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5-01-09, 10:30 am
The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
New York, Scholastic Press, 2008.
The book is based on an absurd premise, not that this is unusual in science-fiction. The world as we know it, apparently what used to be North America, consists of the Capitol (filled with disgusting, rich, pampered elites) and the Districts (whose folks do the work that needs doing). The Capitol annually forces the Districts to send two young people, a boy/young-man and girl/young woman, to the Hunger Games, which are an extended fight to the death, with great rewards for the last one standing. This is for the entertainment of those in the Capitol (though even in the Districts everyone knows details about the games, in fact, is forced to watch segments). The contenders, selected by lottery, are pampered, groomed, and trained, presumably the better to entertain. It seems a sort of reality TV meets the Roman games. Gee, maybe the premise isn't all that absurd after all.
In any event, Katniss, our young heroine, is from District 12, the coal-mining district. To call life in District 12 harsh, or even to compare it to coal mining before the unions, would be gross understatement. There is the impression that life is intentionally as hard and cruel as it is, in ways that go beyond the usual requirements of the profit motive.
When Katniss' younger sister's lot is drawn for the Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place. The baker's son is the boy/young man from District 12. The games include vying for sponsors, whose gifts can keep you alive for another few hours, give you a chance. There are competitors from better-off districts whose lives are devoted to training for the games; what this says about the parents and neighbors of these young people is not addressed in the book. Those who run the games manipulate the environment, weather, and wildlife to ensure high entertainment value. Competitors employ a variety of strategies; after all it is their lives at stake.
The characters are more engaging than the premise and the author certainly knows her way around words. Her descriptions of the preparation of the contenders by their "stylists" for the opening ceremonies will remind you of why feminists hate beauty pageants (and never mind that both genders are involved as objects here). Katniss' response to all of this, and the pampering, really show how seductive glamor and acclaim can be.
Fortunately, although the plot is heavily invested in the games, the book is about so much more. From Katniss' immediate leap into the fray when her sister's number is drawn until the end, this book is about love and loyalty, exploitation and abuse, about intelligence applied in struggle against the odds, and about coming of age. This was a surprisingly captivating read. Presumably, as a Scholastic publication this is aimed at teens and young adults, but there are layers here to satisfy those of us who have been around the block a few times, as well.
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