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chelseareads's Reviews (449)
Though this book is a classic and quite well-written, I found it very difficult to enjoy. None of the protagonists (or antagonists) are admirable people, though it is occasionally possible to empathize. It is not easy to read a book that has no admirable characters.
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The writing style was just as distracting and unappealing as it was in the first book, [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1326003698s/2767052.jpg|2792775], though by this time I was able to mostly ignore it. The story was gripping, and the plot was mostly enjoyable.
I still admired Katniss Everdeen's desire to take care of those around her, and I appreciated her willingness to sacrifice herself for Peeta. Soon, however, my positive opinion of her was eclipsed by her lack of empathy and her abrasive personality. She had also seemed, up to this point, to be remarkably slow-witted when it comes to issues related to the revolts and to her (terribly overdone) love triangle. This is one of the dangers of a first person narrative; since the reader and the narrator have the same information, the reader can never come to a conclusion too far ahead of the narrator without risking making the narrator seem unintelligent or blinded.
By the end of this book, I was ready for the series to be over, and for Katniss to die.
I still admired Katniss Everdeen's desire to take care of those around her, and I appreciated her willingness to sacrifice herself for Peeta. Soon, however, my positive opinion of her was eclipsed by her lack of empathy and her abrasive personality. She had also seemed, up to this point, to be remarkably slow-witted when it comes to issues related to the revolts and to her (terribly overdone) love triangle. This is one of the dangers of a first person narrative; since the reader and the narrator have the same information, the reader can never come to a conclusion too far ahead of the narrator without risking making the narrator seem unintelligent or blinded.
By the end of this book, I was ready for the series to be over, and for Katniss to die.
I did not enjoy this series nearly as much as I had anticipated. At the center of that issue is the fact that I had assumed they were written for adults; I would have most likely found them much more enjoyable had they been available when I was in middle school.
The writing style exhibited in all three of the Hunger Games books made it difficult for me to enjoy reading them. The sometimes confusing mix of conversational expressions and non-standard grammar occasionally had the effect of bringing me outside of the story.
And although I appreciated the hopeful ending, I don't think Katniss Everdeen necessarily deserved it. She had become an extremely unlikable character, and I honestly think it would have been better if she had been executed. The only reservation I have with that situation is that neither of the poor boys she has strung along (unintentionally and very intentionally) would have been happy with her death.
The writing style exhibited in all three of the Hunger Games books made it difficult for me to enjoy reading them. The sometimes confusing mix of conversational expressions and non-standard grammar occasionally had the effect of bringing me outside of the story.
And although I appreciated the hopeful ending, I don't think Katniss Everdeen necessarily deserved it. She had become an extremely unlikable character, and I honestly think it would have been better if she had been executed. The only reservation I have with that situation is that neither of the poor boys she has strung along (unintentionally and very intentionally) would have been happy with her death.
I did not enjoy this series nearly as much as I had anticipated. At the center of that issue is the fact that I had assumed they were written for adults; I would have most likely found them much more enjoyable had they been available when I was in middle school.
The writing style exhibited in all three of the Hunger Games books made it difficult for me to enjoy reading them. The sometimes confusing mix of conversational expressions and non-standard grammar occasionally had the effect of bringing me outside of the story.
The setting was interesting, as was the plot, but in the end, I didn't find Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist, a particularly likable character. At first, I admired her drive to provide for her family and her will to survive the oppressive circumstances that surrounded her and those she took care of. However, situations were against her, and Peeta comes out looking like the best person in the world, amd Katniss becomes someone who took advantage of the best person in the world in order to survive.
The writing style exhibited in all three of the Hunger Games books made it difficult for me to enjoy reading them. The sometimes confusing mix of conversational expressions and non-standard grammar occasionally had the effect of bringing me outside of the story.
The setting was interesting, as was the plot, but in the end, I didn't find Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist, a particularly likable character. At first, I admired her drive to provide for her family and her will to survive the oppressive circumstances that surrounded her and those she took care of. However, situations were against her, and Peeta comes out looking like the best person in the world, amd Katniss becomes someone who took advantage of the best person in the world in order to survive.
This is a lovely book that simultaneously draws you in to imagine the marvelous worlds of Margaret Hale, and forces you to stand back to consider and reconcile the contrasting opinions carried by the characters within. It is as much a bildungsroman as it is a romance, because the protagonist suffers through hardship, and grows and matures as she comes to understand the world around her. On the other hand, most romances would also include important changes in the lives, and (if it is a very good book) character (or perception of the character) of the protagonist, just as a coming of age tale would.
I decided to read North and South after having seen the BBC miniseries, and was surprised at how much the two differed. Not only were there deviations in style and details, but some of the major plot events included in the miniseries were completely contrived, which was a disappointment (not that I was consequently disappointed in the book, of course). On the other hand, it was delightful to read most of the characters described in the book almost exactly as portrayed by the miniseries, including Margaret, Mr Hale, and Mr Thornton. I thoroughly enjoyed being privy to some of Mr Thornton's thoughts, and not only to Miss Hale's, as I believe would have been common for books of this nature. I also must admit that I found it necessary to reread some of the talk of factories and manufacturing in order to comprehend exactly what was being said.
My last point of admiration is that this book faithfully draws you ever forward to its conclusion, instead of thrusting it upon you at the very last. I appreciated the contrast between this book and one (any) of Jane Austen's, which tend to leave me with the slight feeling of being cheated out of those moments or processes leading up to the end.
I decided to read North and South after having seen the BBC miniseries, and was surprised at how much the two differed. Not only were there deviations in style and details, but some of the major plot events included in the miniseries were completely contrived, which was a disappointment (not that I was consequently disappointed in the book, of course). On the other hand, it was delightful to read most of the characters described in the book almost exactly as portrayed by the miniseries, including Margaret, Mr Hale, and Mr Thornton. I thoroughly enjoyed being privy to some of Mr Thornton's thoughts, and not only to Miss Hale's, as I believe would have been common for books of this nature. I also must admit that I found it necessary to reread some of the talk of factories and manufacturing in order to comprehend exactly what was being said.
My last point of admiration is that this book faithfully draws you ever forward to its conclusion, instead of thrusting it upon you at the very last. I appreciated the contrast between this book and one (any) of Jane Austen's, which tend to leave me with the slight feeling of being cheated out of those moments or processes leading up to the end.