So Delicous

I have to say that I LURVES me the Hunger Game and its sequel, and I should just say that I am looking forward to the third and final book in the trilogy with a bit of crazy anticipation. For my recent birthday, my husband even got the books on CD for me so that I could have him "read" it so we could discuss it. And guess what? It's great even on CD.

The basic premise of the Hunger Games is that it's a story about 16 year-old Katniss Everdeen, who takes the place of her 12 year-old sister, Prim, to participate in the annual Hunger Games, in which two tributes (one male and one female, ages 12-18) from each of twelve "Districts" are selected every year to battle to the death. I like how on the book flap, it says, "Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love." Indeed!

This book is so well written, it's not even funny. It's harsh and gruesome in many places (mutations, tracker jacker "visions"), and yet lovely and so thought provoking in others (Rue's flowers, the song, the boy with the bread). But I was right there the whole time, seeing it and feeling it...it was if I came to a point where I was like, "Well, yes, it's just the way life was in the District, in The Games."

I was so happy that Katniss is a strong heroine. Jason (my husband) and I were talking about the difference between her and Bella (aka: Twilight's heroine). Oh my goodness! I think Collins does an amazing job at creating a love triangle. (I should say here that we also listen to Twilight on audio book just before The Hunger Games, and I think this is where I came to the conclusions that one of the books is so amazingly well written, while the other...is not as amazingly written. Both are very enjoyable, in very different ways, but one is definitely more complex in description and plotting).

I have so not done this review justice, but I'm so curious to hear what everyone else thought I wanted to get this posted to get the ball rolling. When I asked Jason if he was ready to listen to Catching Fire, he said, "I can't just yet." I asked why not? And he said, "I just got too involved in it and need a break." Yes, that is how I feel. But I kinda don't need a break.

Ahem. ANYWAY!

As I've been re-skimming the book, here are some questions I thought of as I was re-reading...

1. Do you think Katniss fell in love with Peeta during the course of The Games, or was she just using him for survival? (I'll respond to these questions in the comment section) How about her relationship with Gale? (this might best be answered if you've already read Catching Fire)

2. Do you think Suzanne Collins is/was making a statement about reality shows and the ever numbing emotions of their audiences? How/why?

3. Who do you think represents The Capitol if we were to look at the world today? Why?

4. Who was your favorite supporting character and why?

5. Do you think you could have been a contender in The Games? Why/why not?

Thanks, Ladies, for answering these questions! And thanks for reading the book. :)

Where Angels Fear to Tread...

Oh, Katie! I wish it would count for me to say, "Ditto!" to your review.

So, yeah, this book was a wee bit tedious to go through, even though the whole time I read it I thought, Man, this is an AWESOME translation! As has been pointed out, it is gorgeous in description and he's very eloquent and that clearly comes across in English, but I think I use the words "wee bit" charitably because it took me forever to get through this book, as my interest often waned.

In fact, I finished the book and was like, Okay, I should really post while it's fresh in my mind, but alas! I didn't and I returned it to the library. Then, today, as everyone else's reviews popped up in my inbox, I was like, "I don't even remember how to spell the author's name!" So, I went to Amazon and lo and behold, here was this very interesting bit from the author himself (sorry for the cut & paste):

"Years ago, when I began working on my fifth novel, The Shadow of the Wind, I started toying around with the idea of creating a fictional universe that would be articulated through four interconnected stories in which we would meet some of the same characters at different times in their lives, and see them from different perspectives where many plots and subplots would tie around in knots for the reader to untie. It sounds somewhat pretentious, but my idea was to add a twist to the story and provide the reader with what I hoped would be a stimulating and playful reading experience. Since these books were, in part, about the world of literature, books, reading and language, I thought it would be interesting to use the different novels to explore those themes through different angles and to add new layers to the meaning of the stories.

"At first I thought this could be done in one book, but soon I realized it would make Shadow of the Wind a monster novel, and in many ways, destroy the structure I was trying to design for it. I realized I would have to write four different novels. They would be stand-alone stories that could be read in any order. I saw them as a Chinese box of stories with four doors of entry, a labyrinth of fictions that could be explored in many directions, entirely or in parts, and that could provide the reader with an additional layer of enjoyment and play. These novels would have a central axis, the idea of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, set against the backdrop of a highly stylized, gothic and mysterious Barcelona. Since each novel was going to be complex and difficult to write, I decided to take one at a time and see how the experiment evolved on its own in an organic way.

"It all sounds very complicated, but it is not. At the end of the day, these are just stories that share a universe, a tone and some central themes and characters. You don’t need to care or know about any of this stuff to enjoy them. One of the fun things about this process was it allowed me to give each book a different personality. Thus, if Shadow of the Wind is the nice, good girl in the family, The Angel’s Game would be the wicked gothic stepsister. Some readers often ask me if The Angel’s Game is a prequel or a sequel. The answer is: none of these things, and all of the above. Essentially The Angel’s Game is a new book, a stand-alone story that you can fully enjoy and understand on its own. But if you have already read The Shadow of the Wind, or you decide to read it afterwards, you’ll find new meanings and connections that I hope will enhance your experience with these characters and their adventures.

"The Angel’s Game has many games inside, one of them with the reader. It is a book designed to make you step into the storytelling process and become a part of it. In other words, the wicked, gothic chick wants your blood. Beware. Maybe, without realizing, I ended up writing a monster book after all... Don’t say I didn’t warn you, courageous reader. I’ll see you on the other side". --Carlos Ruiz Zafón

...and I thought, "Wow! That is fascinating." My very favorite part of the book were the visits to the Cemetary of Forgotten Books, because truly books affect our lives in different ways at different times when we read them, and how fascinating is it to think of a place where ALL books dwell.

Anyway! While not my FAVORITE book, I kinda like it better after reading about how it fits together as part of a plan by the author.

Katie, thanks for giving us an opportunity to read a very different type of book. :)

angel's game

I have to say that I wasn't so engrosed in this story that I felt like I had to have this book done yesterday. I actually had this book at work and a coworker saw that I left it on a chair over night and she thought that I had left it for her...I wasn't finished, however, and so I let her finish and then I picked it up when I got it back. I wasn't that stressed about it.

Now, saying that, I have to say that I really did like the book. I thought the idea of crossing over into the dark side and not even realizing it until there was no going back is interesting. Sort of makes you want to try harder to stay on that narrow path. I really don't think David was aware of where he was going..to the dark side. He was "healed" by the "boss", but did he know at that time that he would never age or possibly never die? I think he was brought into the bowels of hell by the promise of money and doing something "important" and by feeling obligated to someone who really wanted him to be the minion he became. It was sad his demise. He really lost everything instead of gaining all that he was promised. All those around him seemed to be dying and he just got to watch.

I loved Isabella's character. I liked her strength and the combination with her vulnerability. She seemed as real Spaniard. The women are tough but can be gentle. Christina's character was sad to me. I don't think that she was in any better situation the way her life was going. She made all the wrong decisions and if she would have been true to herself, she wouldn't have ended up under the ice in the middle of a river. Sad but true.

I loved the intrigue and the historical information about Barcelona. I love that place. I didn't know many of the places he was talking about, but some registered. It was fun to be taken back to such a long time ago. Wouldn't it be fun to go to where we just read.

I also did think it was a bit of a cruel trick bring Christina back to him at the end and as a small child. I think David did his best in thought process of saying how she would never want and that she would grow up so different, but David was really in love with Christina and this relationship that was going to be formed wouldn't be the same as the one he wanted. Paternal instead of the love of his life...one he always thought about.

One other thing...as I was reading, I kept thinking, I need to remember this passage or the next but I never has a pencil handy. I loved the was the author described things. You could really see what he was wanting you to. Barcelona had many factories that belched black smoke and the night it was raining and the rain was dropping in sheets of ink or something like that. Great descriptions. I think the translator really did a fascinating job.

Thanks Katie.

I just got The Hunger Games...only the first one, although everyone asked me if I was sure I wanted only this one...I'm excited to start!!! Michelle

Shadow versus Angel

Yes, I know I'm late (thanks, Danielle, for posting). Even though I'm the one who recommended The Angel's Game, I didn't really enjoy it. You know how they say that you should never meet your heroes because they'll only disappoint? When I read Shadow of the Wind several years ago, I could not put it down. I loved the characters, the story, everything. It was just one of those books that grabbed me right from the beginning and didn't let go, even after I was finished with the book. I even discussed it with one of my German friends who was listening to the book on tape (OK, it was book on iPod, but...). I couldn't stop myself from recommending it to my friends. I have waited anxiously for another one of Senor Zafon's books to be translated into English, and literally jumped for joy when I heard about The Angel's Game.

Sadly, I didn't have the same reaction to The Angel's Game as I did to Shadow of the Wind. Mr. Zafon's writing style is still very descriptive and evocative, but the story didn't draw me in. I didn't like any of the characters at all - I was mostly frustrated with the main character and just wanted him to "snap out of it!" (Imagine, if you will, the scene in Moonstruck where Cher slaps Nicolas Cage across the face and tells him to snap out of it - that's what I wanted to do).

Reading this book felt like a chore. Yes, I finished it, but only because I felt like I had to since this book was my choice. But I would read a chapter and then leave the book for days (and days) before picking it up again.

Just a side note, I recently read a book about the life of Harper Lee. There was much conjecture as to why she never wrote another book. (Not that Zafon is in the same league as Harper Lee nor is Shadow of the Wind in the same league as To Kill a Mockingbird) In a way, I'm almost glad she didn't write another book. If she had written another book as amazing as To Kill a Mockingbird, that would have been great and I would have loved to read it - but with the great expectations she would have had to live up to, could that even have been possible? An almost impossible feat. And, if she had written several books not quite as good as To Kill a Mockingbird, would that have diminished its own importance? I don't know - now I'm just rambling, but this was just a thought that went through my mind as I read Angel's Game.

For those of you who didn't like this book, please don't let it stop you from reading Shadow of the Wind. That one will be worth your time. Can't wait for The Hunger Games (yes, I've already read it, but I LOVE IT!).

Caught in the Angel's web

THE ANGEL'S GAME
** out of ***** (lol)

I am unenthusiastic about writing a review for Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Angel’s Game. After 531 pages, I am over it. It’s not like it was unpleasant, boring, depressing or poorly written. It was merely long and a bit confusing, and the characters didn’t draw me in. The thing that kept me reading it (besides having to do so because of the book club) was the mystery behind it all. Who was this man with the angel pin? What was hiding in the damp tower house? Would David find happiness? It’s not that I really cared for David all that much. It’s just that Zafon wrapped me into the story. And maybe that’s reason enough to read a book.

Here’s what I liked and disliked:

Likes: string of supernatural running throughout; use of ‘web’ imagery; setting of early 20th century Barcelona; the mystery.

Dislikes: flat characters who don’t seem to have any internal struggle, that we know of. David Martin is a man who seems to ride along life based on an easy computation of his knowledge of what he wants to do and accepting the opportunities that come his way. It’s all external struggle. Since I am an ‘Internal Struggle’ kind of girl, I am often disappointed in characters who don’t seem to face this struggle. Or maybe, in reality, I have a hard time being empathetic to such characters. Had Martin had to have faced such a struggle, though, author Zafon would have had a lot of work on his hands, for the book itself is a web of events, plentiful characters and a convoluted mystery. I got especially confused when the author went back in time to explain past events. I kept forgetting who the main players were.

A side note: Throughout the read, I kept wondering why the book seemed so familiar. Then I realized that I had read Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind for a previous book club. I didn’t write a review for that one. Our M.O. was to go to a restaurant or prepare a meal that related to the culture of the book, then discuss the book over the meal. We went out for tapas for Shadow, and all I remember is drinking sangria and flirting with the waiter, Robert!