#THG IS MY FAVOURITE NOVEL

[actualori]

when the hunger games parallels (idk what to put here i’m really tired)

[picnic-at-dreaming-rock]

Whilst I do understand and agree to an extent with the sentiment that wanting more thg books/movies about specifically the games is capitol-like behaviour, I also think the way a lot of people have been saying this is very reductionist, especially since we're talking about fiction here.

The people in the ‘you’re missing the point of the books' camp are correct in noting the political messaging and subtext within the novels about the exploitation of violence (and the irony of making an mcu-type franchise of all the hunger games just for the purpose of having them), but I would argue that they themselves have almost entirely missed the point of fictional stories as whole. Yes, part of the success of THG, both commercially and as a piece of storytelling, is her underlying allegory but the other part, which we really cannot forget, is that it is just an otherwise compelling piece of fiction that has placed the Child Killing Show at its epicentre.

TBOSAS has really showed us Collins has clearly thought out the lore of Panem (I personally wouldn’t be surprised if she has already written/planned a bunch of other stories but just hasn’t decided to do anything with them as she doesn’t have something to Say with them yet) and we only ever see the tip of the very fascinating iceberg; I would argue that it is perfectly reasonable to be curious about things we don’t see but are alluded to within the text because of how different this world is to ours. It also makes complete sense as to why the curiosity tends to surround the titular games themselves as they are such an intriguingly unfamiliar concept and are integral to the plot of all four books, which then basically cements the ‘story about Panem = story about the hunger games’ connection.

Further, it is also important to discuss the characters and the emotionally compelling aspects of THG. To reiterate my earlier point, THG aren’t just a political allegory, they are also pieces of fiction, therefore, it should a series whose merits should be considered on both fronts. Her characters are complex and nuanced and are meant to be cared about, with rich character development from beginning to end of the series. I would argue that it’s part of the reason why a series with such an overtly disturbing premise has done so well commercially in both book sales and the box office. I mentioned previously about the games being integral to the plot and I would argue that it is the same for the characters. In many ways, the games act as a character study for how different people react in the same(ish) scenario and how it highlights key aspects of who they are as people as well as forces them to change for better or worse. Similarly, for all of the victors, the games are continually emphasised as defining moments that can tell a lot about said victor.

Putting these two concepts together, it is no surprise that the equation ‘this quarter quell concept is an interesting idea, I’d be interested to hear more about it + I am emotionally engaged with the characters and it’s interesting to see how they all respond to different things in their world + Haymitch is my favourite character and I would love to learn more about him + we learn a lot about characters and Panem during the games’ is going to equal ‘I want to read a book about Haymitch’s games’.

And yes, there is a lot to say about our society and how often we exploit violence afflicted onto others for our entertainment (true crime comes to mind) and how often fictional portrayals of that can desensitise us to real world horror (I also think of all those studies about the correlation of violence in pornography and subsequent violence towards women), but also I think this also comes back to the problematic viewpoint of ‘depiction = endorsement’ and considering what media you consume as equivalent to political advocacy, which is also equally harmful for media literacy as refusing to read for subtext, both of which are practices that discourage nuance and critical thinking

I am also not denying that there might be people with whom the emotional resonance and messaging of the books go straight over their heads, and they do really just seem to want to see kids battling to the deaths, which is something that I have seem to have come across now and then. However, I think to assume that everyone that expresses a desire to read more of Collins’s work and world is doing so out of such a desire rather than to connect with and learn about a world that clearly has significantly more to it than what we’ve been shown whilst also being aware of the core messaging of the series is a bad faith move and, dare I say, similarly problematic.

And again, because this is the piss-on-the-poor website, I want to emphasise that I believe that both sides to this ‘debate’ have legitimate reasoning, but because I do tend to stay on the political/literary analysis side of the fandom, I have, of course, more to say in that regard than for other sides of the fandom. I also want to stress that I am not just talking about the Tumblr fandom here, but also things that I have seen on other platforms and I'm just venting some frustrations that I have had.

All in all, always initially assume miscommunication over malice unless you actually have proof and if you’re going to pride yourself on ‘understanding the point’ of something, remember that you are still susceptible to creating false dichotomies and ditching empathy for moral superiority never makes anything better.

(also want to point out that this is not a conversation about a scenario in which Collins pulled a r*wling in terms of turning her ip into a capitalistic empire because that is a different conversation entirely and this is just about fans wanting hypotheticals out of love for a book series)

[clatoera]

Favourite Peeta moment or quote in THG, CF, and MJ novel/movie?

Thank you 😊

THE BIGGEST LOSS IN CINEMATIC HISTORY IS NOT HAVING PEETA BE A SASSY FUNNY KING IN THE ARENA OF THG.

His whispers of "remember we're madly in love so feel free to kiss me anytime" is just..gold.

But nothing, and I mean nothing, is more disappointing than the lost line of "you here to finish me off, sweetheart?" as he's laying in the mud in the arena and Katniss stumbles upon him.

My sweet sweet breadboy <3 He should have been allowed to sass a little bit, and Josh Hutcherson would have pulled it off flawlessly as he does in CF.

[fictionaltrvlr]

What's your opinion of President Snow as a character in THG trilogy? Was he a great villain?

* Spoiler for TBOSAS *

After reading the novel, what's your opinion about Coriolanus Snow 'transformation' in the end?

Was it his nature or the way he was nurtured that led him to become the character we know?

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

Thank you for the ask, I love talking about this series!! (Sorry this took me a while, it got way too long and confusing and I had to I break it up, so hopefully this makes sense 😆)

Trilogy

Since the trilogy is Katniss’ first-person account and we don’t see much of Snow, I didn’t really think about him that much. He is definitely a good villain, evil and terrifying.

For me, Snow was just this big imposing embodiment of evil in the trilogy. I didn’t take in a lot of his personality or care about his story. Rereading it now, I find him much more interesting.

The recurring theme of roses in the original trilogy was definitely one of my favourite things about Snow as a villain; the physiological terror of the genetically engineered scent and how that was weaponized was just horrible in the best way. 

So I don’t think he was a boring villain by any means, I just didn’t humanise him at all.

Prequel

I love this book so much! I think it was the perfect choice for a prequel.

I know a lot of people want Haymitch, Finnick, and Joana’s Games. And while I do really like those characters and want to know more about them, I think it would kind of go against the message of the books. It would just be Games for Games sake, and wouldn’t really serve any purpose narratively.

Snow’s origin story, on the other hand, added so much for me! It furthers the messages.

The nature vs nurture debate can be kind of confusing for me; I can never seem to pick one over the other. I guess I agree with Lucy Gray, that we are all born with the choice and ability to choose our own path, and it’s our responsibility to stay on the right side.

I think we can be inclined one way or another, and that our experiences affect us, but ultimately we are moulded by our own choices. So I apply that to Snow as well.

Watching his transformation at the end was very interesting. It was both expected and made sense, while also feeling a bit abrupt. I was getting a little confused as I neared the end and had fewer and fewer pages left and Snow wasn’t just absolutely and completely revolting yet.

He was awful, yes, in the ways he spoke about people, his casual disregard for the lives of people from the Districts, his jealousy and ownership of Lucy Gray, the criticism of her and Tigris’ choices and what they had to do to survive. But he really crossed a lot of lines in those last few chapters.

I think Dean Highbottom and Dr Gaul shaped him, for sure. He was treated unfairly, and that angered him. The Capitol also taught him that he was intrinsically more valuable than people in the Districts and that the Snow legacy was important.

I find this paragraph interesting because it gives insight into how he thinks and how he sees himself. This is in twelve when he is having a conversation with  Sejanus about Dr Gaul:

“I don't know," said Coriolanus. "It's like ... you know how she's always torturing that rabbit or melting the flesh off something?" “Like she enjoys it?" asked Sejanus. "Exactly. I think that's how she thinks we all are. Natural-born killers, Inherently violent," Coriolanus said. "The Hunger Games are a reminder of what monsters we are and how we need the Capitol to keep us from chaos." "So, not only is the world a brutal place, but people enjoy its brutality? Like the essay on everything we loved about the war" said Sejanus.

It reminds me of Mockingjay when he’s talking about the bombs that took out Prim, and he says that he’s not wasteful. I think he has himself convinced that he doesn’t enjoy pain and death, but that he uses them strategically and that somehow that makes him a better person than the teachers of his childhood.

Ultimately, Snow hungered for power and felt he was owed it, so he would take any path necessary to achieve it. He was heavily influenced by his upbringing and finally chose to follow that path as far as it can take him.

In short, I thought the prequel was done really well and fits perfectly with the trilogy. It helped me to understand Snow better and make him a more three dimensional character.

[mariesstudying]

This week marked the 12th anniversary of The Hunger Games movie release.

What do you think about THG as a movie adapatation?

Do you think THG influence other movie (/book) in the genre? Yes/No? Why?

Is there any difference in your opinion about it between when you first saw the movie (/read the book) and now?

Thank you :)

@curiousthg

Thanks for the question @curiousthg !!

I adore the THG movie. It’s still one of my favourite movies of all time and I think it’s just so well done. I love that all the tributes actually look young, like they didn’t use a load of 30 year olds to pass as 12 to 17 year olds because it makes the impact better.

I definitely think THG had a massive influence on the YA dystopian genre. Movies like Divergent and Maze Runner came as the result of the success of THG. YA dystopian novels either came about because of the books success or increased in popularity if they were already published. I think it also was pivotal in marketing for teenagers. As someone born in 2001, THG and the YA/dystopian craze that came with it (not just dystopian but also things the the fault in our stars etc) was a time when media designed for teenagers/marketed to them was massive. I can’t really think of anything in 2024 that’s working in the same way.

I’ll be honest I don’t remember much about the very first time I read/watched the book and movie since I was about 10 or 11. My parents said I was allowed to watch the movie and my mum got me THG and CF as a gift because she knew I wanted to read them before we went to the cinema. I think the main differences between then and now is that there are just some things I never thought about or noticed about the series when I first read it simply because I was so young. For example, Finnicks treatment in the Capital or the trauma victors experienced was just something I never really understood back then.

[alwayschasingrainbows]

Have you seen the prequel movie? If yes🌹>>>

A. In your opinion, please rate TBOSAS movie with 1-10 scale.

(1 = I hate it, 10 = I love it.)

Things that you like :

Things that you don't like :

B. For people who also read the novel.

Your opinions about the difference between the book and the movie :

Thank you 🎼

@curiousnonny

Thank you for the question, Nonny!

A. I loved this movie so much. It is 10/10 for me.

Things that I like:

Tom Blythe's portrayal of young Coriolanus Snow!!!!!

Rachel Zegler's singing abilities,

Lucy Gray is a fascinating, vibrant character and Rachel Zegler did her justice,

Romance and chemistry between the actors,

Viola Davis's portrayal of Dr. Gaul,

The soundtrack,

Peter Dinklage's acting,

Jason Schwartzman as Lucky Flickerman (he was a much needed comedy relief),

Hunter Schafer's performance (as a Tigris), especially in the last scene (I think you look just like your father),

The portrayal of Tigris and Coriolanus's relationship,

The movie got the important information across - it also made me think differently about the THG's villain,

It is a fascinating character study of a villain made not born,

There were so many amazing scenes (my favourite ones include the lake escapade, Lucy singing to the snakes, the last forest scene, Coriolanus's changing into Snow),

The movie provides a great insight into character's beginnings and a amazing portrayal of human characters,

True to the events that happened in the book,

Offers a fascinating glimpse into the origins of Panem,

Memorable costuming.

Things I don't like:

It is not possible to transform the over 500 pages long book into the movie without cutting some elements, but the movie failed a little to show just how badly the tributes were treated (it seemed as if they were in the cage for a day, not a week),

The portrayal of some tributes wasn't the greatest,

The arena scenes were cut short,

The lack of symbolism (blood, white roses), which was very important in the book.

B. In my opinion, the changes were necessary. It wasn't possible to include all the events from the book into the movie. I think that the director made an amazing job choosing the scenes. The film stayed true to the book as much as it could, and is by far my favourite adaptation of THG universe.

Thanks again, @curiousnonny!

[cuteasdeathcreations]

Favourite Katniss moment or quote in each THG, CF, and MJ novel/movie?

Thank you 😊

@curiouskatnisseverdeen

That's a tough one, but I'll try!

THG: My favourite moment is when Rue dies, it's so beautifully heartbreaking. Its when the reality of the games really hits Katniss and is the beginning of the end for the capital.

CF: My favourite moment has to be when all the tributes join hands on stage after their interviews. Its all these traumatised people holding onto each other, recognising the pain they share. They don't do it for the rebellion (although that is a definite positive they are all aware of), they do it for each other and for themselves. Just a wonderful moment of pure humanity.

MJ: It's probably a bit cliché but my favourite part is the ending with Katniss and Peeta playing Real or Not Real. Its a moment between them similar to their moments in the first book yet everything has changed. It's a reminder that everything that happened, happened because two kids cared for each other. It was always about love, family, and friendship. The one thing that cannot be killed.

Thank you @curiouskatnisseverdeen x

[mjulianwrites]

wip inspiration tag — next day after dawn

thank you max @goose-books for the tag!! the rules for this one are list as many inspirations/influences as you would like for your current work in progress, and explain how they’ve shaped your project!

next day after dawn (or, the project formerly known as historieswip) is a second word political fiction novel that's basically a mishmash shakespeare's histories with 90% less battle scenes and 90% more insane family dynamics. after everyone's favourite boyboss war criminal king gets deposed, his inner circle gets locked up by the new regime, and we follow them as they try to figure out what to do next and slowly drive each other insane.

tagging: @wren-is-writing @athenapollo @avi-why and anyone else who wants to do this!

henry vi part 3 (aka the whole wars of the roses tetralogy): there's a reason this project is just nicknamed historieswip. ohhhhh babygirl we got histories and i am not preserving shakespeare's timelines at ALL, i am just throwing those babies in a blender until i get 1. vaguely medieval english political structures 2. war with not-france 3. huge royal family with so much wrong with them. but from the henry vi plays specifically! this is where like half of the characters come from. the prince cyrus/cassandane/darcy dynamic is just the henry vi/margaret/suffolk love triangle, the house of lunares is the house of york: girlboss edition, and everything about the prince cyrus and mona dynamic comes from me Thinking about henry vi and richard iii foils moments. i could say more but we'd be here all day.

henry iv part 1 (and kind of 2): so. king cyrus is hal but that's also so mean to hal because king cyrus is SO much worse. however. he does have the hal backstory, by which i mean he was a rakish little alcoholic prince with a gay little boytoy until his dad died and then he had to get Serious and banish all his besties. and renan is his poins except if poins didn't get banished and stuck as the world's most depressed advisor faking respectability instead. ALSO kane my best friend kane is basically my hotspur <33

henry v: again, king cyrus is basically just henry v with the war crimes dialed up to 11. this one is the main inspiration for his conquering hero era and also the conflict with not-france and the not-french wife. it's also where i stole the title from!

king john: most of the histories i'm stealing from are at least like. connected to each other. king john is not but i love philip the bastard so fucking much so he's here (with extra transmasc aroace swag). that's helios — the war hero king's bastard who shows up to rise above his station and annoy everyone around him. and maybe be terminally loyal to a king who really doesn't deserve it

succession: the elevator pitch for this project is basically shakespeare's histories meets succession. specifically, season 1 episode 2 of succession, where the all-powerful patriarch is suddenly out of commission and maybe never coming back and the rest of the family is left losing their minds and wondering what the fuck they do now.

the hunger games: here's where i put on my clown shoes and admit that. um. you know how i said kane is hotspur. well he is but he's ALSO cato from the hunger games, as characterized in the criminally long fanfiction i wrote in middle school. and drea is um. clove. ANYWAY. thg is also an inspiration in terms of worldbuilding because i'm going for something kind of post-post-apocalyptic where there are vast disparities in technology in different parts of the country after decades of war and inequality. so we get modern tech plus medieval weapons, thank god.

darkling: this is partly a hatecrime against max my best friend max @goose-books because once upon a time i started jokingly shipping the two horrible old men in this book and then got so attached to the dynamic that i fully imported it into this project and made it canon gay. sorry bestie. but GENUINELY darkling is one of the best fucking books i've ever read and such a huge inspiration for how i do shakespeare retellings and also fucked up family dynamics.

gideon the ninth: this book is really nothing like gtn but i have to give it a shoutout because reading gtn was what inspired me to create this project! basically because i remembered how much i love ensemble casts and decided i wanted to write one. there are some similarities in terms of the vibe of everyone being locked in a big fucked up house together and everyone having super on the nose themed names but really just shoutout to tamsyn muir for being such a good writer that she made me want what she had (so many blorbos)

thank you for coming to my ted talk <3

[iremembereverything]

Fav Peeta moment or quote in each novels?

Thank you 😊

@curiouspeetamellark

Hi, thank you so much for asking!

Mmmm there´re so many! From THG, i´d have to choose of course the "I remember everything about you" scene. When I first read the books I´ve been in love with Pacey Witter for a decade, and I couldn´t help relate that to Pacey´s words to Joey at the antiprom. Apart from that, I enjoyed his sassy remarks, even when Katniss found him almost dead by the river.

CF is amazing, so full of everlark! Regarding Peeta, I love his subtly rebellius attitude: his speech in district 11, his anger at the way Capitol people handle food (at Snow´s mansion), his kindness to the morphling while she was dying in the arena...

I love that when he´s being interviewed by Caesar he still shows his contempt for the Hunger Games when he says that murdering inocent people costs everything you are. MJ finally brings Peeta´s kindness back while with the squad 451. Some of my favourite Peeta´s quotes in MJ are from that time: “Never underestimate the power of a brilliant stylist.” (to Tigris)... “Finally, Peeta turns to Pollux. "Well, then you just became our most valuable asset." Castor laughs and Pollux manages a smile." ... "I think…you still have no idea. The effect you can have." (...) I don't know why his voice reaches me when no one else's can."... Finally, when he comes back to district 12, he picks those flowers for Prim, whom I´m sure he had learnt to love like a sister.

What about you? I´d like to know your favourite quotes or moments...

[goofygooberdays]

Favourite Peeta moment or quote in THG, CF, and MJ novel/movie?

Thank you 😊

@curiouspeetamellark

I have recently rewatched “Catching Fire” and I laughed so hard when they had to revive Peeta in the game and his sassy ass just says, “Careful, there’s a force field up there.” 🤣

But in all honesty, I love the moment in the first movie when he said, “I just don’t want to be another piece in their game.” That was honestly the moment when I related to Peeta and fall in love with him.

But in the last book, I loved whenever he would ask a “Real or Not Real”. (I haven’t read or seen the last movie in a hot ass minute. I’m making my way slowly🤣)

[losing-my-mind-in-the-mirror]

What's your favorite YA novel now beside thg? Or what are you reading now?

😎 CN

My all time favourite is Maze runner!!! Love the books, love the films, love the author, love the actors! ✔️

Right now I am reading „Vielleicht irgendwann“ (the translation is „maybe sometime“ but idk it’s name in English) and „girl in pieces“.

@curiousnonny

[clatoera]

Favourite Katniss moment or quote in THG, CF, and MJ novel/movie?

Thank you 😊

My favorite quote is the very last line.

"It gets a little tedious after all these years, but there are much worse games to play."

I know the babies are a touchy point in the fandom and have been for years. The point isnt that rn, im highlighting this quote. I just think it's such a brilliant and beautiful way to end the series. Katniss is reflecting on her trauma from the war and the way she lives through it. I think it's a great reminder to us all too. I say it often to myself. There are far worse games to play. It's gotten me through undergrad, medical school, and multiple board exams.

There are far worse games to play.

thank you!

[beautifulpaxielreads]

book rec asks - the questions ending in 4 :)

Now THAT is a challenge! My answers are under the cut because - unsurprisingly - this post got very long.

4. a poetry book that reads like a story

I don't really read poetry books, so I might skip this one, sorry!

14. a book that made you trip on literary acid

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. That book made my brain hurt!

24. a book on your nightstand

I don't generally leave books on my nightstand (or bedside table, as I call it). However, I do leave the books I'm currently reading on the floor beside my bed after I finish with them for the night. One of those books is The Library Book by Susan Orlean. It's a non-fiction book and it's basically a love letter to libraries.

34. a book featuring the enemies to lovers trope

I've got a few books that could fit this prompt, but I'm gonna go with Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales.

44. your favourite fantasy novel

If I'd been asked this a few years ago, I would've said Harry Potter, but that certainly isn't the case anymore, for reasons everyone would be well aware of and which I prefer not to dwell on.

Moving on...

Can I answer with more than one book? Because Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer duology is a near-perfect example of fantasy writing. However, if I had to choose between the two books, I'd choose Muse of Nightmares, the second book. It's a perfect sequel in just about every way.

54. a book with the best opening line

The opening line of Dark of the West, the first book in Joanna Hathaway's Glass Alliance trilogy is pretty hard to beat, and pretty much sets the tone for what is to come: "War is no good for the young, or for love."

64. a book with a grey cover

I don't think I've got any books that are completely grey in colour. The closest I can get is Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.

74. your favourite love triangle

All my followers in the THG fandom are gonna hate me for this because it's generally agreed that it isn't really a love triangle, but TBH I don't really read a lot of books with love triangles in them, so I'm gonna go ahead and say the Katniss/Peeta/Gale triangle in The Hunger Games trilogy.

*ducks flying tomatoes*

84. your favourite dystopian read

The Hunger Games trilogy, 100%. Although Neal Shusterman's Arc of a Scythe trilogy comes pretty close.

94. a book about grieving

Umm, this is hard. I don't actually read that many books with grief as a central theme.

I think I'm going to have to go with The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He, because I think that grief is a big motivator in the actions of one of the major characters. I can't say anymore because *SPOILERS*.

104. a fluffy, sweet read

A Snowfall of Silver by Laura Wood is the very definition of a fluffy, sweet read, but TBH you could apply it to any of her YA books. But that one is just *chef's kiss*.

114. your favourite chick lit novel

I don't really read much chick-lit stuff, so I think I might pass on this one. Sorry!

124. the book you’re currently reading

I'm actually reading FIVE books:

The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

After Story by Larissa Behrendt

Defy the Night (Defy the Night #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Talking to my daughter: a brief history of capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis, translated from the original Greek by Varoufakis and Jacob Moe

134. unreccomend any book you like

The Moth Diaries by Rachel Klein. Genuinely one of the weirdest books I've ever read, and I only finished it out of spite.

Thank you for the ask!

[mariesstudying]

You can change one single thing in The Hunger Games trilogy novels and/or movies—what is it?

Why?

Thank you 😊,

@curiousnonny

If there was one thing I'd want to change about THG movies would be more of Katniss' humour/wit and her inner thoughts. Katniss in the books was funny, especially in her thoughts, and I wish we got more of that in the movies. I think having her inner thoughts is important because you can really see how young and naive she was. My favourite example of this is in Catching Fire when Peeta is getting CPR from Finnick and she fully thinks Finnick is kissing her lol. Maybe also more about the avox's and her prep team because I really liked that in the books. I also wish they included the fact that Peeta had a prosthetic at the end of THG and still had it when they went for the Quarter Quell because I think that was pretty important.

In the books, I'd like to have had Peeta's inner thoughts. I would have loved to hear things from Peeta's perspective, especially during THG when he was with the careers and in MJ when he was being tortured by the Capitol.

[seongpinkhwa]

29, 13, 9

your favourite YA novel

i have to say it.......the hunger games <3 ya is a beloved genre of mine and i've read so many great ones but thg always comes out on top!

your favorite romance novel

hmmmm probably perfect on paper by sophie gonzales - it was such a great blend of enemies to lovers + loveable characters + good writing + lgbt representation and is such a comforting read :') i would say that book is tied with the wrath and the dawn, which is just. unbelievable. perfect on paper is cheesy, predictable and heartwarming, but the latter took my breath away and made me cry so they both have their own advantages!!

your favourite book of 2020

oh i was in a HUGE reading slump last year and barely got through any novels at all but it was probably the great gatsby because it's just a 10/10 story all round and one of my favourites of all time <33