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Hunger Games

Like everyone else, I felt the tremors coming from far away. By the time it was a loud noise, I'd heard the book title several times in passing and even knew of a coming movie, to which several were counting down. I'm talking, of course, about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. (I wasn't going for that much suspense there because you should have guessed as much by the title of the post.)

So, in my typical I-should-comment-on-that-5-weeks-after-everyone-else manner, I'm here to weigh in and overuse hyphens. My wife wanted to read the book and see the movie. And since I never pass up a date night possibility, I followed along.

I read the book like I was cramming for a pop quiz, so I could finish it the night before we went to see the movie, which was strategically not opening night. And before I even had a chance to read and watch, I had people around me telling me how disturbed it was. Uh-oh, am I going to have to pretend not to like it?

I can't.

I think the book is way better than the movie, but both are entertaining. What I really want to know is if Suzanne was trying to say something besides 'Hey everyone, I'm a good writer.' I read a bit here and there and at least one guy thinks she's crying out against big government. In an interview, Suzanne comments on the connection between the old Roman games and current reality TV.

Yes, in this case the 'reality TV' is kids killing kids, but I wonder if we aren't similar in actual reality. The fact is that people, on a daily basis, for TV or for simple perceived survival, turn off their moral compass in an attempt to come ahead of the next guy. It may be for money or fame or power, but the result is the same. Most of us will just stand by and watch while it happens and wish something less detestable was as entertaining.

But how far have we slipped? After all, does this story become less disturbing if it's adults killing one another for sport instead of kid killing kids? Your answer to that says more about you than it does any book.
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