Anybody read "The Hunger Games"?

[Adam West]

The book was big with teenagers a couple of years ago, but a lot of my friends are reading the book in anticipation of the movie that will be out in March.

I'm about 75% of the way through it and it is really well written (one of those books that's hard to put down once the action starts). I won't go into the storyline but kind of a "Lord of the Flies", "Running Man", "1984" all wrapped in one.

I have seen a few trailers online but nothing on tv yet, but predict this is going to be a blockbuster movie. I have already heard some complaints that the movie won't be able to do the book justice because a true version of the movie would be rated "R" (the book is pretty graphic) but the director is making sure it does whatever it has to do to get a "PG-13" rating so it doesn't leave out the target audience of the book.

So far, good read and can be read realitively fast (it's 400 pages) but the font is a little larger than normal and the storyline moves along pretty quick.

[johnnystorm]

About halfway through it, really liking it. Heard so much about the movie that I wanted to try it.

[spacecaps]

The Hunger Games was a really good book. It could have been great but I thought some of the writing came up short at times. The two follow up books don't have the same feel to them and much of the story is another two guys and a girl love triangle. When I heard there was a movie coming out I got excited BUT there are some glaring problems....mainly Lenny Kravitz is Cinna. Who thought that was a good idea? I'm also not sure how I feel about Woody Harrelson as Haymitch (it could turn out to be a good choice) but Donald Sutherland is President Snow. I like Sutherland a lot in his older movies but he's played the exact same villain in every movie he's been cast in for the last 20 years. There's also been some controversy by casting a black girl for Rue.'Hunger Games': Is Rue black? And should race matter when you're casting the movie? | Shelf Life | EW.com I'm just glad they didn't pick Willow Smith for the role like everyone initially thought. Then there's the are you kidding me advertising they've chosen for the film Are you team Katniss or Team Peeta? If you read the novel beforehand that shouldn't even be a question but I guess that's what we should expect from a film whos marketing is centered on the same audience for Twilight. That film series isn't even done yet and they're already aping the ad campaign.

[samurainoir]

The wife was really pushing it when it first came out, but I kept dismissing it as a Battle Royale ripoff since I'm such a huge fan of that in all it's incarnations.




When I did get around to reading it, I was pleasantly surprised. Particular since it really had much more to say about Contemporary reality tv, the audience and media manipulation. BR never ventured in that direction too much and kept all focus on the kids.

First book is strongest, second ups the ante and knocks over the table in it's own way. Liked the third book and conclusion good enough.

Every soften you heard rumblings that Hollywood was going to do a BR remake, but it didn't seem very commercial in a post-Columbine world. I think hunger games has the right amount of futuristic SCIFI as a distancing device to get away with it. If they do it properly, they would ave a Harry Potter style hit.

[Fuzzysnail]

ITS A GREAT SERIES. MY TEEN SON READ IT AND TURNED ME ON TO IT, i REALLY ENJOYED THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR CONFLICT. CANT RECCOMEND THE STORY ENOUGH. aLL THREE MOVIE ARE GOING TO BE A HIT WITH TEENS, WHO REALLY DONT GET ANY DECENT MOVIES TARGETED AT THEM.

[MegoMark71]

This movie was just filmed about 45 minutes from where i live. My wife is pretty excited. I'll go see it with her, but i have never read it.

[spacecaps]

...aLL THREE MOVIE ARE GOING TO BE A HIT WITH TEENS, WHO REALLY DONT GET ANY DECENT MOVIES TARGETED AT THEM.

From what I've read there are no plans as of yet to film the second and third books. The studio is waiting to see if this is going to be a big enough hit to warrant the sequels and nobody wants another Golden Compass on their hands.

[samurainoir]

I'm imagining Katniss will be a big cosplay character on the convention scene this year.

[Adam West]

I just finished reading it and if the movie is anywhere close to the book; it is going to be a huge hit. Some of the love triangle thing stuff I guess would be expected in a teenage type book (the Harry Potter series also had that theme going), but it wasn't one of those things that just blew the story and will turn it into another "Twilight". I am definitely going to recommend to my two older kids (my 14 year old daughter is currently reading "Lord of the Flies" which was one of my favorite books that was required reading for us) and she really enjoys these types of books/movies.

[Nostalgiabuff]

my son is really into these books right now and working his way through the first one. i will read them when he is done