  Since I read and recommend a lot of YA fiction and some contemporary adult fiction, I thought I would share my hidden reading passion and encourage my readers to broaden their reading horizons as well.

I was a British Literature major in college, and I especially adored the 19th century.  Some of its most notorious writers, such as Jane Austen, made their living off of very "sensible" portraits of life at that time; however, other writers, such as Bram Stoker, really stirred the fears of the literary population with their sensational fiction.  Organized chronologically, here are my top ten 19th century (1801-1900) picks.

1. Persuasion Jane Austen (1817) *Although I do love Pride and Prejudice, I am more partial to Austen's Persuasion, published posthumously, for its depiction of love lying in wait. 

2. Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte (1818)

3. Love letters of John Keats to Fanny Brawne (1818-1821) *I am cheating a bit here, but I absolutely adore Keats' poetry, and his love letters are swoon-worthy!  Worth a read.  They were mass-market published as a tie-in with the movie Bright Star.

4. Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte (1847) *Forget Mr. Darcy; I am Mr. Rochester all the way!

5. Villette Charlotte Bronte (1853)

6. The Woman in White Wilkie Collins (1859)

7. Lady Audley’s Secret Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1862) *Scandal, intrigue, mystery!

8. Carmilla Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (1872) *Female vamps.

9. Tess of the D’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy (1891) *I also like his Satires of Circumstance and Misc. Pieces which contains his "Poems of 1912-1913" mourning the death of his wife.

10. Dracula Bram Stoker (1897) *The original vampire thriller!

Dust off those covers, and try one of these classics!

Recommendation: The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I finally, finally succumbed to all the hype and read Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy, and now I cannot stop raving about it.  These books are the most original and arresting things I have read since Harry Potter.  In lieu of a traditional review, I am going to list a few reasons why you should read these books (if you haven't already) or re-read them (because they are just that damn good).

Synopsis: Katniss Everdeen is a survivor.  Her father died in a tragic coal mining accident, leaving her mother incapacitated and Katniss the sole provider for her family, including younger sister Prim.  Life is hard in District 12, but Katniss has Gale and hunting to ground the routine of her days.  She hadn't thought twice about Peeta, the baker's son, since their chance encounter after her father's death, nor had she seriously considered acting on the discussions of rebellion against the Capital she and Gale shared in the safety of the woods.  It was all just talk until the Games arrived. 

1. Collins' prose is exquisite.  She evokes clear and vivid images with her words - some desolate - like a bombed-out district, some beautiful - like Cierra's fashion designs - and some terrifying - like the underground system of the Capital.

2. The novels house a real-life, honest-to-goodness love triangle.  The will they/won't they romance between Katniss and Peeta/Gale is not like many YA love triangles of today born of passion at a split-second glance.  (For a thoughtful account on the prevalence of love triangles in YA lit today see The Broke and the Bookish.)  Instead, the characters' love grows slowly based on a series of interactions and shared sympathies.  The required amount of skepticism is thrown on each character's intentions, but no one can doubt the sincerity of Gale and Peeta's love for Katniss nor hers for the two men.

3. The love triangle is not at the center of the series.  (See 5.)

4. Collins is adept at creating and sustaining suspense through original action.  Every time the characters entered the arena, I was alternately enthralled and disturbed by the events that took place, but I was always, always surprised.

5. Overall the trilogy is a meditation on human suffering and empathy.  The Hunger Games would make an excellent addition to any ethics course.  They offer a very touching yet disturbing portrait of humans at their very best and their very worst.   

Best matched with fans of dystopia or anyone looking for a smart, original crossover (appealing to both YA and adult audiences) read.