Monday, October 24, 2016

I've Finally Read The Hunger Games!

I've become such a slow reader now.

Maybe you remember that I bought my copy of Suzanne Collins's best-selling book The Hunger Games a long time ago, in May. But, you know what, I just finished reading it last week. I spend a lot of time outside my home these days and when I reach home I usually feel too tired to read, which turns me into the slowest reader on Earth. Anyways, I've read The Hunger Games, and I love it more than I expected. I've always thought that the film adaptation is great, but I was surprised to find that the book is even better.

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Source: id.pintterest.ccom
The book is told from Katniss's point of view, which makes things in the book feel more intimate than what I've seen in the movie. It also makes it easier for me to relate to Kaniss and understand why she does what she does. When I watched the movie, I wondered why she is so bitter and rude. I even found her attitude a bit annoying. However, seeing things from her point of view helps me see her differently. Now I know how hard life is for her. You know, she has to live in poverty, become the head of the family because her parents are unable to do that anymore, lose her beloved father and, of course, go through the Hunger Games... Now I understand why it's so hard for her not to be cold.

Before I read the book, I could never decide which team I was on, Team Peeta or Team Gale. But now I've made  my decision: Team Peeta! I have one friend who is madly in love with Peeta (yes, Lia, it's you hahahaha), but, on the other hand, a lot of people see Peeta as a weak person. I never hated Peeta but I was never deeply in love with him either, but, man, now I am. Josh Hutcherson portrayed Peeta very well and precisely in the films, but we all know that books can tell about their characters in a way that movies can never do. When I looked back at Peeta's actions in the film after reading the book (I watched the film again as soon as I finished reading), I could understand them more because they are explained more clearly in the narration. To me, Peeta shows that being strong doesn't always mean being good at fighting. He shows that strength has many forms. When you're able to sacrifice yourself to protect other people or stay true to yourself when the world forces you to be someone else or be caring to other people when they don't care at all, that means you're strong too. Maybe that's why people see him as a weak person; because people, without realizing it, tend to associate strength with only physical abilities. My friend says that it might also be caused by people's tendency to expect a man to be physically strong too. I agree with that. Sometimes the stereotypes make us forget that people have different qualities and that we can't generalize them. Peeta might not be physically strong. Unlike what people expect men to be, he is gentle and loving, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have strength. Oh yeah, I love you, the boy with the bread!

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"Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to... to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games..." -Peeta Mellark, page 165 (Image is from id.pinterest.com)

So, reading The Hunger Games after seeing the film makes the experience pretty interesting. I usually read the books before seeing the film adaptations, but this time I did the opposite. Doing it this way feels surprisingly great. It's like the film builds the foundation of the story in you while the book does tthe finishing. It makes your understanding of the story and characters richer and deeper. Maybe I should do this more often...

Rating: 4,5/5

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