Jul 18, 2012 12:36 AM
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(Updated Jul 18, 2012 12:38 AM)
Today after 51 days from starting it completed a good story book – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 1st one in the trilogy. Yes, it’s too much time taken for a book of 374 pages :), but as you may remember I use to read many books at a time, so it can be excused :) Since this is the first book, it is followed by 2 more named ‘Catching Fire’ and ‘Mockingjay’. I will soon be buying them too, since I am very impressed by this one, so impressed that yesterday I downloaded the film adaptation of it (Directed by Gary Ross), and will be soon seeing it to relate what I read. In few words – this book have a real good story, innovative, placed in future, but matched with current prospective of reality TV, very different, easy read, though lacks some actions and logics towards the end, but a good timepass. Let’s see the story first-:
The country is now named PANEM and is divided into 13 districts named 1 to 12 (with nicknames) and ruling district named CAPITOL. Long back (not covered that story here) 13 districts went to a civil war against CAPITOL, due to bad management and hungers but CAPITOL alone hunt everybody down, only 12 poor districts remains, 13th one totally eliminated. So now to made these revolting people remember about their worst move of life of attacking the boss CAPITOL, and to remind them of their misery and to punish them, it held a yearly event name as “THE HUNGER GAMES”. It is basically a reality kind of game show where 2 person – a boy and a girl got selected from each district, they will be called TRIBUTES, and all these 24 guys will have to fight against each other in a wild but controllable (by CAPITOL as they please) ARENA till only 1 remains. That ARENA is not a small area but a vast natural surroundings, where you can face anything, cold, hot, rain, woods, wild animals, and then the others hunting you. Everything is covered by cameras and is shown live over all the districts. Winner will get lot of food for lifetime and a house too built specially for them. District 12 is the poorest district and only had 1 winner in last 30 years. This year’s games are starting, and the day comes when the name will be taken. It’s Primrose Everdeen, a 12 yr old girl, and Peeta Mellark, the Baker’s son who will become the TRIBUTES of this year to take participation. But Katniss Everdeen, the elder sister volunteer for Primrose, since she very well know that one who took participate in these games will never come back, they have to lose the life. Katniss and Peeta went to the games, and then the games started and then how they played, will they survive and who will become the winner is what all about the book.
The story is something new and thoughtful. Well it’s kind of exaggeration of what’s happening today, but nonetheless well thought. Full points to Suzanne for thinking that. As per her, she got this idea when she is watching TV altering the view from watching a reality show and news on Iraq war. But she got it right. She has written this novel in a kids-teens style, simple language, also the font is big, I find the English of this book quite similar to “The Books of Ember” series books I read. So sometimes it looks like it’s only intend for children, but no, it can be for anyone, as the matter is more mature. The book is not boring but it went to a kind of halt during the end, where the tributes are getting killed, and it is not explained much. The situations and locations depicted in book are good, including the description of arena, but the author avoided describing about the death style of many of the tributes playing, even in the end, we came to know that a particular tribute is died, but how we don’t know. The book is basically written from the viewpoint of Katniss, and it has a touch of romantic-action genres, since Katniss and Peeta falls in love for each other, so at the end romance get a toll on action. I personally think that she should have explained more on the action part which looked like skipped in the last pages. Some logics are also not satisfying like, it has shown that CAPITOL is ruthless, no feeling about anybody, who’s dying, how they are dying then how did suddenly towards the end, they declared the change of rules to declare 2 winners instead of one, if both belongs to the same district, after seeing the love and affection between the protagonist of the novel. I got the feel there itself that in the end it will certainly come to the situation that the tributes from same district will remain as the last survivors since both displayed themselves as lovers and Capitol will then show its ruthlessness and superiority in the games by making them kill each other. This happens but it didn’t last long and 2 winners are declared. If a district is shown so much superior and ruthless that it is having no feelings for anybody, then howcome at the end they become so caring, so as to save the lovers they change the game rules. Except this fact everything else was just perfect for a new fun, adventurous and action read.
The book is distributed over 374 pages, divided over 3 parts “The Tributes”, “The Games” and “The Victor” with total 27 chapters to read. Each part has its own story to tell. “The tributes” tell about the story prior to the Tributes selection and their daily life schedules, and about lives of the district 12. “The games” showed about the preparation of games, how the tributes are treated and prepared and then sent to the arena to fight, covering each detail to the minute aspect. This is what good about the book that imagination flows to the extreme, and it’s a new concept to think and you actually enjoyed being lost in it while reading. “The victor” deals with the ending part of game and then the ongoing about the victors. The book was published by Scholastic Press and first published in 2008 September, and I got this book for Rs.201 from flipkart.com. The book is a hit all over the world after getting critically acclaimed, becoming best seller in many lists, also declared as the best selling Kindle e-book by Amazon. It though gets criticized for some similarities it bears to a 1999 novel of Koushun Takami named “Battle Royale”. Suzanne Collins is a television scriptwriter and a novelist, best known for her “The Underland Chronicles” and was born on 10th August 1962 in Connecticut, also got some awards to her name and one thing is sure Suzanne adds her name to the likes of JK Rowling in story-telling department and imagination. Do get it and read it, it’s worth a read. My Take 4/5 for the wonderful story and imagination. 2 more books remains now in trilogy, lets see when I get my hand on them.
GRuchirG.
Jai Raam ji ki :)
