80 Books No.40: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is the first deliberate re-read of the year (I don't count The Way Things Look to Me as there was no intention to re-read that) and for a justifiable reason beyond I just felt like it. This is a contender for being purchased as a class reader at school and I wanted to double check there was enough to do with it; my conclusion is that there is definitely a massive argument for buying it. Hoorah.

Looking back through my blog, was there ever any doubt that I'd really like The Hunger Games? It has a depressing slightly futuristic setting, is aimed at teenagers and has kids killing each other. This pretty much sums up my blog. Suffice to say that I enjoyed this as much as I did the first time around, albeit if it was marginally less page turning as I already knew how it was going to end. In fact, reading it from a teaching perspective allowed me to see a variety of new things, such as how it relates to general dystopian fiction and how it, in some ways, breaks gender stereotypes. The opening pages in particular could be an interesting exploration over when exactly we realise Katniss is female as so much of the opening presents her as fulfilling a traditionally male role within her family and within the novel.

What I also found interesting was reading this in light of having seen the film twice. I thought the film was a really good one in its own right and would happily watch it again (let's see if I'm saying this in four years time when no doubt I'll have been badgered to watch it hundreds of times by students). Given that this was a first-person narration, it managed to convey much of the same feelings without the use of a voiceover. However, Katniss is infinitely more likeable in the novel as you can really get to grips with her feelings. Also, her unwitting double crossing of Peeta (an element which I think could have been developed more across the whole trilogy) is much clearer in the novel and leaves you thinking more positively about her.

I loved this book all over again and I'm dying to teach it next year now.


PS: And hello halfway point! I'm ten days ahead of myself, which is significantly less gained time than I had back in March, but then I wasn't falling asleep on top of the books regularly in March. I'm still pretty pleased with my progress, and I still have August in which to gain time. 80 books is suddenly looking more manageable.