some thoughts on The Hunger Games trilogy

[pellucid]

I finally got around to reading The Hunger Games (and sequels), and honestly, I was rather underwhelmed, but in a way that makes me particularly disappointed, because this story had so much potential and was ill-served by any number of choices that Collins made. Is there any decent fanfic

Comments

[pellucid]

I'll have to check that fic out. One of the things I do not, as a rule, want from fic in this case is ship fic, because it would be hard to overstate how much I DO NOT CARE about Katniss's love life. But Finnick and Annie I could totally do, I think.

I liked Catching Fire quite a lot, right up until the end, which was such a total cop-out that I couldn't forgive it. It was so "now I will summarize in ten pages what would have taken at least 100 if I had bothered to write it out, but instead I need to end the book, so I'm being lazy about it." It sort of ruined the rest of the book for me.

Anyway, worthwhile stories, for sure, and I could definitely see these being good gateway books for, say, younger girls who like the idea of a heroine like Katniss and these kinds of gritty stories. They could do far worse, at any rate.

[dm_lunsford]

The fanfic conversation between your dad and sister? Priceless!

[pellucid]

It was pretty hilarious, yes! More so, I'm sure, if you actually know them, but I'm glad it translated even to someone who doesn't!

[pellucid]

You and I sharing thoughts?!?!? Never!!! ;)

Part of the reason I hated the cop-out at the end of Catching Fire so much was that I thought in many ways that book, up to that point, was pretty successful. It was the most deliberate attempt to show Katniss's limited pov as a vehicle for discovery: there were clues to the wider plot, room for the readers to guess, along with Katniss, what was really going on, etc. And then it was like Collins realized that she had left clues to get us from A to C, but we needed to get to S, and she didn't have time for that, so she just cheated and summarized the plot revelation that no one would have begun to figure out, just left to their own devices. Very frustrating, and it means that the first book remains solidly the best, I think, even if I didn't necessarily find it the most compelling part of the story.

Oh well!

[sabaceanbabe]

imagine a 13-episode season for each book, done by, say, HBO, with their budgets and willingness to make television for adults, with really solid character development and world-building

*sigh*

Anyway, I'd like to second grav_ity's rec of Scylla and Charibdis, since I was going to rec it to you myself but she beat me to it. It's very well written and just makes Finnick (the narrator) and Finnick/Annie come to life.

[pellucid]

Thank you! I'll definitely have to check that one out.