Should I Read The Hunger Games?

[ciancon]

Ok, The Hunger Games is coming out on March 22nd. The trailer lookes interesting but i'm the kind of person who would want to read the book before seeing the film. But is it all just a waste of my time?

The main problem is that i don't want to read or watch something that may just be a shoddy rip-off of Battle Royale, of which i've seen both films and read the entire first manga (speaking of which, what the hell happened with the art direction in the second series!?).

Anyway, does The Hunger Games have enough merit to stand on its own or not?

P.S. Please be careful with spoilers naturally.

EDIT I: Just found out that they got Arcade Fire to do two new songs for the film. It's like they KNEW that that'd work on me!

EDIT II: Ok well last night i picked it up and finished it that night. Partially because it's pretty good and partially because i REALLY didn't want to do college work. I won't be reading the other two to save myself the apparent disappointment that others have faced but i will read the synopsis on wikipedia.

Pros: It definitely has enough originality to stand on its own and i enjoyed the lead up to the Games as much as the Games themselves.

Cons: It's nowhere near as violent as i was hoping it to be and the lack of any shift in perspective meant you knew who was going to survive all along.

So in summary; It's a good read and certainly not a waste of time but, if you've got the time, go read Battle Royale instead!!

 

[Lionsfan]

Why not? If you don't like it then you won't at least waste money on the movie. I haven't read the books myself though, so I can't give you one way or the other

 

[Bullet Alchemist]

From personal experience, I recommend the first one. It has an interesting premise and fairly good writing but is a bit like a westernized Battle Royale. However the 2nd and 3rd books lose it alot. It kinda suffers from "I have quickly reached a point where I absolutely despise the main character" syndrome.

 

[Optiluiz]

Is the movie an adaptation of the first one or various books? I want to read them before I watch too.

 

[ciancon]

Is the movie an adaptation of the first one or various books? I want to read them before I watch too.

I think it's safe to say that it's just the first book. I doubt the film producers would even consider trying to cram 3 books into one film when there's clearly potential for sequels if the first one's done well.

 

[Actual]

I was hesitant about reading the books because of all the comparisons to Twilight and there's even a one line review from Stephenie Meyer on the cover. But when I was forced to read it it's actually solidly written, I burnt through it pretty quickly even having a couple of nights when "I couldn't put it down".

It's obviously a Battle Royale rip-off and it irritates me that the author won't acknowledge this, but it's got enough going on that you can forget about that and just enjoy it.

From the one trailer I've seen the film looks like a pile of wank, so read the books and get a prime opportunity for raging when you see the film.

 

[Fidelias]

I have to agree that you should at least try the first book out, the trilogy is pretty good.

My main problem with it though, is that the main character never influences the plot much unless it's by accident.
There's plenty of character developement, and a few plot twists will actually surprise you, but I didn't think the trilogy was awesome, just kind of cool.

Like I said though, it's mostly cause it wasn't my type of book. I like my main characters to eventually go on the offensive; not just have the plot determine everything, with the characters along for the ride.

 

[Zenron]

Yeah it's a decent book. The premise is pretty much just Battle Royale which wasn't exactly a unique premise when that was created either. It's reasonably well written though for a teenage fiction series and it has some genuinely good moments. I'd say it is worth a read.

 

[Gidiel167]

First book was great, second one started the slide, and the third crashed and burned so completely it was awe inspiring

 

[VoidWanderer]

I was hesitant about reading the books because of all the comparisons to Twilight and there's even a one line review from Stephenie Meyer on the cover. But when I was forced to read it it's actually solidly written, I burnt through it pretty quickly even having a couple of nights when "I couldn't put it down".

It's obviously a Battle Royale rip-off and it irritates me that the author won't acknowledge this, but it's got enough going on that you can forget about that and just enjoy it.

From the one trailer I've seen the film looks like a pile of wank, so read the books and get a prime opportunity for raging when you see the film.

The fact that people seem to think Stephanie Meyers opinion is worth as much as she thinks of her own books was incredibly off-putting. Since you have a similar opinion of the talentless author, I'll give those books ago...

If I ever find a bookstore.

 

[Westaway]

No, they're horrible. Only kids 16 and younger like them, and the stupid ones at that. I had to read in class (high school) and it was just terrible. No message at all, and gets very vague/ poorly explained half way through. Steer clear.

 

[triggrhappy94]

To me, it looks like just another Harry Potter or Twilight. I've never enjoyed the "young adult/tween" genre of books.
Way too popular/main-stream too even consider.

If you're fine with that, then read the book. Just one condition: don't talk about how "fucking great" it is within ear-shot of anyone who doesn't care.

 

[FinalHeart95]

It's a fun read more than anything, and the kind of book that can be finished in a day. If you can get past the rather obnoxious love story, then I recommend it!

 

[tippy2k2]

I'm hesitant to say Yes because, while the first and second books are excellent, the third book just falls apart and kind of drags everything down...but ultimately, I would say Yes. I even bought my mom the first book and she loved it (she's now getting the other two off of amazon).

If it helps, I'm a 26 year old male who reads constantly (namely sci-fi/fantasy).

Seriously, that third book needed about 100 pages taken off the beginning and about 100 pages added to the ending. If the first two books had an ending (it was written as a trilogy), I'd say skip the last book but if you've gotten into it enough to get that far, you kind of have to finish it just to see what ends up happening.

 

[neil1990]

My main problem with it though, is that the main character never influences the plot much unless it's by accident.

I think this is part of what the author is getting at by targeting celebrity and reality tv culture

 

[CrashBang]

The trailer for the film looks atrocious and ridiculously childish. No way in hell I'm seeing it. However, the books are supposed to be great so I might pick the first one up.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Ok, The Hunger Games is coming out on March 22nd. The trailer lookes interesting but i'm the kind of person who would want to read the book before seeing the film. But is it all just a waste of my time?

The main problem is that i don't read or watch something that may just be a shoddy rip-off of Battle Royale, of which i've seen both films and read the entire first manga (speaking of which, what the hell happened with the art direction in the second series!?).

Anyway, does The Hunger Games have enough merit to stand on its own or not?

P.S. Please be careful with spoilers naturally.

EDIT: Just found out that they got Arcade Fire to do two new songs for the film. It's like they KNEW that that'd work on me!

There are certainly some parallels with Battle Royale, but Hunger Games puts its proselytizing front and center. Whether that appeals to you or not depends on how enthusiastic you are about being thumped over the head with the book's message.

PROS - The books are not great literature, but are written in an extremely breezy, engaging style that make them easy to get into and difficult to put down. This is a quality they share with the Harry Potter books, along with other quality "young adult" fiction, although given the occasionally extreme violence in the Hunger Games trilogy I do question whether it really belongs in this ouevre. The central character is interesting, not because she's hugely likeable, but because in many ways she isn't. The author does a good job balancing her capability with a suite of character flaws that both humanize her and help her avoid the dreaded Mary Sue trap. The author also mimics George R.R. Martin's ruthlessness with her characters, and shows a ready willingness to maim or kill them at a moments notice.

CONS - The aforementioned sermonizing becomes overwhelming by the third novel, absolutely battering the reader with strident anti-war, anti-violence and anti-sensationalism jeremiads. I don't find them particularly compelling or thought provoking on a thematic level, so I generally think of them as a failure in this regard. Pacing, which is handled fairly well early on, also becomes a problem later, and certain significant events are given short shrift as a result. The final volume, and much of the series in general, is almost comically downbeat, and I have a hard time imagining how they're going to sell this to studio audiences, who have shown a long standing preference for happy endings.

CONCLUSION - Read it for a lightweight, propulsive serial adventure with an intriguingly flawed main character. Do not expect a philosophical triumph, and don't expect a warm and fuzzy finale. These are fun books, not extraordinary books, and how fun you find them will depend largely on your tolerance level for unhappy events.

 

[ciancon]

SNIP

SNIP-SNIP

Thanks for such a good description! I think the solution here is to read the first book and stop while it's good.

P.S. "Extreme violence"? After BR I think i can handle that!

 

[soren7550]

First book was great, second one started the slide, and the third crashed and burned so completely it was awe inspiring

I pretty much agree with this 100% (the second did more than just slide in my opinion).

I say read the books (or just the first one) before you see the movie. If you like the book, then probably see the movie (unless you're like me and hate it when book to film adaptations change things up, then you may want to wait to rent it). If not, don't bother.

Personally, I enjoyed the first, didn't really enjoy the second, and hated the third. Be warned, you probably are not going to like Katniss nor Peta.