Finished reading The Hunger Games...NOT Impressed

13 years ago

I have been hearing so much about this book and how good it is so when Amazon finally had it for $1.99 I downloaded it to my Kindle. I was ready to close up shop a few times during the read, I couldn't quite grasp the concept of teenagers killing each other, bets being made by the adults on the winner, etc. Some parts of the book was quite disturbing. I know this is a fantasy story, talks about a place called Panem, many years after America was destroyed. The idea's and value of life is different in this story. It was hard for me to picture alot of the scenes, the author wasn't IMO to descriptive. It held my interest enough for me to finish it but I'm not interested in the 2 sequels. Has anyone else read the book and felt the same way?

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Comments (20)

User
13 years ago
No. Sorry I loved the book.
Fun2BHere
13 years ago
Didn't even try it. Real life is disturbing enough without immersing myself in depressing, dystopian novels.
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nanny98
13 years ago
I also loved the book. I did find the whole concept somewhat disturbing; but I am disturbed by our worlds' fascination with athletics of all sorts, and the Hunger Games (IMO) are really a futuristic exaggeration of those events. Seeing the Olympics so soon after reading the 'Games'.....that whole scene of "high-fives" and good sportsmen ship while in the competitors hearts they wanted so badly to WIN...win at any cost, was also disturbing.To me it was brilliantly conceived.
pam_25f
13 years ago
Renee, My experience was similar to yours, but I picked it up on my Kindle when it was free!
chloecat
13 years ago
I've read the whole series. They are quite "deep" in their meaning - similar to reading George Orwell. I highly recommend that all young women read them.

They're awesome books - the last one was hardest for me to read, but so worth it.
carla35
13 years ago
IMHO it was by no means a work of great literature, and it was no Lord of the Flies. I found it easy to read, very easy. The reading level appeared to me to be at the level of a older child (not an adult)--hence the easy read, and I wouldn't doubt the popularity. I wonder if 30 years from now people will still be reading it; I kind of doubt it...

I thought the subject matter was a great example of sensationalism in literature. And considering the content, which IMO was more young adult to adult, the reading level age didn't really match.

Nonetheless, it was kind of fun. It kind of reminded me of a blockbuster movie that everyone sees and talks about but that never wins an award because it's really just not a good movie/film.

I'm not interested in reading the other books in the series either. Battle Royale is another book (and movie) with a very similar story line to Hunger Games. I am curious as to how they compare. Has anyone read Battle Royale? It is thought by some to be the better book. I've included the IMDB link for the movie -the book is at Amazon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Casino Royale at IMDB
alisande
13 years ago
Ditto Fun2BHere. My thoughts exactly. (And I learned a new word--thanks!)
rob333 (zone 7b)
13 years ago
So do you dislike the reading or the themes? I cannot say I disagree with the writing, as I haven't bothered to read the books yet. These books were offered to my then, 11 year old son, to read for the summer at the same time as other dystopian society novels. He chose the Shadow Children instead. He loved those! Hunger Games sound like a cross between Running Man and Soylent Green. Neither of which I liked, and I bet it would be equally distastful to me to read Hunger Games (the commonality among the novels is the warning to humanity to keep a watch on our precious resources, which is good, but I dislike the vehicle. I'm not into shock!). I hear they're also poorly written.
mary_c_gw
13 years ago
I think it's a bit harsh to criticize the writing for being an "easy read", because the novels were intended for the "young adult" audience, ages 12 to 16.

I haven't read the books, but my niece, 11 and very intelligent, has. She loved it, and commented "finally a girl who isn't a wuss!".
sleeperblues
13 years ago
Funny, a surgeon I work with was just raving about the series yesterday and told me I had to read it. After slogging my way through one, and only one, Twilight book I'm not so sure. if I could get it on my kindle for free or cheap, I might.
curlysue
13 years ago
Okay, it is not (IMHO) a literary work of art, I liked the book. I read all 3 and I liked them. I liked the 1st one the best. I will admit that I almost didn't read the book at all when I found out it was about teens killing teens. It is a book based on the future and it isn't like they had a choice. Katniss was from my neck of the woods, so maybe that made me like her more. I don't know.
I saw the movie also. The book of course was way better, but if you watch the movie without reading the book you might be lost in some parts of it. It was worth reading and I would and have recommended it.
curlysue
13 years ago
Oh, and Sleeperblues, I still haven't got the nerve up to reed the Twilight books. Doesn't sound like my cup of tea, but who knows.
Books are a personal preference kind of thing. My sister and I are like twins born years apart and we agree on just about everything, but her favorite book of all time is a book that I couldn't read past the 25th page because i hated it. Go figure
casey_nfld
13 years ago
Well I loved the 1st 2 books but didn't really like the last one that much.

It's FICTION! I enjoy fiction, most types, and this was very well done.
Jodi_SoCal
13 years ago
I just borrowed and downloaded it for free from the Kindle Lending Library.
ILoveRed
13 years ago
I read all 3 on my kindle because I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about.

I couldn't put them down. My dd is a high school principal and only reads stuff that makes her "well read". Since all of her students were reading this, I convinced her she should read it.

She sheepishishly admitted that she loved the trilogy as well.

Definitely a little dark. But, I know my twin boys will want to read it soon and I'm glad I've read it.
nicole__
13 years ago
LOVED it!!!!! And I read all 3!!!!!!!!

and rented the video....my DH liked it too....
donna_loomis
13 years ago
I read the first book of the trilogy a couple of years ago and loved it. And my interests are so varied - I enjoy romance, mystery, horror, biography, just about anything except the new zombie craze. And I can't really say I don't enjoy it, because I haven't tried it yet.

DH does not enjoy reading because of his dyslexia, so we have been listening to audiobooks together in the evenings while working at the computer. Since I enjoyed the book so much, The Hunger Games trilogy was the first thing we listened to. We think the narrator for this series did an excellent job. He absolutely loved the whole series and couldn't wait to go and see the movie. We did enjoy the movie, but as usual, the book was better. And as another poster said, if you didn't read the book first you would have missed a bit.

As for the theme, well, you must remember, as another poster said, it's FICTION. Just because I enjoy a romance doesn't mean I expect Prince Charming to show up and whisk me away. People die (often horrible deaths) in mysteries and horror, too. But I have no trouble separating fiction from reality.
ILoveRed
13 years ago
Donna--I enjoy a little bit of everything as well. You should try Justin Cronin "The Passage". Read it a couple of years ago. Sequel out next month. Fun stuff.

One of my twins is also dyslexic. He is 10. Just diagnosed last summer. Very bright and visual spatial. Spelling is a real challenge...
arcy_gw
13 years ago
My daughters were reading them, the English teacher I worked with wanted to read them to our students so I read them quickly over a Christmas break. I am always drawn in by books that have characters that reappear in a series. If you weren't prepared for them to be a dystopia you would be put off. At home, I found them to be a perfect jumping off point for discussion on what happens when a society is godless. I see a lot of the self expression in the Capitol's residence in our society today. Taking things to their extreme makes their folly clearer IMHO. I was rather glad the author didn't get too into the descriptive. That could be UGLY. I was greatly saddened when talk of the movies came up just for that reason. Why would you want to watch that?! The students were HUNGRY to watch the killing. I have no desire to ever see the movie. The Twilight series puts its demonic side out there so I wouldn't ever be even curious.
jannie
13 years ago
I've had adult friends read and recommend the Twilight Books and Hunger Games, but I haven't gotten around to them. Maybe I'm not missing much.

Finished reading The Hunger Games...NOT Impressed

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