The Hunger Games: Cinematic Style

​My first post on the Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins may have sounded rather negative, and might possibly have given the impression that I didn’t like the books. That actually wasn’t the case! In fact, I devoured every word and hungrily kept wanting more :-D.
           
A big part of what kept me hanging on to every word was the author’s style. Her use of present tense (which makes you feel like you’re right there in the action) combined with a lot of short, simple sentences made the books read very much like movies. It’s no wonder these stories adapted so well to the big screen!

Although, I can truly say that the focus on action predominates only the first novel in this trilogy. There is more reflection and backstory woven into volumes 2 and 3, but it serves more to emphasize Katniss’ fractured state of mind. It’s certainly well-written, but it’s the type of writing that drags you deeper into insanity rather than building you up with wisdom you can take away with you.

As much as I enjoyed these books, I do love writing in the past tense for the opportunity to reflect and share the character’s deeper thoughts. Simple thoughts and sentences focused on action fit very well with Katniss’ personality as an unrefined backwater tribute and for the life-or-death situations, but I don’t know that I would be willing to forgo depth to create a faster pace. Perhaps my books just aren’t meant for the silver screen ><.

I’m also not one for writing that doesn’t serve a positive purpose. I want to build my readers up and illuminate the truth with my words, not drag people down into the darkness! It’s also no secret that I’m a big fan of truly happy endings, and if you read my first post on this series, you may recall that these books don’t exactly meet my standards there. So, I guess what I’m really saying after all that, is while reading the Hunger Games trilogy was quite a thrilling experience, they’re not the type of stories I’m likely to emulate in my own works. But I have no regrets in reading them! On the contrary, sometimes it takes discovering what we don’t want to do to help us define what it is we do want to do. ; - )

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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