i'm a parent, but i don't get other parents who whine about so-called "dangerous books," and harangue the public to get behind their cause to ban said books. sure, there's violence in the Hunger Games trilogy, but it's violence that has a context. as for being anti-family, anti-ethnic (?) and satanic, i'm thinking that the people who say these about the trilogy have not read the books or they need to go re-learn reading comprehension. interestngly, my kids who bought the books with their savings found the trilogy "okay," which is not exactly rave review. having grown up on japanese manga and anime, the violence in the trilogy didn't faze them. they know it's a work of fiction, and they mock older people who think that kids who read the Hunger Games will turn homicidal. they think that the media attention on the trilogy is hyped up because of the film adaptatiion. according to them, the books are not even consistently written well as the writer tended to be lazy in certain parts. my daughter is studying to become a librarian and my son is an english lit major. there's been some wacky discussions about books in the house.
having read the trilogy, i agree with my kids on the authorial laziness bit. there are certain turns of phrases in the narrative that sounded stilted. but as a whole, i enjoyed the books. as world-building goes, the writer has a solid handle in this. mosty though, i could relate to the story both emotionally and intellectully. i grew up under an authoritarian government, and i've lost family and friends to the armed political conflicts that raged in my country in the 70s and 0s. i get the part of the trilogy about young people being sacrificed to keep the status quo going. my kids understand this part, but they don't really get it. the effect is not visceral for them, because their own experience of the world is different. frankly, i'm not sure what to think and how i feel about this.
i apologize for this long comment. i know you've been posting about the Hunger Games for quite a while now, and i've never said anything even though i found your postings well-considered and passionate. i guess, i'm trying to make up for my laziness.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2012-04-10 07:32 pm (UTC)having read the trilogy, i agree with my kids on the authorial laziness bit. there are certain turns of phrases in the narrative that sounded stilted. but as a whole, i enjoyed the books. as world-building goes, the writer has a solid handle in this. mosty though, i could relate to the story both emotionally and intellectully. i grew up under an authoritarian government, and i've lost family and friends to the armed political conflicts that raged in my country in the 70s and 0s. i get the part of the trilogy about young people being sacrificed to keep the status quo going. my kids understand this part, but they don't really get it. the effect is not visceral for them, because their own experience of the world is different. frankly, i'm not sure what to think and how i feel about this.
i apologize for this long comment. i know you've been posting about the Hunger Games for quite a while now, and i've never said anything even though i found your postings well-considered and passionate. i guess, i'm trying to make up for my laziness.