And in other news...

[oselle]

Finished Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy today and I have to give it another strong recommendation. It's been a long, long time since I read anything so well-executed and satisfying.

Much of the third book dragged a little for me, especially since the first two were so breakneck. With no arena action to occupy her, Katniss's internal monologue was getting a little thick in this one, but things got back on track very swiftly in the book's last few chapters. And while I was worried that the ending would come down to some agonizing love triangle, it didn't, and was in fact wholly believable and even very moving (especially because I got EXACTLY the ending I wanted, and how often does THAT happen?). If you love bittersweet endings as much as I do, these books are for you.

Collins is a real pro, so much so that at times the books felt almost too polished, but you can't help admire her consistent cleverness and restraint -- she never allows the books to get bogged down in teen angst. And unlike JK Rowling, she actually wrote an epilogue that did not suck!

My only regret is that these books weren't published ten or so years ago, so that Jensen could have played Peeta in the movies. As it is, Dark Angel-era Alec will always be the face of Peeta to me. Sigh.

Comments

[morganslady.livejournal.com]

On your recommmendation I bought the first book. I haven't started it yet..

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Enjoy!

[shoofus.livejournal.com]

have you seen this casting spoiler for the hunger games movie

http://community.livejournal.com/ontd_feminism/512183.html

[oselle.livejournal.com]

As of Friday, it appears that Jennifer Lawrence was definitely cast as Katniss.

[liptonrm.livejournal.com]

I knew there was a post I'd been meaning to comment on.

You know, after I read Hunger Games I never suspected that the series would turn out to be as affecting as it turned out to be. What I appreciated above all was the way that Collins let her characters suffer the consequences of their experiences. By the end of it they were all extremely fucked up, just like anyone who suffered like that would be.

I think that was the biggest problem with Rowling's epilogue, she wanted everyone to have a happy ending and so disregarded the emotional toll the Wizards' War would have exacted, even years after it all played out. It felt fake, even in a story about magic.

Collins respected her characters and the reality of their experiences and so gave us an epilogue which was more uplifting, in its way, than Rowlings happily ever after. They suffered and they survived and life goes on. And sometimes that's enough.

There's been a lot of internet rumormongering about Hunger Games casting. Every time they mention some possible Peeta actor all I can think is "Well, he's no Jensen." Clearly, the movie is already ruined for me.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I think that was the biggest problem with Rowling's epilogue, she wanted everyone to have a happy ending and so disregarded the emotional toll the Wizards' War would have exacted, even years after it all played out.

Even while the Wizarding War was happening it was kind of hard to pick up on any emotional toll, except for Harry going all capslock now and then. I remember one book critic saying that even the series climax was presented in such a cheerful "jolly hockey-sticks" style that it seemed more like schooldays fun than the final epic showdown between good and evil. And that epilogue was just unspeakable.

I'll admit that Katniss was getting on my nerves a little during a lot of Mockingjay but the last few chapters made it all up for me and I really, really loved the ending. I don't think I've ever read a book that ended exactly the way I wanted it to. I was Team Peeta all the way and boy am I glad he got the girl in the end.

Just heard they cast Jennifer Lawrence from Winter's Bone as Katniss -- I'm pretty sure she played practically the same type of character in that movie (except without the science fiction angle). There's already wank ahoy over the fact that she's blonde and the fact that they apparently didn't consider any non-Caucasian actresses for the part but a) there is such a thing as hair dye and b) I never got any impression from the books that Katniss was supposed to be anything other than lightly olive-skinned at most, sort of like....Jessica Alba (part of me will always be convinced that Katniss and Peeta were based on Max and Alec). Speaking of which, who cares about Katniss anyway? No one could ever have been Peeta except Jensen and alas! that these books were written too late!