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Rachel Keeth (CL)
18, Houston, TX
Posts: 750
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 Posted: Sun Jan 01, 12 4:31 pm |
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Who here has read The Hunger Games and what is your opinion of the books? I have heard a few reviews about them and can not wait to read them, hopefully soon.
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Rowena
30, CO
Posts: 2081
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| Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 12:38 am |
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I greatly enjoyed them. They are dark, but through that serious content, they raise some excellent questions and reflections on our culture.
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(S) Elizabeth (P)
25, home is where the <3 is
Posts: 513
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| Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 3:54 am |
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The Hunger Games books are the only ones i can think of off-hand that have elicited an emotional response from me (apart from laughing; other books have done that too). Mockingjay was a draining read, and brought me the closest to crying any fictional book has, that i can recall.
I think the most notable point of the series is that, unlike so much of fiction these days, they recognize that fighting in a war (i.e. killing people and watching them get killed in front of you) can have serious repercussions on you psychologically. There were a lot of fans disappointed with the third book, and i think that's because they thought they were reading your typical escapist action-adventure fantasy, not a war story, and expected a very different kind of book.
My opinion overall is, a dark but worthwhile read, if you read it for what it is.
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Antonia I.
98,
Posts: 1176
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| Posted: Mon Jan 02, 12 7:15 pm |
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I thought they were amazing. Pretty out there (it is a dystopian society) but the emotions were very real and honest. I couldn't put it down.
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Saralicia J (WBE)
23, Temple, GA
Posts: 1097
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| Posted: Thu Jan 05, 12 2:32 pm |
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Everybody I've talked to loves them. A friend of mine (who is also the youth minister and associate pastor at our church) gave me a basic overview of what they are about. It sounds like something I'd like to read but I haven't acquired the books yet. I'll let you know what I think of them when I have that information to report.
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Saralicia J (WBE)
23, Temple, GA
Posts: 1097
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| Posted: Fri Jan 06, 12 2:23 pm |
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I think I should also note that the friend who recommended them to me hadn't finished them so if there is some seriously objectionable content he may not have known about that to warn me about. Just fyi.
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KallyLyn
20, SW MO
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 12 6:52 pm |
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Read this, and then come back to the forum.
http://www.henrymakow.com/hunger_games.html
Personally, I'm not the least bit interested in reading the books, or watching the movies based on them which will come out this year.
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(S) Elizabeth (P)
25, home is where the <3 is
Posts: 513
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 12 10:22 pm |
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| KallyLyn wrote: | Read this, and then come back to the forum.
http://www.henrymakow.com/hunger_games.html
Personally, I'm not the least bit interested in reading the books, or watching the movies based on them which will come out this year. |
Wow. Just ... wow.
Is there any actual evidence to support this?
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ladytraute
21, Cali
Posts: 1264
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| Posted: Sun Jan 15, 12 10:40 pm |
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| KallyLyn wrote: | Read this, and then come back to the forum.
http://www.henrymakow.com/hunger_games.html
Personally, I'm not the least bit interested in reading the books, or watching the movies based on them which will come out this year. |
Stuff like that is why Christians are so stereotyped.
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Rowena
30, CO
Posts: 2081
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 12 2:13 am |
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I repeat what I said before, these books are dark. They are meant to be serious, not frivolous. In my opinion, they can be viewed as a warning to a society (ours) that sometimes infringes on freedom "for the greater good", does not value life as it should, and will accept any kind of perversion as entertainment. The books of Charles Dickens were of a similar nature in his time period (except he was arguably a better writer). If you can support reading such classic literature as Dickens, I don't anticipate you finding The Hunger Games offensive. If you object to Dickens and find his descriptions of a society full of problems to be Satanic, then kudos for being very consistent in your beliefs (and you may wish to skip The Hunger Games).
Personally, I have no beef with a classic good vs evil story.
Last edited by Rowena on Mon Jan 16, 12 2:20 am; edited 1 time in total
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Ingrid
27, happy! <3 <3
Posts: 2015
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 12 12:11 pm |
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| KallyLyn wrote: | Read this, and then come back to the forum.
http://www.henrymakow.com/hunger_games.html
Personally, I'm not the least bit interested in reading the books, or watching the movies based on them which will come out this year. |
I find it interesting that the article claims "Satanic Ritual" (!!!) in a sensationalist subtitle, but includes Zero evidence to back it up. Not to mention that there was no new information for anyone who'd already read the books (beyond a picture of the author of The Hunger Games with an uncalled for caption) so directing fans of the series to go read and then come back to the forum, as if we'd come back with new insight or views, seems unnecessary to me, but whatev's! 
I feel Rowena explained the books and the message perfectly, but I'd add this... I'm a sensitive reader/viewer, I'm the person that people tell "don't look right now" and I didn't find the books to be "more gruesome and grisly than some of the more violent video games that are out there." From what I'd heard, I expected them to be that bad, and they just weren't. They were definitely "dark" in the sense that they weren't Regency-era-like Romantic comedies, they were books dealing with death and violence, yes, but so is the Bible (does no one else remember the story of Jael, who took a nail from the tent and.............? That is a violent story!)
Also, at no time, is the killing and the violence portrayed in a desirable or "positive" light, it's portrayed to be as awful and inhumane as violence is.
If the plotline doesn't appeal to you, then don't read them, but let those of us who understand and enjoy them, do so! 
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KallyLyn
20, SW MO
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 12 3:36 pm |
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Ingrid-
Do not assume that because I'm not interested in reading the books I am completely ingorant and incapable of understanding anything. It doesn't appeal to me, but that doesn't make me a stereoptypical christian who believes everything I read. I just have other things that I would rather spend my time reading.
The reason I posted the article was for Rachel Keeth, not the people who had read the book. She obviously hasn't, and I wanted her to be informed as to the actual content of the books. Your own replies have confirmed the content of the article to be accurate, regardless of the sensationalist way it was written.
It was not because of the article that I don't want to read them, but rather a confirmation for my not wanting to read them.
As to the statement of the hunger games being a "satanic ritual," it is based on a terrible mixture the ways of the roman gladiators and Celtic Druids. The god of the Druids is Satan. Thus, it is satanic.
Last edited by KallyLyn on Thu Jan 19, 12 3:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Saralicia J (WBE)
23, Temple, GA
Posts: 1097
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 12 3:55 pm |
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I promised I'd post my opinion when I read it.
I read the first book last night. The beginning really caught my attention because of the survivalist tone. It started out as an intriguing and easy read. By the end, though, it came across much more thin. I couldn't say it was wrong to read the books but I'd hoped to see some well thought out argumentation against the complete disregard for human rights that the Capitol held for the peoples they ruled. Instead, the story tends to focus more on what happens and seems to lose focus on the point that seemed rather clear in the beginning. The point being that it's wrong to treat other people in such a horrid fashion. I can't say that it's a bad book but it certainly was disappointing. I had hoped for more depth.
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Ingrid
27, happy! <3 <3
Posts: 2015
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 12 4:37 pm |
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| KallyLyn wrote: | Ingrid-
Do not assume that because I'm not interested in reading the books I am completely ingorant and incapable of understanding anything. It doesn't appeal to me, but that doesn't make me a stereoptypical christian who believes everything I read. I just have other things that I would rather spend my time reading. |
Nothing in my post implied or claimed that you were "ignorant" or "incapable of understanding anything."
I believe that the author of the article completely misunderstood The Hunger Games books and the messages of the stories. To point out the evil of a good vs. evil story is to miss the point. Again, using the Bible as an example. I could write a review of the Bible describing the plotline as filled with murder, violence, satanic activity (which would actually be true in this case, as Satan is mentioned in scripture), and many other forms of sin or perversion. But do to that would be to GROSSLY misunderstand the point of the story (which because it's about Jesus being sent to triumph over sin and death, is going to have to hit on why exactly He came, which is because of man's sin.) What I'm long-windedly saying here, is that to take a story and strip out all the good parts, all the positive messages and focus on the stuff that makes those parts even make sense is dishonest or sloppy.
I also assumed, prior to reading this series, that I wouldn't like them either, so I avoided them for some time. Finally, I decided to read them for myself and see what I thought. I was delightfully surprised.
I'd also just like to point out that the reason Christians are stereotyped in that way, is because of stuff like this, claiming a book is "evil!" without even having read it.
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The reason I posted the article was for Rachel Keeth, not the people who had read the book. She obviously hasn't, and I wanted her to be informed as to the actual content of the books. Your own replies have confirmed the content of the article to be accurate, regardless of the sensationalist way it was written.
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I assumed that the OP was already familiar with the concept of the story, since she had already read reviews. Also, not to be a snot, but she did ask for opinions from those who'd actually read the books. I have no problem with people disliking books they've actually read, but I object to people saying, "this series is bad, read this article"... it's happened over and over again on these forums.
Also, I want to make it clear that I did not, nor do I confirm the content of the article to be accurate, beyond the fact that the author said there is violence in the stories, and I agree that there is. There is violence in a lot of stories. In fact I'd say that the sensationalist manner in which the story was described distorted the content of the books.
| Quote: |
It was not because of the article that I don't want to read them, but rather a confirmation for my not wanting to read them.
As to the statement of the hunger games being a "satanic ritual," it is based on a terrible mixture the ways of the roman gladiators and Celtic Druids. The god of the Druids is Satan. Thus, it is satanic. |
I may be misunderstanding your last paragraph, so let me phrase what I think you're saying... you claim that The Hunger Games were based on the Gladiators and Celtic Druids? (Mistletoe is also a Druidic tradition but me having it in my house is not a satanic ritual, but that's another can of worms, lol) That is quite a logical leap. You post no proof for that assertion, but even if there was, it in no way makes the Hunger Games a story with satanic ritual, nor does it change the fact that the article claims such a thing and does not bother to back it up.
Anyway, in an effort to help the original poster in her question about this series, I'd say, I read them, I loved them, I recommend you give them a try for yourself and make up your own mind.
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Temporary Andrea
27, 5B
Posts: 144
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| Posted: Thu Jan 19, 12 8:42 pm |
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I thought the Druids' had multiple gods (and goddesses) like Brighid and Danu. They're part of the pantheon called the Tuath de Danaan or something similar. (I've come across some manuscripts with this theme a few times in my work.) Pagan, sure, but not satanic. Maybe there were different waves of Druidism? I am too tired to look further into it. Lol.
And Hunger Games OMG I cannot wait for the movie!
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