Thanks to a cousin's recommendation, I read Ender's Game during high school. It is one of my top favorite sci-fi books! I love the book because of how humane the hero Ender Wiggins is throughout the story even when trained to be a brilliant killer.
I am glad I did not reread Ender's Game before watching the movie so the emotions could hit me. By forgetting details such as Ender's isolation, I re-experienced the story's beautiful and painful message.
Some people say that once you read one military sci-fi, you can't enjoy another one because it's too similar. Well, I could not enjoy Starship Troopers because Ender's Game is different by surpassing military.
The actor, Asa Butterfield, was perfect for to play Ender. He had very expressive eyes. I forgot he played Mordred in BBC's Merlin. As Mordred, he has few lines, but his expressions dominate the scene.
I speak of beauty and emotions, but there is action too. The zero-gravity battle room scenes had the wonder, action, and strategy I had hoped for! The music captures the wonder of it too.
I watched the movie with a group. Some of them now want to read the book. For one of them, that was her first time a movie motivated her to read the story. Their reactions touched my heart even more. I want to reread Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead.
I have been picky on sci-fi books this summer. Currently, I am half-way through Insigniaby S. J. Kincaid, and I am already more trilled and satisfied than from I, Robot: To Protect and The Maze Runner. If you were in the same room as me as I read Insignia, then you would become intrigued and jealous from how much I laugh and gasp.
Insignia is a new Young Adult (YA) Sci-Fi book published this past July. I found about it from the Dark Days of Summer promotional event for YA dystopias such as Insurgent by Veronica Ruth. I did not attend the event, but it was successful if non-attendees read the books because of the promotion. The first half of Insignia has more military and cyber themes than a dystopic theme.
Reviewers on GoodReads.com described Insignia as "Ender's Game and Harry Potter." Kid recruits are divided into divisions according to talents, but the half point of the book is when it feels more like Hogwarts. The hacker attacks and divisions points reminded me of wizard duels and the houses. By the way, a hacker's target is more personal than your computer. I leave that aspect for you to find out because it is part of the main story for the series.
Still need to look good for the camera.
If those two book comparisons are not enough for you, then how about the need for a sponsor like in The Hunger Games? A sponsorship in Insignia involves more politics and businesses like the fictional war does. Teen soldiers are recruited to fight by controlling robots. The book has an interesting mix.
I recommend Insignia. The beginning may feel too young for older audiences, but hang in there until Tom Raines, the main character, is recruited. It has numerous fun moments and conflicts. The characters have more depth than in The Maze Runner.
Insignia is a series like all the other books I listed. I am not going to read the next installment of I, Robot: To Protect or The Maze Runner, but I am eager for Kincaid's book after Insignia.
Last Friday, I saw The Hunger Games movie. I liked it, but I worry if people will understand some scenes. My friends who did not read the books missed the new situation at the end of the movie. Although characters smile at that point, listen to what is said in private!
I am glad that I read the first two books before the movie so that I knew the details and connections. It is hard for me to picture how much of the story I would have grasped without the book. Thankfully, some game explanations from Katniss' thoughts in the book were given in another manner.
I will be vague in further discussion of the movie to avoid spoiling it. However, I will first discuss my disappointment in The Watchmen adaptation for comparison. The trailer is down below.
Reaction to The Watchmen Adaptation First
I read The Watchmen comic shortly before the movie release. Here is the trailer for it.
During the movie, I laughed and was entertained, but afterwards I felt disappointed in the adaptation for these reasons:
The state of the world was not depicted enough. In the comic the second Silk Spectra helped portray the society at least through her addiction.
There is no distinction made between superheros and masked vigilantes.
Heroes that did not severely harm or kill, like Silk Spectra, plunged a knife into a mugger's throat. In the comic, the heroes who take lives are the ones who have a different state of mind.
Does the viewer question the consequences that the heroes reluctantly accept?
I do not detest every change made in an adaptation. For example, I have no problem with the change in the S.Q.U.I.D. Because years have past since I first saw the movie, I would now watch it a second time. Some scenes were great to see on the screen.
Back to The Hunger Games
The movie was a good introduction to Katniss' world. Some great scenes were left out of the movie, but I think key moments for characters were kept such as when Thresh speaks in the game and Cinna's influence. I was not disappointed. Some of you may be if you expect love drama.
Before the movie, I read an article on the decision to tone down the violence, which the director felt was unnecessary for the main message and characters. I agree. Anyone who hungered for more violence has not grasped that the game is actually an instrument not entertainment. The anticipation of the game and the game itself are exciting, but remember its purpose and meaning. Violence is not action. Do you mean conflict or confrontations that can be an opportunity for character growth instead?
I was surprised that the terror and danger were toned down too. I think young audiences could handle a little more of both. The focus was appropriately placed on the main danger, the Capitol. Each book because harsher though. Will the rating stay at PG-13?
To me the book was a suspenseful adventure while the movie was more on the dystopic world. When Kato has the sword, I thought of Roger in Lord of the Flies. I can see that aspect as enough terror for some minors.
Some parts before the game felt slow to me, but my coworkers who did not read the book said the beginning was fast for them. After all, they did not know the setting and characters yet. Come to think of it, I did not linger on questions with the movie's pace. So I guess the first half of the movie was not slow.
Stanley Tucci as Caesar.
My favorite minor characters in the book were Rue and Haymitch. During the movie, I smiled and laughed at every scene of Caesar, but I was still teary for Prim and Rue. It was nice to see non-tribute characters during the game.
I left the theater at 1am with energy from the movie. The third book,Mockingjay, is higher on my reading list now and I want to read the first book again. I may watch the movie in theaters a second time.
Hello. I felt guilty for most of December and so far in January, thinking I lacked a blog post for December. I did managed to write at least one blog though. December and probably November were busy for everyone--they were for me!
During that time, I finished Catching Fire (CF), the second book for The Hunger Games series. I can't say as much for that book as I did for the first one. First, I'll say what I liked, but there will be minor & major spoilers. I recommend that you have read at least up to Part 2 in Catching Fire:
Character Interaction: Generally, I think I liked the interaction between Katniss and other characters better in CF. Darius became one of my favorite characters. As for Peeta, he was sweet and cute in the first book, but it was too mushy for me. He shows himself to be more than a love star in CF with his reactions and speeches.
Revisiting District 12: I was happy to read about Katniss' hometown again. We get to learn more about characters such as Haymitch (a favorite of mine) and the district's history.
Revisiting Mother/Daughter Relationship: In the first book, we immediately see how numb and hardened Katniss is from having to keep her family alive not just herself. Taking on this role caused her to dislike her mother. So I am pleased to see that with all essentials covered, Katniss makes an effort to understand her mother and have a better relationship. Katniss gets along better even with the cat!
Twist in the Game (major spoilers!): When I first read that victors were safe for the rest of their lives, I saw a flaw for this dystopian society. The games demonstrate the authority's power over its subjects. Tributes are suppose to be examples of that power enforced, but the victors are actually examples of the districts' strength by beating the authority's obstacles and surviving. Allowing the victor such freedom and rewards in a dystopian society is illogical without a catch or at least behind-the-scenes punishment. Punishment is exactly what I expected and waited to read for Katniss and Peeta. Because the continued love story seemed to be the main punishment, I smiled from satisfaction and excitement when victors were re-entered into the games. I nodded my head to author Suzanne Collins for seeing that victors were a threat to the Capitol. I was also impressed with thegame arena and that the cover of the book reflected it.
Wow. I am glad I decided to include spoilers because I had a lot to say for just those topics. I changed my blog title to the book's title and bumped off discussing other books.
Here are three problems I had with Catching Fire:
Who is Katniss? After surviving the game, but no longer fighting to survive in the district,Katniss does not know herself in this book. Therefore, the reader does not get to know Katniss better other than circumstances and history. Readers may still sympathize for her because she feels trapped and confused. I realized that I missed Katniss when she re-entered the game. Her attitude may not be as strong as in the first game, but her will returned. In CF, Katniss' cluelessness expands to more than love so readers may get annoyed. If you caught on more than she did, then the ending will not be a confusing turn in events.
Slow Burn (major spoilers!): I had expected enforced law, but the oppression felt too long for me to endure from Katniss' position and perspective. The plot starts to build once a certain character gets whipped, but then it draws on a bit. At this point, I took a break from the book because I was overwhelmed. When the new tributes were announced, I was thankful for the humor and thrill that was needed to balance the oppression, helplessness, and panic. The character Finnick contributed to this balance. He became one of my favorite characters.
CF Feels Like a Bridge: The second book felt mainly transitional. Without reading Mockingjay, I can tell that CF is the bridge between the first and last books. Therefore, I do not see CF as a book itself. The direction changes numerous times, but overall the plot is about transition as well. The Capitol returns to stronger enforcements and people figure out if they are rebels or not. The rest is confusion and fear.
Family and friends have told me that Catching Fire was the long, boring book of the series. So you have to finish the second book in order to get to Mockingjay and decide if the first or last book is your favorite.
My family warned me before I started the series that it got harsh with each book. I read Catching Fire sooner than I planned to do so; therefore, I will not jumped to Mockingjay yet. I also heard that Mocking is brutal so I am encouraged more to take a break from the series.
I am still looking forward to The Hunger Games movie and still hoping that the social commentary is kept. =)
If Catching Fire is actually your favorite of the three books, please tell me what you thought of it.
Hello. A few weeks ago I visited some of my college friends and remembered a literary observation in high school. My senior English teacher said that characters who ate together are connected with harmony or communication. Think of scenes such as the political dinner in The King and I where food is used in attempt to create harmony. Also think of fictional meals with disconnected characters which is shown by a character not touching his food or a disruptive, early departure from the table. Interesting demonstration of the relationship between characters.
Because I can get cranky without food, I try to include it in get-togethers or at least eat beforehand. In addition, people are usually comfortable talking at meals. One reason could be that your attention is divided from eating, listening, and talking so you are not concern only with the impression you make.
During my visit, I met some girlfriends over sushi because it was fun last time and the place has excellent deals. Afterwards, I continued talking to one of my friends over yogurt (more food). In our long talk, I remembered about connected characters eating together and my persistence to include food in a meeting with a different friend the next day.
Then I realized that when you eat with others, food is more than an activity you share. Because food is a need, you are sharing a satisfied need. If you're comfortable sharing a personal aspect such as a need, then you are more comfortable sharing about yourself as well. I think the yogurt helped opened up the conversation more between my friend and me. =)
With characters that eat together, you can also see the passion between them. My teacher had mentioned sexual tension portrayed through two characters gorging themselves at a dinner. One unsatisfied need is shown through the satisfaction of another one, but at the same level of intensity.
My last post discussed story endings in the perspective of a reader and fan. From a fan perspective, an ending can be sad because there will be no more moments of the characters.
From a storyteller's perspective, when does a story reach its ending? A story can have multiple drafts, but when are the edits final?
I have some fine artist friends who laugh when asked if they finished a painting. All forms of art can be revised. If a writer or artist takes a break from his work, then he may spot a flaw or solution missed beforehand. However, if the creator seeks perfection for his work, then it will never be finished.
The novel The Loser by Thomas Bernhard is about a musical genius (real-life musician Glenn Gould) who sought perfection. He even dies at the piano (happened in the book but not in real life), which the narrator thought was fitting. Although one character is labeled as the loser, the reader is left to question if the other characters found success.
Glenn Gould
If you are interested in reading The Loser...
I have to warn you that the novel has no chapters or paragraphs. The prose is one body of work, and is a stream of consciousness on the history of three musicians who sought fame. The narrator repeats moments, and you will find that he changes his attitude about the moment according to his feelings.
For instance, he says he idolized his friend Glenn Gould, but then later the narrator mentions the same memory with dislike for the man who reached a higher level. The shift in attitude after new information is revealed or admitted information is realistic and humorous, but the repetition and streaming prose can give you a headache. You, the reader, have to be ready and have the will to stop. Otherwise you will be overwhelmed. Perhaps the author Bernard intended the reader to share the feeling of no end with the characters.
The narrator also seeks perfection for a book. He is never satisfied with a draft, and he never creates a whole work. Because the draft is unaccepted, he destroys it and starts fresh. He doesn't allow himself to improve and develop his skills. A story has to reach an ending for the creator to review the work as a whole and make edits for the good of the whole.
Authors have been embarrassed to read one of their previously published works because mistakes even in the plot were missed or the author felt that the work could have been stronger. But these authors chose a point to stop and publish their work. They allowed themselves to move on to other challenging projects or the next installment.
A character from a TV show develops over a series of episodes instead of learning all the lessons from just one episode.
I just finished the second season of the TV showCommunity. The two part episode was a thrill to watch; I laughed, ooohed, and awwwed. However, the departure of a character made the season finale sad to accept. Thankfully the show's not over yet, but will more characters leave? =( Abed got cooler in season 2. Character growth is an amazing thing to witness.
Community: A Fistful of Paintballs
Another show I'm currently into is Lie To Me. I got into it late, and sadly, the show is canceled. So I have just one more season to watch. Once I am done with Community and Lie to Me, will I find a show to love as much?
As for comics, I have not read past issue 1 of The Unwritten. The first issue had so much material, and I enjoyed it on its own. I am afraid to continue though perhaps because of expectations and maybe because then I will finish the series. I really should read issue 2 though. The series is around 27 issues now.
Issue #2
During one summer in high school, I read 3 books (2 of them were The Blue Sword by Robin McKinely and one from the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card) that were each around 300 pages. When I got towards the end of each one, I stopped and started the next book. Eventually I had 3 unfinished books so I read the endings to all three. The stories were then complete but I still had wished that some of the books were 500 pages.
Have you felt the same way about a story? I am sure people do with series (shows and books). I do not always finish series. What do you do to deal with the need for more? Do you re-watch the series with the knowledge of future events and character development? I will do the same for Community. Also, I hope to catch the show panel at the SD Comic Con. =)
For some shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, I get a full sense of completeness and cannot re-watch the series immediately. Years have to pass so that I remember less.
