Let the games begin!
One simple rule got me started: “You must read the book before you watch ANY movie.” This was not new news to my 15 year old daughter.
3 weeks later I find myself struggling to stay alert at my keyboard after a 2:30am finish. Yes, I am both proud and embarrassed to say that I lined up with hundreds of annoyingly excited teenagers to watch the midnight premiere of the Hunger Games.
I wasn’t even sure what the book was about myself. I purchased it for my daughter and then couldn’t help but have a quick read of the first few pages to get a gauge for what it was about. About an hour later my husband came looking for me wondering what I was doing. Little did he know I was caught up in the excitement of a book where the protagonist could have easily have been me. In fact Katniss Everdeen and I share many similar characteristics and I was desperate to read on to find out what I, I mean she, was capable of achieving.
As I looked around the theatre last night I saw many other females who probably saw themselves as Katniss Everdeen- fiercely independent, highly skilled and intelligent and someone who could outwit and outplay others. It is this ability to include the reader in the life of the protagonist that is the sign of a great writer. (A craft clearly demonstrated in Harry Potter and Twilight). I wonder if males associate with Gale or Peter as females do with Katniss? (They certainly were outweighed at the screening last night.)
Overall, I didn’t think the movie was too bad (I am a staunch movie-after-book hater) although I am not sure I am fully qualified to comment on it as I really was struggling to stay awake in the latter part of the movie (not because it was boring, more because I am boring!)
As a book I loved it but, as I found out while on my recent camping trip, I have found it hard to talk to others about my enjoyment. This is something that has never happened to me before. I have found it akin to saying I thought a funeral was really good. ‘(Is that right to say that about something that involves death?’ I often wonder). I have found it hard to explain this book to people who have not heard anything about it- ‘it’s about some kids that have to fight until only 1 of them is left’- what a morbid idea an outsider must think! I don’t think I have quite been able to convey the incredibly talented way in which the author has dealt with the death and killing in a completely new and novel way. I wonder what the publishers first thought when the idea was proposed! I think this book is really one of those books that you really have to read to appreciate, understand and judge.
As for my daughter- she enjoyed the movie too. It is not any wonder that she is still in bed as I type this though as she had to read almost ¾ of the book in one day yesterday in order to attend the premiere last night- what a tough Literacy loving mum I am :)
