The Hunger Games

So, I've been in what I can only say is something of a reading 'depression' and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's been going on for some time - perhaps years really, when I try and think about any book that has ignited me - I mean, really and truly to the point where I'm immersed in it my head it still in the narrative long before I put the book down. I was momentarily lifted by 'Revolution' by Jennifer Donnelly but that is a stand alone book and the momentum didn't carry me on to further great reads.

So I stumbled upon 'The Hunger Games' by Susanne Collins - thanks to my sis, who sent me a link to the trailer of the upcoming movie. I watched it, read the general premise for the original books and was like 'OM%G, why haven't I heard of these?' Apparently, it was the series that Hogwarts graduates fell into after the void Potter left us in (Hogwarts graduates meaning the age group of people who are Harry Potter's year - i.e. when the first book came in 1997, we were the kids starting Year 7. So if JK had stayed true to the book a year thing, we would have been graduating high school the same year as Harry - what? Don't give me that look!) I must have missed the memo about these books though because I only came to know of it the Friday two weeks ago, harassed my sister into buying the series on Monday and was reading it Monday evening. I've read the second but am putting a breather between tackling the third.

It really is riveting - the premise is strong, clear (and though I know The Hunger Games fans will hate me for it, it has shades of the ORIGINAL Battle Royale books by Koshun Takami) which makes me a wee bit envious because I sometimes forget the whole premise/purpose of my own book because it's such a huge story. Writing one person POV must be nice too. I let various characters sidetrack me totally.

I love that the Minotaur-Cretan-Athenian-conflict legend inspired the whole 'send the kids to their death' - of course I would love that!

Why am I blabbering about this, you wonder? Well because these series are about to movies very soon and I wonder whether they will capture the nature of the books because I loved how well the film adaptation of Battle Royale went down. And I'm wondering whether the USAns can do the same, because often, I'm left pretty darn miffed with their adaptations - I even got into a Twitter back and forth with Philip Bloom, much respected camera-man and my reference to all things Canon 7D (thank you) - but we had a difference of opinion regarding 'IMMORTALS' - I put an end to the discussion when I saw that Bloom had written 'You won't see a better looking film.' *I grits my teeth* Oh, Philip, you don't know me AT all! (he wouldn't, naturally...but yeh) It is so typical of a DoP to put the aesthetics over all other elements - flashbacks of university when we watched fellow students work and when left to give feedback, people would always talk about 'how pretty' it was, while I was dying to blurt out 'Did anyone get it?' or 'The story was rather weak, dude - sorry. While you're all admiring the lighting and framing and everything, I'm sitting there thinking 'why do I care about this character or whatever is happening for 5 mins'...' *sigh* Sorry, got diverted there - the discussion of story, truthful adaptation and 'good looking' film is to be left to another blog post soon.

Anyhow, I will look forward to this film coming it is all.