To Be Read: The Hunger Games

I wrote earlier I was hesitant about reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It has the same idea of Battle Royale and The Running Man: futuristic society, games used to entertain/exert government control, yada yada yada…

The Hunger Games takes place in what was once known as North America, in the nation of Panem. Panem is separated into districts, each one specializing in a certain industry that basically supports the Capitol, where the government of Panem is located. Every year each district must send a tribute, one boy and girl, between the ages of twelve and eighteen, to the Hunger Games, where they will be thrown into an arena to battle to the death until one emerges as the victor. Our heroine, Katniss Everdeen, is only sixteen and has been struggling to survive in District 12, being the sole provider of her family. When it’s time for District 12 to send their Tributes, it’s Katniss’ little sister who has been chosen but Katniss volunteers to go in her place.

I’ve only see the movie versions of Battle Royale and The Running Man, and it’s been years since I’ve seen them. I don’t know if I can watch Battle Royale again. The scene with the girls who turn on each other still haunts me. While The Hunger Games describes how some of the children – who have been forced to participate in the games – were killed, it is quite graphic but it didn’t really hit me. It is a YA novel, written in a certain style that didn’t make me cringe compared to the type of cringing I did while reading the first three books of A Song of Ice and Fire series, by George R.R. Martin. Although, it was written from the point of view of Katniss, and it could be that she herself had shut herself off in order to survive the Hunger Games.

The book is definitely a page turner though. I got through it in a week and I recommend it. Oh, just a warning, the names are horrible and don’t work well when read aloud. As a book it did its job; I was entertained. Though being entertained by the death of children may not be something I should be admitting…

To Read or Not To Read: King Solomon’s Mines

Since I was no longer feeling A Princess of Mars I went ebook browsing on my Sony Reader. Project Gutenberg is a great place to get free digital copies of books that are in the public domain so I have over seventy books saved. As I was browsing I came across Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard and I thought I’d give it a try. Now, if you read something like this what would you do?:

“I have just buried my boy, my poor handsome boy of whom I was so proud, and my heart is broken. It is very hard having only one son to lose him thus, but God’s will be done.”

Right?! I was completely caught off guard and was drawn in thinking, Oh my goodness, this is so horribly sad, what happened? I read a few pages more and was feeling like I can get into this. Then I did some research on the internet and learned that Allan Quatermain was a sequel to King Solomon’s Mines. Never liking to start a series from the middle I began reading King Solomon’s Mines, intending to follow it up with Allan Quatermain. I probably should have stuck with Allan Quatermain. But then, it could turn out to be just like King Solomon’s Mines.

So what’s so wrong with King Solomon’s Mines. Well, I was first insulted by the DEDICATION of all things!:

“This faithful but unpretending record of a remarkable adventure is hereby respectfully dedicated by the narrator, Allan Quatermain, to all the big and little boys who read it.”

Big and little boys?! As if big and little girls would not enjoy this book?! As Stephanie Tanner would say, “How rude!” Then as I read further I began to understand why it was dedicated to “big and little boys”. They’re the only ones who believe themselves superior and like to hunt and kill animals for sport! This is such a product of the late 19th century; a well-to-do Englishman in South Africa who believes himself superior. I’m offended but at the same time think he doesn’t know better. Then I feel like I’m making excuses for the character, and in turn, the author. I don’t know what to think. I’m confused. But can I still enjoy the adventure? And what do I know of the author? Not much. Maybe he didn’t feel the way his character does and the character is based on someone he has met? And if I just stop reading am I the same as those who have tried to ban the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird? See? Still confused. But, as I have continued reading King Solomon’s Mines it has amused me immensely to make snarky notations whenever Allan Quatermain insults the intelligence of anyone who is not an Englishman. He calls them a Zulu even if they’re not! Even when he knows they’re not a Zulu!

Well, if King Solomon’s Mines gets to be too much for me I’ve got a backup. I’ve finally given in and picked up a copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Why did I wait so long? Battle Royale, The Running Man.. yeah, enough said. To be continued...