Monday, November 03, 2008

Unquestionable goodness of the Capitol



I am reading Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

The "unquestionable goodness of the Capitol" has organized the country of Panem by districts to provide for the needs of all.


The "Capitol" provides food and yet everyone is hungry.

The "Capitol" provides doctors who just shrug when someone is injured and tell families to let their loved one die.

The "Capitol" provides "peacekeepers" to keep people safe, but no one is safe.

The "Capitol" genetically alters animals to eavesdrop and report on the populace so people school avoid "tricky topics" and keep their faces from showing any emotion.

"Criminals" have their tongues cut out and are labeled Avox.


To distract the population the "Capitol" drafts two young people from each district to fight to the death in an Olympics style extravaganza, live on television.

Gladiator meets Lord of the Flies meets American Idol

What a chilling book! I cannot put it down.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The "unquestionable goodness of the Capitol" sounds very much like the way the North Koreans talk about the Kims, as evidenced in a book I read entitled Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty. Kim Il-Sung is pretty much worshipped, deity-like.

I reviewed The Hunger Games back on October 23rd, where I labelled it the "best novel I've read this year." Thus far, I stand by that.

Laini Taylor said...

I loved this book, Camille. Am hungry for book 2!

Camille said...

I've been "lalalal" fingers in the ears and hands over the eyes at other people's take on the book since I knew I had it to read. I am avidly looking up everyone's thoughts on it now.