Are you looking for a Hunger Games-free zone? Well, this ain’t it!!
Last week, Dawn wrote Making Myself Slow Down, specifically about her own re-read of the book in anticipation of the movie. This week it’s my turn to share about my re-read in preparation of the movie‘s release.
We’re hoping to have the opportunity to interview the producer this week — and then come Friday, March 23, it’s on. On Thursday night, March 22, I’m going to open up a post where we can discuss the movie in the comments section freely once we see it, so I hope you’ll join us.
And now — back to me — sharing my thoughts on reading Hunger Games again, for the first time.
Do you spot a contradiction? To read a book again — for the first time? Is it possible?
Yes, I think so, and my recent re-read of The Hunger Games book was a “first” for me for a few main reasons:
- This is actually my first time to “read” the book — words on a page — because I listened to The Hunger Games audiobook the first time. I think that there’s a different level of attention and focus when my eyes are trained on a page.
- I’m a little old, and it’s been 3 years since I read it, so I had forgotten a lot of the details, even amidst all the hype.
- When you read with the end in mind, a series is different. The first time I read the book, I was just reading a book. The second and third books didn’t even exist. I didn’t even know that there were going to be other books. I was simply caught up in this tragic world that Suzanne Collins created.
It’s the last bit that made this reading such a delightful rediscovery. Things that happen later in the trilogy underscored some of the things that I probably glossed over the first time. I was able to evaluate Peeta’s, and Gale’s, and even Katniss’ motives in a different light.
I don’t spend much time re-reading these days. It’s extremely rare for me since there are so many new books awaiting my attention, but I’m glad that I took the time to read The Hunger Games book, and I can’t wait to watch the movie.
Jennifer Donovan is a little bit proud of her prediction about the Hunger Games being the next Harry Potter or Twilight phenomena, which she first wrote in March 2009 on her blog Snapshot.
I don’t often reread books but I’ve taken spins back through this series as I did through Harry Potter as each book/movie was released. Thanks for your take on this. I can’t wait for Friday!
Me too!!
My daughter is re-reading also and we have tickets with two of her school friends (both boys) and parents. We are all looking forward to going on the 23rd! Goose-bump material that trilogy! Of course she also has purchased a Peeta Cardboard Cut out as well…which is startling when you walk in her bedroom at night! Good call on the prophecy in 2009! However, being a die-hard LOTR fan- After this I will be eagerly anticipating The Hobbit!
It’s really been fun sharing the excitement with my daughter, too.
Hm, maybe I will have to re-read it too. I wasn’t going to, but it is a quick read, and it’s been a year and a half since I read it. It’d be fun to re-read with the movie in mind!
It was really quick. I’m glad I did it.
I have a personal rule about seeing movie adaptations of books: I don’t watch a movie for at least a year after I’ve read a book. For me, reading a book just before seeing a movie makes it almost a certainty that I will hate the movie.
That is usually my rule as well, Shauna! But I think if I had seen this one, it would have been almost like I hadn’t read the book at all — which IS what usually allows me to enjoy the movie. So we’ll see if I’m sorry I did it. . .
You know I’m right here along with you, Jennifer! I did my re-read, and I’ve been thinking so much about it in the weeks since. Our tickets are purchased for Friday night, 10:30 pm showing. Yay!
i am as diehard a hunger games fan as i am harry potter AND twilight. i can think of nothing else (except staying on my diet)! i\’m debating reading book 3 before this weekend. how was the audiobook? who was the narrator?
Great audiobook. Carolyn McCormick narrated. I haven’t heard her before or since, but looks like she’s done a lot of other books.
I totally agree. I re-read all three last year and the second time around, I found myself looking at the characters differently. When I first read The Hunger Games (at Dawn’s suggestion, thanks Dawn!!), I had no idea that it was a trilogy and when I got to the end of the book (and cursed Dawn repeatedly for not telling me b/c omg, I had to know what happened next, and how was I going to wait until the 2nd book came out) and realized it wasn’t over, I was already thinking about a potential book2 and not really digesting book1.
So, yeah, the 2nd time around, an even better read. I can’t wait for the movie this weekend!!!
Yup, that’s me, terrible friend!! 🙂 I truly thought you knew it was the first of a trilogy when I passed it along!
Dawn thinks this is sacrilege, but I actually think that the movie is going to be better than the book
Oooh! That is sacrilege in Dawn’s book. I’m sorry I’m going to miss it on Friday. I can’t get out to see it until Sunday. Can’t wait though!
I can’t wait for this movie be on screen! I haven’t red the book of Hunger Games but I guess this is really an amazing movie!