The Hunger Games (No spoilers, I promise)
I had never even heard of The Hunger Games before all of the hype about the movie started. Usually I'm a fan of dystopian fiction--1984 is still a candidate for my favorite novel of all time. I'm even a fan of young adult dystopian novels--for example The Giver, even though it was very disturbing. But when I heard about the premise of The Hunger Games, a novel about kids being forced to compete in combat to the death, I admit to being horrified at the concept to the point of wondering who would even write such a thing.
Reading some of the behind-the-scenes stuff about Suzanne Collins and the message she was trying to convey made me feel better about the book and movie, at least, even with the horrifying plot. I was particularly intrigued by one interview where she talked about how she conceived the novel after flipping through TV channels and coming across a pointless reality show followed by a segment about the war in Iraq. I admit to being relieved that such a novel was not written by a sicko, but a humanist, who, from the sound of it, was trying to convey several important and serious messages through the books. It also made me feel better to say that she found it very hard to write many of the darker scenes, but had to accept that it was necessary in order to write the book.
I decided to give the books a try and I've ordered all three. I'm not sure when I'll even have time to get to them, what with a busy work schedule plus trying to finish Fringe and Stargate: Atlantis. As for the movie, I'll definitely be waiting until it's been out for a while in the hope that I can manage to see it without dealing with a packed theater full of teenagers and all of the insanity that entails. But speaking of the movie, I will be disappointed if the recent review I listened to on NPR turns out to be accurate. According to the reviewer, the movie was made by moral cowards who do a poor job of tackling the implications of the story.
Dystopian novels and movies are not supposed to be all about action and adventure with no moral context. They are supposed to leave us feeling devastated at the future that's been portrayed. More importantly, the lessons are supposed to be remembered so that society can work to avoid such hellish visions turning into reality. I will keep an open mind in the hope that the movie's producers--and Ms. Collins--have not overlooked that.
Reading some of the behind-the-scenes stuff about Suzanne Collins and the message she was trying to convey made me feel better about the book and movie, at least, even with the horrifying plot. I was particularly intrigued by one interview where she talked about how she conceived the novel after flipping through TV channels and coming across a pointless reality show followed by a segment about the war in Iraq. I admit to being relieved that such a novel was not written by a sicko, but a humanist, who, from the sound of it, was trying to convey several important and serious messages through the books. It also made me feel better to say that she found it very hard to write many of the darker scenes, but had to accept that it was necessary in order to write the book.
I decided to give the books a try and I've ordered all three. I'm not sure when I'll even have time to get to them, what with a busy work schedule plus trying to finish Fringe and Stargate: Atlantis. As for the movie, I'll definitely be waiting until it's been out for a while in the hope that I can manage to see it without dealing with a packed theater full of teenagers and all of the insanity that entails. But speaking of the movie, I will be disappointed if the recent review I listened to on NPR turns out to be accurate. According to the reviewer, the movie was made by moral cowards who do a poor job of tackling the implications of the story.
Dystopian novels and movies are not supposed to be all about action and adventure with no moral context. They are supposed to leave us feeling devastated at the future that's been portrayed. More importantly, the lessons are supposed to be remembered so that society can work to avoid such hellish visions turning into reality. I will keep an open mind in the hope that the movie's producers--and Ms. Collins--have not overlooked that.