Hungry?

As can be seen from the smattering of book reviews I've included on this blog, I will read just about anything--and will usually enjoy it too! So today I would have been remiss to overlook a book as present in the news as The Hunger Games, especially considering the premiere of the movie that promises to be the kickoff of the next big fantasy franchise.

I mentioned reading the novel last month, but didn't really elaborate much on my thoughts. Ironically I didn't really find the book overwhelmingly spectacular, but I'm totally psyched to see the film. And also rather ironically, as I read the three books in the Hunger Games trilogy, I found myself liking them more and more. Undeniably, Suzanne Collins' characters are fascinating, but something about the narrative of the first book just didn't flow well in my opinion. I'm not a big fan of present tense writing, so maybe part of it was just getting used to that particular style.

But one of the things I admire most about Suzanne Collins is her involvement in the film adaptation of her book. I've read lots of authors' thoughts on that topic, some love the films their books inspire and some despise them, but most feel it is best to keep an arms-length distance from the production. Collins' TV screenwriter background put her in the unique position of being familiar with the world of actors and scripts, and so she undertook the impressive task of composing the movie's screenplay herself. I think it would be really hard to see something you had created changed and tweaked for the movies, but I also think it would be incredibly exciting to be part of the process of literally bringing your words to life for millions of movie-goers around the world. So kudos to Suzanne Collins! Hopefully I'll have a chance to see The Hunger Games in theaters soon, and I'm already looking forward to seeing how they adapt Mockingjay!