Book Review on The Hunger Games
韩佳利 Starry
131100024
Class A
Metaphor, reality or illusion?
——A Book Review on The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games, which is considered as the best science fiction of the American writer Suzanne Collins, won the first place of The New York Times best-seller list. The book, which is “brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced1”, is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to participate in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV and has no choice but to make her own choice weighing survival against humanity and life against love. Although The Hunger Games is mostly considered as a popular science fiction appealing to teenagers and young-adults, this book exposes many insightful issues, which undoubtedly provokes both deep thought and self-reflection towards the current social order. However, at the same time, the horrific outburst of violence and the ambiguities in the affection between three characters give young readers a mixed reaction towards this book. Besides, as being allegorically rich, this book gives a bad example of offering allegorical potential because of the laziness of author’s description as well.
Though the story takes place in a dystopian future, it is not complicated for readers to imagine about. In the ruins of a place once known as North America, lies the totalitarian nation of Panem, a shining capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and it keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to death on live TV. When Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female tribute, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against many bigger and stronger representatives. At first she regards it as a death sentence. However, survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she
131100024
Class A
Metaphor, reality or illusion?
——A Book Review on The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games, which is considered as the best science fiction of the American writer Suzanne Collins, won the first place of The New York Times best-seller list. The book, which is “brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced1”, is written in the voice of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to participate in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV and has no choice but to make her own choice weighing survival against humanity and life against love. Although The Hunger Games is mostly considered as a popular science fiction appealing to teenagers and young-adults, this book exposes many insightful issues, which undoubtedly provokes both deep thought and self-reflection towards the current social order. However, at the same time, the horrific outburst of violence and the ambiguities in the affection between three characters give young readers a mixed reaction towards this book. Besides, as being allegorically rich, this book gives a bad example of offering allegorical potential because of the laziness of author’s description as well.
Though the story takes place in a dystopian future, it is not complicated for readers to imagine about. In the ruins of a place once known as North America, lies the totalitarian nation of Panem, a shining capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and it keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to death on live TV. When Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female tribute, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against many bigger and stronger representatives. At first she regards it as a death sentence. However, survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she