In recent times (which can range from anywhere between last week to last year), I have started to enjoy a new genre - violence. Did I just make it up, or is that really a category? Who knows..
This year, I read trilogies of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "The Hunger Games".
Until now I have been into mysteries, but more of the quieter tone like - Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie or subtle ones from Jeffery Archer. Occasionally, I also enjoy me some Dan Brown. I love reading legal dramas by Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper etc.), or emotional dramas like - The Help, or even some light-reads like Chetan Bhagat or Mitch Albom. But I have never been into Science Fiction (which is what some people consider Hunger Games), or a disturbing fiction like - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And I was surprised to note that I really enjoyed these books. So much to the point that I could not wait to read the second and third books of both series. Lets talk about them a little bit, shall we?
Embarrassingly, I was more into "The Hunger Games" trilogy than I care to admit, cos it's targeted audience is teenagers, which I clearly am not. In my defense, I was a little annoyed with the love triangle at times. But the plot blew my mind away. Read it if you haven't. I promise you will not be able to stop at the first book. The premise is (and I am not giving anything away, it's all on the back of the book) - In the post-apocalyptic future, North America is a nation called Panem consisting of 13 districts, and ruled by The Capitol. Some decades before the story begins, the districts have an uprising and they rebel against the Capitol. The Capitol wins, completely destroying one of the districts in the process. The outcome of the uprising is - Hunger Games, where a girl and a boy between the ages of 12 & 18 from each of the remaining 12 districts are sent into an arena, where they must fight each other to death, until there is only one left - the winner of the Hunger Games. When I heard about this book, I was shocked to hear, there could be books like these out there and people could actually be reading them. But in the end, everyone around me was reading it (including my manager and my book club) and I buckled under the pressure. I read it and it was a very interesting and engrossing read.
Now - "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" trilogy, was a completely different type of book, thankfully targeted towards adults. It's well written, and even though I did not relate to any of the characters, I was absorbed by the story completely. The main character (you know - the girl...with the tattoo...of a dragon), was disturbing, intriguing and amazing at the same time. I think the Swedish names in the book, was a detail that I really loved. Random but interesting to me. Not to say that I did not enjoy the plot. I did. It is at times disgusting and terrifying, but very exciting! It is very intricate and detailed, and though I enjoyed reading it, I don't think I should attempt to describe it. In short, it's a story of a girl who also happens to have a dragon tattoo (ha ha).
And the point is (yes, I was trying to make one when I started writing this post, even thought it seems like I lost it somewhere along the way) - Although I don't usually enjoy reading about or watching violence (and both these books have a fair amount), I am glad I was able to explore it through these books. Change is not easy for me, and I am glad I was able to expand my horizon just a little bit more.
I am not usually into movies made from books (even though I always watch them, to compare), but I am really looking forward to watching the movies for both these books! The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (starring Daniel Craig (James Bond) and Rooney Mara (from the The Social Network)) comes out today, and The Hunger Games sometime early next year! Can't wait!
Sidenote - The only book-based movie that I thought was as good as the book - "The Help".
Has anyone read either of these trilogies? Did you like them?
This year, I read trilogies of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "The Hunger Games".
Until now I have been into mysteries, but more of the quieter tone like - Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie or subtle ones from Jeffery Archer. Occasionally, I also enjoy me some Dan Brown. I love reading legal dramas by Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper etc.), or emotional dramas like - The Help, or even some light-reads like Chetan Bhagat or Mitch Albom. But I have never been into Science Fiction (which is what some people consider Hunger Games), or a disturbing fiction like - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And I was surprised to note that I really enjoyed these books. So much to the point that I could not wait to read the second and third books of both series. Lets talk about them a little bit, shall we?
Embarrassingly, I was more into "The Hunger Games" trilogy than I care to admit, cos it's targeted audience is teenagers, which I clearly am not. In my defense, I was a little annoyed with the love triangle at times. But the plot blew my mind away. Read it if you haven't. I promise you will not be able to stop at the first book. The premise is (and I am not giving anything away, it's all on the back of the book) - In the post-apocalyptic future, North America is a nation called Panem consisting of 13 districts, and ruled by The Capitol. Some decades before the story begins, the districts have an uprising and they rebel against the Capitol. The Capitol wins, completely destroying one of the districts in the process. The outcome of the uprising is - Hunger Games, where a girl and a boy between the ages of 12 & 18 from each of the remaining 12 districts are sent into an arena, where they must fight each other to death, until there is only one left - the winner of the Hunger Games. When I heard about this book, I was shocked to hear, there could be books like these out there and people could actually be reading them. But in the end, everyone around me was reading it (including my manager and my book club) and I buckled under the pressure. I read it and it was a very interesting and engrossing read.
Now - "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" trilogy, was a completely different type of book, thankfully targeted towards adults. It's well written, and even though I did not relate to any of the characters, I was absorbed by the story completely. The main character (you know - the girl...with the tattoo...of a dragon), was disturbing, intriguing and amazing at the same time. I think the Swedish names in the book, was a detail that I really loved. Random but interesting to me. Not to say that I did not enjoy the plot. I did. It is at times disgusting and terrifying, but very exciting! It is very intricate and detailed, and though I enjoyed reading it, I don't think I should attempt to describe it. In short, it's a story of a girl who also happens to have a dragon tattoo (ha ha).
And the point is (yes, I was trying to make one when I started writing this post, even thought it seems like I lost it somewhere along the way) - Although I don't usually enjoy reading about or watching violence (and both these books have a fair amount), I am glad I was able to explore it through these books. Change is not easy for me, and I am glad I was able to expand my horizon just a little bit more.
I am not usually into movies made from books (even though I always watch them, to compare), but I am really looking forward to watching the movies for both these books! The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (starring Daniel Craig (James Bond) and Rooney Mara (from the The Social Network)) comes out today, and The Hunger Games sometime early next year! Can't wait!
Sidenote - The only book-based movie that I thought was as good as the book - "The Help".
Has anyone read either of these trilogies? Did you like them?
