Have any of you read The Hunger Games Trilogy? I read the first one. I haven't read the second one yet. Still reading that one. Also have you seen the movie?

I've not read it, but in case you missed it, a new quiz on The Hunger Games just went up today at:
http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Literature/The-Hunger-Games-348060.html

Awesome.
So you read a lot? I am always reading, especially classics. Classics always attract me. I once in a while read books from other categories but I always read a classic.
Are you currently reading any books?

Right now I'm reading The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. It's the April book here in the FT Forums. And also reading Madame Chrysantheme by Pierre Loti for the FrenchLiterature group at Yahoo.

The next ones I'll be starting are The Light That Failed by Rudyard Kipling and Seraphita by Balzac.

Actually, we should go to a different thread for this in case someone wants to talk about The Hunger Games here.

I saw the movie a few weeks ago with my stepdaughter who had read all the Hunger Games books. It was an interesting movie but there were things in it that I didn't understand because, of course, the book goes into more detail. My s-daughter explained a lot of it for me afterwards which then got me in the mood to read the books. I just finished reading The Hunger Games today and I was hooked from the start and couldn't put it down until I finished it even though I knew how it ended. I am now looking forward to reading the second and third book in the series. I also would like to see the movie again knowing the background now.

Thanks Dagny, you are right.
May I ask members to please not go off topic. We now have three threads about what we are reading now, where one ("What are you reading now?"), would suffice. This thread is indeed about Hunger Games . Thanks

Ive just started the second book,the tone is definitely getting darker,can't wait to see what happens next!

I have read all three of the books and have seen the movie 5 times! My daughter can tell you when the next movie is coming out, she has a countdown going! I thought the movie was very well done and didn't veer from the book. A few minor characters are left out but it doesn't detract from the story. My daughters Bible class is even using the Hunger Games right now as part of the curriculum. I highly recommend the books. The movie should not be seen by children under 12 (my opinion) because of the violent themes.

I didn't like the books, and as I am probably in the minority, I'll keep my criticism of them to myself. I just sometimes have a hard time when popular writing is interpreted as good writing.

They were "ok" - I enjoyed them when I read them, but not to the extent of getting obsessive or wanting to read them again. They aren't great literature, they just whiled away a few hours entertainingly. I do like dystopian fiction though, always have, and always enjoy finding new ones.
The ending was a bit "oooerrr" - I won't say any more, but I am wondering if they make the rest of the films, they will keep the ending as it is in the books, or change it on screen. I haven't been to see the film, but then, I never do

I am on the 2nd book i love them a lot and can hardly even sleep at nights wondering what would happen next in the book.

I've read all three books; one of my students talked me into reading the first one before it became so popular. As other people have mentioned, I was hooked early on, and eagerly awaited the publication of the next two books. And contrary to what some literary snob-types believe, they are quite well written (unlike the Twilight books.) In fact, the complexity of the characters, plot, and themes in the trilogy is such that the first book has been incorporated into the curriculum in HS English classes around the country. It's a wonderful tool for a teacher when he/she finds a literary work that is worthy of study and has tremendous student appeal.

I think that "well-written" is a point of personal opinion, and you cannot fault people for thinking otherwise. I am definitely do not see myself as a, how did you put it, "literary snob", and I found the books to be poorly written. Perhaps the obvious plot and lack of subplots, virtually no foreshadowing or buildup to the climax, the ineffective use of names, the low-level language, and the very direct speech put me off, but those are my opinions and not everyone shares them with me. I realize that I am not the target audience that the author was aiming for, however, compared to other books I've read, it wasn't all that great, and definitely not what it's hyped up to be.

The fact that it has had such mainstream success means that students will read the books, not that it's a well-written book. It means that they will take time out of their day and devote it to the dying art of reading as opposed to going to the local Blockbuster and checking out the movie version. I think that's the main motivator for a teacher to choose to add this book to the curriculum. Stacked up against many other books, "The Hunger Games" pales in comparison.

I find it very offensive, actually that everyone who didn't like "The Hunger Games" is categorized as a "literary snob". People have opinions, and they may not always agree with yours. For the record, I didn't like "Crime and Punishment" either, so, what bin does that put me in?

The true test is whether the book will be remembered and talked about in 100-years' time. I hope we will be around to find out.

Leo-I'm sorry you took offense to my comments; I wasn't referring to you specifically, but to a general perception by many people that popular fiction (especially YA fiction) is nothing more than fluff and not worth one's time. I've both read and heard more often than I can count people dismiss novels like The Hunger Games simply because they are written for a young adult audience. My intent was to encourage anyone unsure of whether to read the book to give it a try. Not every literary genre appeals to all readers, and that's fine. And you might not be a literary snob, but, unfortunately, many others are, and It's unfortunate when people are discouraged from reading a novel they are likely to enjoy simply because they've received the impression it's not "real" literature.

I find it very offensive, actually that everyone who didn't like "The Hunger Games" is categorized as a "literary snob". People have opinions, and they may not always agree with yours. For the record, I didn't like "Crime and Punishment" either, so, what bin does that put me in?

'As someone who's struggled through the book, i would have to say the majority

After watching the film, I went out and bought the book in the expectation of a deeper experience. In this the book was a disappointment, as it was no more nor less than what was broadcast in the film.

Personally, I dislike the recounting of the story in the first person, and it put me off. I did read the book little over an afternoon and evening, however, and it was perfect for a lazy Sunday.

There are obvious faults: lack of character development, plot development, not enough exploration of the main themes of the book, but on the other hand it was not unpleasant to read, just unsatisfactory. Given the audience at which it is aimed, I can accept this, and do not regret my purchase.

I am not going to get into the literary snob discussion, but I thought all three of the books were well written and entertaining. I also think that although the movie was enjoyable, the first book was far better. In the same way that just because a book is popular doesn't make it well written, I also think that simply because some didn't care for it does not make it poorly written. I personally thought the character development was excellent, particularly for the many minor, yet key, players, the pace of the plot was incredibly well done and the consistency of the themes through all three books was fantastic.

I think The Hunger Games was very well written and gives good morals too. I saw the movie only once and have read the whole trilogy. I guess I mainly see it as a book to learn lessons from more than anything else. Know what I mean?

After I read the first book, which I liked very much, I read two and three. I enjoyed them so much that as soon as I finished them, I immediately started them over again. I thought they were very entertaining.