Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

[alexandral]

I am sailing fairly quickly through "Hunger Games" trilogy, mostly because I promised myself to listen to THE WHOLE OF "Vorkosigan Saga" next and all the books are ready and I can't wait!

I feel very apologetic because I know so many of you on my friends list love the trilogy, but "Catching Fire" (the second book of the trilogy) left me not very impressed. I AM SORRY. But I must tell you the truth. :D



The first book of "Hunger Games" trilogy ("Hunger Games") had a really good idea, even though this was something that Susanne Collins can't be given the full credit for (in my opinion) because even if you take "Battle Royale" out of the equation there is also "Running Man" and "1984". This idea worked really well in the first book, but the second book (Catching Fire) feels like rehashing of the same story. Inventing the way to send Katniss and Peeta back into the Arena felt contrived and unexciting.

Plus there were a couple of points I found particular problematic:

1. Worldbuilding.
I waited for some of the more cumbersome aspects of the Hunger Games Universe to be explained in the second book but there was no explanation:

- Why do we have so many Greek/Roman names and terms? Where have they come from? This feels like pseudo-Chinese used in Firefly without any explanation as to how it has become so popular. How Greek/Latin language has become so commonly used in USA? I feel I need an explanation.

- Why in the world that seems to be highly technologically developed people are still using coal? Why are they using manual labour? Also, when technology is developed well enough the production of material goods becomes very cheap which leads to the overall increase in the quality of life. This is the law of technological development. Why not in Panem?

2. Love triangle

I have heard that "Hunger Games" is anti-Twilight. I agree to a certain degree because Katniss, in some ways, is anti-Bella (apart from the "boy magnet" quality they share).

But I must point out that the love triangle part of "catching Fire" is taken out of Twilight. Some of descriptions of Gale's hot skin being warm and sunny made me think directly back to Jacob, the hot blooded werewolf.

I think I have made my mind up about love triangles. I do not like them. All that "blah blah blah, it feels so good to be kissing Gale" and "blah blah blah, I like Peeta sleeping with me and holding me too" is just so.. not my thing at all. I want Katniss to make her mind up as soon as possible. I am getting close to becoming annoyed; this is so not my thing.

For the record, my money is still on Peeta to "get the girl" at the end.

3. I am getting a little bit tired with too many descriptions of various frocks and jewels Katniss "is made to wear against her will".

This is not a fashion magazine! Continuous lavish and loving descriptions of dresses and outfits make the author look hypocritical because she tries to criticise consumerism, in the same book. I hope to see less of descriptions of various outfits and more of character and worldbuilding development in the book 3, "Mockingjay".

Overall, after two books I rate this series 7/10, mostly because the first book was really good. I am giving the series some time and may be everything will be explained in the book 3 and the love triangle will be resolved soon.

But I definitely don't understand why so many people are so in love with this series (I would really appreciate any explanations). WHY??????????

For me, the series feel like a patchwork with the best bits taken from various sources (for example, Rue's death scene brings Ophelia painting to my mind, etc.).

PS: Somehow reading "Catching Fire" made me appreciate "Harry Potter" much more. I think Harry Potter is a much better series, especially in the worldbuilding sense. You might see me eating my hat and admitting that may be I have always been a bit unfair to "Harry Potter". :D

Comments

[geeklee.livejournal.com]

i had to post even though i should be finishing a paper.

i agree with you totally about it all. i prefer the first book of the trilogy by far. i usually do since, like you, world building is extremely important. when questioned about the sparse details about panem, the Capitol and the other districts, collins said since katniss didn't know, we can't. i'm afraid that only solidified my dislike of first person narrative. left with only the words on a page, they have to be reliable and encompassing.

for many, hunger games is about katniss. period. for me, it was about katniss and her world. so i was in love with the series during the first book but became less and less so as the books progressed. that's all i will say so i don't spoil anything for you. i look forward to hearing what you think of mockingjay, which i disliked the most, due to its hurried pace and katniss' journey. i will say that collins doesn't shy away from being real and is definitely trying to give her opinion of things to her readers. that's why i agree with one of your flist who commented Collins is trying to develop anti-consumerism and anti-exploitation themes in the series.

collins is pretty heavy handed with her opinions which are a down and dirty look at a lot of how trivial we've become as well as how ruthless we can be. for that reason, i recommend the trilogy to all the students willing to pick up the books. it is a wonderful starting point for so many discussions. so while i love the series because of what i can do with it in a classroom, i don't love the series.

btw, one of the biggest discussion points we have is the final scene of hunger games. do you believe katniss wanted to use the berries as her final act of defiance against the capitol or to try to force their hands to spare both her and peeta? of course there is no right answer but it is interesting to hear people's thoughts.

as for your thoughts on technology, the books make me think of third world countries where the rich have all the comforts of the west but the poor have very few. i mean most countries in south america and africa live exactly as the people of panem. well, minus the games. sometimes.

your thoughts on harry potter intrigued me. i do like the series, again, because i think it is an interesting read for young adults. having them grow along with harry is interesting so i usually have them read the first 2 books one year, then the next 2 and the last 3 the final year. i agree the world building is rowling's strong point (i liked the series much more than hunger games, tbh) but i don't think the books are classics in the real sense of the word. i am curious about how they will weather over time.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

YAY!

I think "collins said since katniss didn't know, we can't." sounds like an excuse from Collins. :D I don't mind first person narrative usually because it is, as you say, often about personal journey and "eye-opening". but after 2 books Katniss seems to be as clueless as she was at the beginning!

that's why i agree with one of your flist who commented Collins is trying to develop anti-consumerism and anti-exploitation themes in the series.

Oh, that was me. :D But because of this, I find the lengthy "on and on and on" passages about Katniss' dresses and outfits to be particular jarring. It feels hypocritical, you know? This is one of the points I will definitely point out to my daughter in she reads the series, because this can be confusing!

re: final of Hunger Games. I think both? Actually there were several things going on here, all at the same time:

1. She wanted to live,
2. She wanted Peeta to live (because she loves him)
3. she knew her life will be worthy of nothing if she kills Peeta at the very end. I mean - years and years of regret and guilty conscience.
4. She is a defiant sort of character and doesn't naturally "obey" so defiance was definitely in the mix too.

i mean most countries in south america and africa live exactly as the people of panem. well, minus the games. sometimes.

This is true, but I want to know how this system can develop in a single country that used to be homogeneous? I mean - how the divide of various industries came about? And why only 12? I mean - what about those in-between industries? Also, my main point was : why would they still be using manual labour in the Districts if the technology is so well developed? I imagine explotation in the well-developed technologically world easily, but something more along the lines of humans being connected to machines .. or something.

I am the same as you re: harry Potter. I don't see it as classic at all. It just the comparison came to my mind when I was reading HG and I realised that in HP everything fits so so much better, like LOTS BETTER. As in - HP world seems like a real world, where Hunger Games world seems to me as a decoration for Collins.

[geeklee.livejournal.com]

oh lots of interesting things to think about!

the lengthy passages about katniss' dresses and outfits i think serve 2 roles. firstly, its all part of her "beautification" for the games. that's one of my first questions for the students: what are your thoughts about having a team of stylists prepare you for the games that will probably be your death? it all supports collin's anti-consumerism but also collin's commentary on society norms and what's accepted and not accepted. the dresses and make-up are part of capital life. its meant to be jarring for katniss who comes from the districts where these things are completely not the norm.

secondly, all her outfits are very political. the wedding dresses are the least of these but they still symbolize her continued oppression. and all the other are very visual representations of her role in the story, so they work for me.

i totally agree with your thoughts on the berry act at the end of hunger games. however, there is a large group of people that feel her threatening to eat the berries is more connected to a willful act of defiance against the capital. there is specific reference made to the conversation she has with peeta on the roof of the training center where peeta says he wants to die with dignity and not be made into something he's not by the games. so they see the berries as a follow up to that more than katniss' natural rebelliousness.

i see your point about the districts still using manual labor. i believe that is meant to oppress the people as much as the games are. keeps them from having too much time to focus on the capital. one of my other discussion points for students is their take on education in the districts. they are only taught information related to their districts products.

i love your questions about the districts. to your first point, i think most of the answers are collins didn't really care about the why or how. there are only 12 districts because they are based on the myth of the minotaur. she wasn't too bothered to come up with a reason for it in the world of panem. the world of the districts could have been so cool to create but i agree with you, they are only decoration for collins.

she is continually pressed to say more about panem but she stands by her belief that readers have everything they need. whatever. the director has already said there will be more back story in the movie.