I know, I know, I’m late to the party. It only took 17 years since the first book was published in 2008 for me to start reading The Hunger Games. But I did not miss everything: I have seen the films, and as a film major, I have to say they are brilliant. Although the first one has a touch too much shaky cam for me, the use of the shaky cam in the first place brilliantly shows how fast-paced the events are. Katniss barely has a minute to breathe or process what is happening in the games, and as we are following Katniss’s point of view, neither do we. It only took me signing up for the TCU Culture, Literature, and Adaptations course, which focuses on The Hunger Games, for me to finally pick up the books.
Once I picked up the first book, I understood what everyone had been talking about. I could barely put the book down, and if I was not loaded with readings this semester, I would not put it down till I finished it. Suzanne Collins’s writing is incredible; she strikes a perfect balance between detailed world-building and fast-paced action. You can picture every scene in your head without having to consume pages of descriptions.
The Hunger Games | Scholastic Media Room
Now, obviously, since I have seen the films, the large plot points have been spoiled for me, but I find surprises in the details that the films did not have time to cover. Having the full flashbacks on the day Peeta gave Katniss hope made the conflict in Katniss’s opinion about Peeta deeper and much more complex. In Catching Fire, when Peeta forces Katniss and Haymitch to train after the Quarter Quell is announced, it shows how much Peeta cares for them and how bonded they are as a group after the arena. Finally, in Mockingjay, the deep friendship between Katniss and Finnick built in the bunker in District 13 shows how the only people who can understand the victors are each other.
The first novel not only introduces us to Panem and the main character we will follow throughout the series, but it also hooks the reader. The concept of the Games itself is fascinating and makes a reader want to know more, but Katniss’s perspective adds another layer. As we see the Games through her perspective it allows us to feel her emotions with her. Her surprise at Peeta’s interview, her grief at Rue’s death, and her fear at Snow’s warning at the end of the novel are all felt by Katniss and the reader. I think the film is a great adaptation; it highlights the stark differences between District 12 and the Capitol in the lighting and color palette. It also moves with the action, putting us in Katniss’s shoes just as the novel did. The audience sees things when Katniss does, allowing viewers insight into Katniss’s thought process without the use of inner dialogue. While the film leaves out how long the Games go on, I think this choice makes sense, as it is hard to convince audiences to sit through what would be a lot of silence, as Katniss in the books does not talk much in the Games. Of the films, the first is my favorite, as it captures the violence and horrors of the Games so well and sets up many of the plot lines for the next films without giving too much away.
The second novel, Catching Fire, was my favorite. This surprised me, as I loved the first novel, but the second expanded on the world and the districts in a way that, while you were still following Katniss’s perspective, you got a better understanding of the other tributes than you did in the first. Finnick is obviously a fan favorite from this novel and the film, and that is completely understandable. At first, Katniss distrusts Finnick because of his skills, but Finnick ultimately is the reason Peeta and, by extension Katniss, survive the Games. Once in the arena, Finnick drops his playboy act and we see the calculated fighter he is, revealing that he is not so unlike Katniss. Finnick, similarly to Katniss, has a reason to survive the Games: Annie. The two characters show a very similar storyline throughout the second and third novels. Finnick is a representation of the double-sided life of a victor. Outwardly to Panem, and to Katniss at first, he has it all — money, influence, and a laid-back lifestyle, in terms of Panem life. But as it is revealed, he, like Katniss, is being threatened by Snow, and his act is one of survival that he had to maintain after his Games. Katniss thought she was alone in being trapped in the story of her Games, but as she finds out, any victor with people they love is also trapped by Snow. The second novel and film build on the first, growing the story in scale and detail. The already vivid world is expanded and then dramatically shifted as the rebellion is exposed.
The third novel was a dramatic shift from the first two books. It starts slower, beginning with Katniss trapped in her trauma post Quarter Quell and her grief in losing Peeta to the Capitol. But by the time you hit part 2, the action has picked up dramatically. While I knew the deaths of some of my favorite characters were coming in this book, like Finnick and Boggs, that did not ruin the tragedy of their deaths. Collins’s ability to keep you on the edge of your seat for much of the 3rd part of the novel is impressive. The way she also does not linger on characters’ deaths for long because Katniss has to keep herself going shows a reality of war that is not often found in young adult books. I also did not realize how dark the third novel was, since the film cuts most of what happens between Katniss shooting Coin and her being reunited with Peeta. I appreciated how Collins did not sugarcoat the trauma Katniss was going through and instead showed the rawness of Katniss’s emotions after everything she faced. It allows the reader to reflect with Katniss over the events of the trilogy.
Now, I am moving on to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I’m excited to see how Collins portrays Snow’s inner dialogue, since the film version, like the previous films, could not explicitly do that. I am also looking forward to reading the newest book, Sunrise on the Reaping, as Haymitch, in both the novels and films, is a fascinating character. Overall, I enjoyed the books immensely and cannot wait to continue reading Collins’s work.