Hunger Games movie

[Thingsbehindthesun]

Living as I do in the Dark Ages, I hadn't heard of this before I saw it on the forum, but just looked it up and it is billed as a 'young adult' novel. So presumably if the target audience is young adults, by which I understand very late teens, early twenties, they can make their own minds up about seeing children killing each other (haven't seen it and will not see it so don't know...is this really what it's about)?

Yep-I browsed through a copy the main plot was people are selected from each of the 12 districts as punishment for an earlier rebellion and it's survival of the fittest.

[Amber]

I think it is quite interesting that there seems to be a trend to what one might call 'formula fiction'...a whole series of books (Harry Potter, Twilight, Horowitz, Muchamore etc) which are then in many cases swiftly followed by a film and a whole spin off memorabilia and merchandising phase. Some of these authors must be coining it in,in a way William Golding could not have dreamt of when he first pitted child against child.

Just as some of the trendy, expensive, formulaic clothes chains say they are aiming at twenty-somethings but manage to get pre-teenagers yearning for their latest logo-emblazoned hoodie, so it appears that even books which are 'cool' for teenagers are read by much younger children, presumably alongside or even instead of the recognised worthy works aimed at their own age group. Is it clever marketing or are these books outstanding works of fiction which will stand the test of time against established classics? Or even against other contemporary ones, not blessed with such a high profile?

It would make an interesting thesis for some Ph.D student I reckon.

Back to my Enid Blyton now.

[aargh]

Hunger games is very derivative, which makes me think it very likely to be a cash generator rather than an artistic work. It is almost identical to "Battle Royale", a japanese novel and film. There are other comparisons to Running man and the long walk on similar themes.
I get worried that there seem to be so many books and films on the killing for entertainment theme

[DC17C]

Surely we should be celebrating the fact that there are people out there who can write books that get kids reading. So they are formulaic and a bit gruesome but the fairy tales of the past were pretty "grim" in places.

Just noticed the "Book people " recommend The Hunger Games for age 11+ rather than Young Adult

[scary mum]

I have read all three (like Scarlett, all very quickly, although not in one day ). My two older DCs have read and enjoyed them but I have decided to keep them from year 6 DS for now, I think they are a bit too old for him (the subject matter that is). While they aren't the best written books ever, and the last one didn't grip me as much as the first two, I agree that thanks to this series (and Twilight) there are books out there encouraging teenagers to read, and that can only be a good thing. If a teenager who has been turned off reading, or drifted away from it, returns to reading through such books, who knows what they will read next?

[Looking for help]

I had a child who read HP 1-7 start to finish then repeat ad infintum.
I was just delighted something else interested him

[magwich2]

I do not buy the argument that anything goes because at least the child will be reading.
You might just as well argue that pawn is ok because it will engender a love of fine art! Had to change spelling to defeat asterisks!!

[hermanmunster]

Never has a Harry Potter book crossed this threshold!

One DC was looking for an excuse to NOT go to see Hunger Games with friends - We were going away so that was OK, then I read the synopsis wondering why they weren't keen- it sounds awful, I can't imagine people writing such stuff.

I saw Lord of the Flies in black and white when I was 12 and can distinctly remember what a good film it was but how disturbing it could be.

Reckon they should take up knitting instead

[Looking for help]

I do not buy the argument that anything goes because at least the child will be reading.
You might just as well argue that **** is ok because it will engender a love of fine art!

I don't think 'The Hunger Games' is an example of 'anything goes'.

Some would say though that to appreciate literature or fine art for that matter you have to read/look at all types of genres in order to come to conclusions that are valid for you.

I don't think its worth getting too bothered about. if my son had been 10 I don't think he would have been interested, but at nearly 14, he loved it.

[Looking for help]

Never has a Harry Potter book crossed this threshold!

How on earth did you manage that ? I hate the books, actually found the whole thing dark and depressing, but nothing I can say or do would change the minds of everyone else here.
Now I'm afraid JK has written another book - help