Books I Want To Talk About discussion

Please discuss Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

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When I was reading The Hunger Games, and again now that I'm reading Catching Fire, I can't help but be reminded of the Left Behind series. I know they're not exactly the same, what with the absence of the religious content and all. But there are very many similarities. The "evil" Capitol is much like the Global Community under the Antichrist's rule. The black markets described in HG and again in CF remind me a lot of the black markets in LB after the Mark of the Beast was instituted (for those of you who haven't read LB, those who were Believers and refused to have a tattoo with their "district" [another reminder of HG:] on their foreheads or left hand were unable to buy anything legally. So all food and other necessities were bought and sold in an underground black market). President Snow is a little like Nicolae Carpathia. But most of all, this uprising that Katniss is going to be a part of reminds me of the Tribulation Force (the rebel group in LB). The sign of the mockingjay is like the signals the Trib Force have to they can recognize their allies.

I guess in a way it's like all good vs. evil stories (the Mockingjay people are like the Trib Force or the Order of the Phoenix or the Fellowship of the Ring, etc.) but for some reason it's just really calling to mind the LB series. Have any of you read them?

I'm starting Catching Fire. I will have to finish before I can read comments.

I finished Part 1. This is awfully wordy. I feel like our "concept" is being stretched out--on a plot stretcher.

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I'm glad there's a rebellion brewing. That's very Star Wars of them.

I have not read the Left Behind series, Sarah...so I can't speak to the similarities.

Just finished CF...it was the bomb--no pun intended.

LOL - happy to hear that you enjoyed it. I'm curious as to what you think of the "finale" when you have a chance to get to it.

Alison wrote: "Just finished CF...it was the bomb--no pun intended."

Oh, I think that pun was absolutely intended. Heh.

I just finished CF and the thought that comes to mind is that it's very 1984-ish, only for teenagers. I did think, though, in CF and also Hunger Games before it, that sometimes the romance bit is overemphasized and some parts can be a little melodramatic. But I can't say I didn't enjoy the book, overblown romance notwithstanding. Now I'm torn between Team Peeta and Team Gale!



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I laughed out loud when Peeta "announced" Katniss was pregnant.

Dini wrote: "I just finished CF and the thought that comes to mind is that it's very 1984-ish, only for teenagers. I did think, though, in CF and also Hunger Games before it, that sometimes the romance bit is o..."

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Yes, Dini, that announcement was a clever one. I confess that the romance part is probably what made me want to keep going after HG! But, you're right, it ended up overblown after a while. Do you plan to read Mockingjay?

I do plan to read it, once the paperback is available here.

Team Peeta

And I loved the announcement too. I thought that a lot of the PR stunts were rather well-done, in that it gave the story a sense of realism.