Starting to think this writer is fucked in the head

[Nagi Naoe]

Okay, reading The Hunger Games because a coworker wouldn't hear of me not reading it, I'm thinking its okay, I will read it once and never again. I'm sitting there enjoying a book, then suddenly, I'm actually enjoying it...the book is actually really good...I'm still thinking though one of problem.

I'm sort of thinking about how we as a society view the reality TV thing, considering that a lot of people watch it. There is nothing wrong with watching Wipe Out and laughing at the idiots who put themselves into this for money, then thinking okay, what else. We are living in an age where the whole concept of Reality TV is putting people like ourselves in a situation where they either get hurt, scared, or otherwise through a coarse of humilating trails. Then again, I still have a good laugh at the people who go through, "I Survived a Japanese Game Show," and start to think, how close are we getting to that whole problem in the book. 

Then again, this is the type of book that made think back to my reaction to The Giver which was a good book, on the disturbing side of life and also the reality of what happens when we think we are in a Utopia. 

Okay, enough of my ranting on the idea of what is a Utopia and what is not? I consider foolish to even get me started on the idea or get anyone started because the argument would be are we in or want to be? 

Okay, do yourself a favor, read Brave New World, considering that I think the author was on an acid or LSD trip the whole time he was writing. I was thinking about it once before at work, okay, here is my idea of why I can't read Brave New World without thinking that I'm going to get the invasion of my ideas breaking out of reality. Truth is I never did drugs or even had the idea of doing it, then again, here it is....the fact remains when you read a book where the author was on something while writing it, you get the sense of their view of the world. It is the fact we live in a world where there is so much wanting to fit into a mold of what is considered normal or what we want people to fit into. 

And when I see that we don't fit into the mold, then we are considered flawed or not able to fit the ideals of society. What is society? Another set of ideals given to a group of people and then we are suddenly thrust into the idea that we are in a society? Are we? Not really, a mass of group-think groups is more likely. Then again, when you look at such things as the internet, we are suddenly running through the mill of ideals and ideas of others, when sometimes we should encourage the breaking away of what we consider normal. LOL...what do you think fandoms are?

So anyway, that's just me venting on the ideals of society and how we are supposed to act...then again, how should we act in accordance to the social norms? Okay, for one, we know the basic rules, we know not to kill someone, even though some of the people who are illustrated on ID are really the poorest example of humans. 

So here I am coming to the end of this little rant of a bit...I'm not sure how this comes to my conclusion of what I think of The Hunger Games, but seriously, I don't think this is meant for teenagers, I think Susanne Collins was going for a much older group. Just because the characters are 16 to 18 years old doesn't make it a teenager's book. 

Clive Barker brought out a book once and it was considered a children's book, but sadly, it was so dark that even adults got into it, it was called The Thief of Always, it was truly an excellent book. My sister was adoring of it and I read it at least ten times through out Junior High to High School and even into my college years. And if anyone ever were to ask me how this relates to The Hunger Games, well...if you give a teen a book, they will read it, whether adult or not, if you give an adult a book, they will read it, whether its for them or not. Considering I have been in the middle of reading Phantom of the Opera and Dracula.

So if you want an opinion of what i think of this book...I say read it for yourself. 

[Atma]

yea i enjoyed reading all of them the books just get better by the second and third

[Nagi Naoe]

Yeah...still I can't begrudge the author, its still a good book regardless, I'm surprised I'm enjoying it so much. I have not had a good dark read in well....years.

[Atma]

well they have to be ageist in order to be able to market or even turn a profit on what they publish. Without pandering to the public by separating books by age a writer's work would never gain notoriety

[Nagi Naoe]

I do agree with you there, most writers have no control over what a publisher wants or the fact that some of the publishers are rather ageist.

[Atma]

well the author does not really have a say in the slot the publisher will put the book in, the age of the protagonist will have much to do with it, Majority of young adult books have adult theme's but at the age of 16 and 18 they should be able to understand what they are reading.