In the first chapter of Catching Fire, we learn the disturbing and unfortunate consequences of Katniss’s victory in The Hunger Games. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Catching Fire.
I am reading Catching Fire via an e-book reader, so I’ve not seen any covers or summaries or those slightly irritating quotes that are hyperbolic in nature, about how this is THE BEST BOOK OF THE CENTURY with THE MOST FRIGHTENING PLOT TWISTS SINCE THE DA VINCI CODE which generally turn me off from reading a book instantly. I have zero idea what’s about to happen. And regardless of how I feel about this series, it’s always sort of fun to start like this, completely ignorant to how things unfold.
Shall we?
By noon they will all be at my new house in the Victor’s Village. The reporters, the camera crews, even Effie Trinket, my old escort, will have made their way to District 12 from the Capitol. I wonder if Effie will still be wearing that silly pink wig, or if she’ll be sporting some other unnatural color especially for the Victory Tour. There will be others waiting, too. A staff to cater to my every need on the long train trip. A prep team to beautify me for public appearances. My stylist and friend, Cinna, who designed the gorgeous outfits that first made the audience take notice of me in the Hunger Games.
I already have a feeling this takes place a long while after the Games ended; I think it would have been neat to have Catching Fire start at the exact moment that The Hunger Games ended. But Collins most likely has a master plan for how this is all going to unfold, so I’ll just wait to see what happens.
If it were up to me, I would try to forget the Hunger Games entirely. Never speak of them. Pretend they were nothing but a bad dream. But the Victory Tour makes that impossible. Strategically placed almost midway between the annual Games, it is the Capitol’s way of keeping the horror fresh and immediate. Not only are we in the ditricts forced to remember the iron grip of the Capitol’s power each year, we are forced to celebrate it. And this year, I am one of the stars of the show. I will have to travel from district to district, to stand before cheering crowds who secretly loathe me, to look down into the faces of the families whose children I have killed….
Eat your heart out, Trelawney. I am the true ~seer~. The truth is that now I’m seeing why Collins was inspired by American Idol in how she wrote The Hunger Games. This reminds me of that tour that they have after the winner is announced and no one goes and sees them. Err….at least I’ve never known anyone who does. Ok, perhaps I have no idea what I’m talking about at all. Regardless, like I said in the final review for The Hunger Games, it’s clear the main focus of this book is Katpee’s experiences on the Victory Tour. What I can’t figure out, though, is what the actual conflict is going to be, besides their efforts to maintain their romance.
But now that Gale has gone to work in the coal mines—and I have nothing to do all day—I’ve taken over the job.
I have most wanted to know what Gale had been up to while Katniss was in the Games. As soon as Katniss revealed that he was working in the mines, my first thought was, “OH, HE’S GOING TO BLOW UP IN THEM, JUST LIKE HER FATHER.†Then I thought MARK WHY IS YOUR BRAIN SO EVIL. Sorry, I can’t help it. But there is a sort of fucked up symmetry in the idea that Katniss would lose another male figure that she looks up, but this is also probably I haven’t ever completed a novel yet. I would do stuff like this for no reason just because I could.
I predicted that Gale would mostly tease Katniss for what she did in the Games, but I’m proven wrong right here in the first chapter. Katniss still continues to hunt, mostly out of necessity and habit, while Gale works twelve-hour shifts in the mine. She gives what she can to Hazelle, Gale’s mother, but her relationship with Gale isn’t nearly as cheery as I wanted it to be.
The only time I really get to see Gale now is on Sundays, when we meet up in the woods to hunt together. It’s still the best day of the week, but it’s not like it used to be before, when we could tell each other anything. The Games have spoiled even that. I keep hoping that as time passes we’ll regain the ease between us, but part of me knows it’s futile. There’s no going back.
Their relationship has been irreparably damaged because of the Games. Is it because he had feelings for Katniss this whole time and felt spurned by her act? Did he believe she loved Peeta or was he disgusted that she sold herself short in order to win? With them only hanging out once a week (and with the Victory Tour about to begin), I’m afraid these questions will remain unanswered for much longer than I’d like.
I’m happy that Collins trusts her readers enough to do so little summarizing of the events of the last book. Katniss merely references things at times; mostly she reflects on how things are changed and I’m beginning to have a sense for where her characterization might head during Catching Fire. Even though it was of no real concern to Katniss before the Games started, she now has a distinct existential crisis brewing in her mind. In short, she feels she has lost her identity. Her final act in the Games was one of dignity and a proud, boisterous display of independence from the Capitol. Now, though, thrust into a life where she has a new house, no need for money, and no chance to ever go hungry again, she is realizing her life is falling apart. Her poverty was her identity, in a way. Her life revolved around hunger, essentially, and she built her identity on her success at keeping her family alive.
So what does she do now that she has what she needs?
Although the time is ticking away, I allow myself a few minutes to sit in the kitchen. It has an abandoned quality with no fire on the hearth, no cloth on the table. I mourn my old life here. We barely scraped by, but I knew where I fit in, I knew what my place was in the tightly interwoven fabric that was our life. I wish I could go back to it because, in retrospect, it seems so secure compared with now, when I am so rich and so famous and so hated by the authorities in the Capitol.
I bet she wishes she could go back for more reasons besides this, but it’s still a particularly depressing thought. Having money or status or notoriety gave Katniss nothing of value in her life. It appears to have taken away everything that made her feel whole, safe, and herself.
The Capitol most likely knows this and I’m betting that’s the real point of the Games, at least on a personal level. Katniss will forever have to live with what she did over the course of those weeks in the arena. And the Capitol is betting that most people, when faced with that, will do anything to get that sense of security back, even if it means working against their own interests and subjugating themselves to a tyrannical government.
I like Hazelle. Respect her. The explosion that killed my father took out her husband as well, leaving her with three boys and a baby due any day.
Wait, really??? Was this mentioned in The Hunger Games? I don’t recall knowing this before now; that seems like a big detail to avoid sharing at all in the first book. Anyway, Katniss and Hazelle share a mutual respect for each other and Hazelle appreciates the food that she gets from Katniss. She’s also one of the few people who is also aware of the connection between her son and Katniss.
Hardly anybody knows me better than Hazelle. Knows the bond I share with Gale. I’m sure plenty of people assumed that we’d eventually get married even if I never gave it any thought. But that was before the Games. Before my fellow Tribute, Peeta Mellark, announced he was madly in love with me. Our romance became a key strategy for our survival in the arena. Only it wasn’t just a strategy for Peeta. I’m not sure what it was for me. But I know now it was nothing but painful for Gale. My chest tightens as I think about how, on the Victory Tour, Peeta and I will have to present ourselves as lovers again.
So…maybe this isn’t really a love triangle at all. It sounds like Gale is distant from Katniss and, if the final scene of The Hunger Games is any indication, Peeta isn’t too happy with her anyway.
Katniss is all alone in this. Huh.
Although they never mention it, I owe the people who frequent the Hob. Gale told me that Greasy Sae, the old woman who serves up soup, started a collection to sponsor Peeta and me during the Games. It was supposed to be just a Hob thing, but a lot of other people heard about it and chipped in. I don’t know exactly how much it was, and the price of any gift in the arena was exorbitant. But for all I know, it made the difference between my life and death.
I don’t know if we’ll ever get any light shed on the mechanisms behind the Game, but now we know that pretty much anyone could give money to sponsor people. I aways thought only designated people were allowed to. This is pretty awesome of Greasy Sae, but she’s in this chapter so briefly that I don’t think she’ll play a bigger part in the rest of this story.
At the Hob, we learn to more crucial details about Collins’s world. First of all, Haymitch hasn’t stopped being an alcoholic.
I’m getting the white liquor because a few weeks ago he ran out and there was none for sale and he had a withdrawal, shaking and screaming at terrifying things only he could see. He scared Prim to death and, frankly, it wasn’t much fun for me to see him like that, either. Ever since then I’ve been sort of stockpiling the stuff just in case there’s a shortage again.
I’m curious to know why Haymitch is in this cycle. I thought maybe Katpee’s win in the Games would change things, but he doesn’t seem to have changed at all? Is he drinking for another reason? (Not that you need to drink for a REASON, but Collins seems to be setting him up for some big reveal regarding his past.)
We also learn that in District Twelve, they have Peacekeepers. I swear I don’t remember this being mentioned in The Hunger Games, but it’s the district’s version of police. Is this the namesake pattern for a lot of things in this alternate future? Gamemakers, Peacekeepers, Cakebakers, Treecutters….sorry. That’s where my mind is going.
The most important thing we learn here is that while Katniss was in the Games, reporters concocted a story about Gale and his family: they were actually her cousins.
It’s just one more port of the lie the Capitol has concocted. When Peeta and I made it into the final eight in the Hunger Games, they sent reporters to do personal stories about us. When they asked about my friends, everyone directed them to Gale. But it wouldn’t do, what with the romance I was playing out in the arena, to have my friend be Gale. He was too handsome, too male, and not the least bit willing to smile and place nice for the cameras.
So now they’re cousins. I’m expecting some sort of Arrested Development caper to pan out in the future. Maeby!
We finally get to see the Victor’s Village after Katniss leaves the Hob. It’s located outside of town and…well, I’ll let Katniss describe it.
It’s a separate community build around a beautiful, green, dotted with flowering bushes. There are twelve houses, each large enough to hold ten of the one I was raised in. Nine stand empty, as they always have. The three in use belong to Haymitch, Peeta, and me.
The house inhabited by my family and Peeta give off a warm glow of life. Lit windows, smoke from the chimneys, bunches of brightly colored corn affixed to the front doors as decoration for the upcoming Harvest Festival. However, Haymitch’s house, despite the care taken by the grounds-keeper, exudes an air of abandonment and neglect. I brace myself at his front door, knowing it will be foul, then push inside.
Before we talk about Haymitch, I’m curious to know what else the winners’ families get after the Games. Katniss has mentioned being rich, so did the Capitol pay her after she won? Do they provide them with food? What else do these houses have inside them that might be different from where they used to live? I know these questions will be answered soon, but I wanted to vocalize them now while they popped into my head.
On to Haymitch: the Games have ended and he’s resorted to being constantly drunk and messy. Disgustingly messy. I don’t think I have the slightest idea where his story is going at all and I was kind of disappointed to see that all he’s doing is drinking post-Hunger Games.
Peeta, on the other hand, is not the same person he ever was.
I watch as Peeta crosses to the table, the sunlight from the window picking up the glint of fresh snow in his blond hair. He looks strong and healthy, so different from the sick, starving boy I knew in the arena, and you can barely even notice his limp now. He sets a loaf of fresh-baked bread on the table and holds his hand to Haymitch.
Get it because he’s the bread boy. Also, in the comments of the final Hunger Games review, someone pointed out that he’s the bread boy and his name is Peeta. Dip that boy in some hummus, I’m hungry!
Ok, moving on. As expected, Katpee are barely on speaking terms and this is NOT GOOD AT ALL.
Haymitch tosses his shirt somewhere into the mess. “Brrr. You two have got a lot of warming up to do before showtime.â€
He’s right, of course. The audience will be expecting the pair of lovebirds who won the Hunger Games. Not two people who can barely look each other in the eye.
And how on earth are they going to pull that off? We’ve all seen Katniss’s complete lack of improvisational skills and she’s far too socially awkward to do this on her own, day after day, as she travels to the various districts.
Hmmm. This does not bode well for Katniss.
Neither does what’s waiting for her at her house. Her mother stops her at the doorway and acts strangely; Katniss notices that a man in a suit, clearly from the Capitol, is waiting inside the house. It’s hinted that he’s there earlier than he should be and it’s not a good sign. The man leads her through her own house to the closed door of the study.
I twist the polished brass knob and step inside. My nose registers the conflicting smell of roses and blood. A small, white-haired man who seems vaguely familiar is reading a book. He holds up a finger as if to say, “Give me a moment.†Then he turns and my heart skips a beat.
I’m staring into the snakelike eyes of President Snow.
WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING THERE also I am a genius.
This isn’t good. But I’m glad things are already picking up so early into this book. Here’s to a (hopefully) fun ride!
NOTE: There will be no review tomorrow because Jesus was born or something. Chapter 2 will go up on Sunday morning.
Unexpected!Snow is unexpected.
"Because Jesus was born or something" AKA a lot of gods from various religions were born this day and Christians co-op'd it and claimed ONLY THEIR SAVIOR was born this day and ALL OTHER RELIGIONS MUST STFU.
Or something like that.
Ugh President Snow is the new Umbridge now that Effie has proven she's just a misguided puppy.
“Okay, if we switch our guy’s birthday to December 25th, would you damn Mithraists GTFO Vatican Hill?”
"Fine, whatever, you can keep having your club meetings in your mom's basement."
… Seasons Greetings from Britta Perry.
I don't think I can express how much I love this comment
Hehe, man am I fascinated by the history of Christianity. They tend to do that a lot, take things from other cultures and go "MINE NOW!"
I think President Snow is more like the lovechild of Umbridge and Voldemort (OH GOD, mental image, WHYYY). Really, the way he's described as being like a snake, his false hospitality, the freakish description of him smelling like blood and roses….it's an ungodly combination.
Yeah it's crazy learning where things came from in the way of religion and seeing that in some ways they all borrow from each other.
wait a second. So you're saying that the "various religions" are innocent to this, even though they all decided to pick the same day as well? Oh no, but christianity is the "evil one" so only they're in the wrong. *rolls eyes* I'm tired of all the double standards. BTW, I'm not even religious…
now watch. I bet you (and atheists and other non-christians) are going to go celebrate Christmas. Talk about ripping off religious holidays.
In the scheme of things, Christianity is a VERY NEW RELIGION compared to most. The way they convinced pagans to convert to Christianity was by taking traditions they already followed and molded them into their fold to say "look, we celebrate this as well!" The idea of a virgin birth of the God reincarnate is a very very VERY old idea used by many religions, but MOST other religions will recognized it's a shared idea where Christianity teaches it was their idea alone and all others are stealing from them.
Case in point, your need to attack me for calling Christianity "evil" for something it actually did. Which I didn't say it was evil, simply that they claimed it for themselves and tried to act as if they were the only religion with that idea.
what bothers me is people lumping extremists as a general overview of "christians." Almost every christian I know recognizes it as a shared idea and doesn't take the stories literally. We all know that there was corrupt Roman politicians playing with the religion. It's the minority of EXTREMISTS that act that way, and I'm tired of people generalizing the christian people because of the idiotic extremists. They're (most christians) are not idiots. And no, I did not say you called them evil, but it's what I hear on a daily basis. I was making a general argument, not an attack on specifically what you said.
That's exactly how muslims feel tooo and probably every other religion out there… just sayin
So this is a bit late and a lot of other people have already commented but I just thought I'd throw in my two cents, if anyone cares. I understand your point, and you obviously have the facts straight. I think some people may take offense to your original comment because the way you made it sound was like all Christians today believe this and that they are somewhat horrible for doing so (when all the Christians I know, including myself, are under no delusion that this didn't happen or that we are the only ones with this holiday and this belief of a virgin birth). I don't know if that's what you meant, but that's just how it came off, at least to me, so I would take offense only in that. But you are obviously very learned on the subject and you seem like an intelligent person so I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that you're trying to offend or attack Christians in general.
I'm pretty sure the original post was mostly meant to be humorous, and those other religions haven't taken the day over like Christianity has.
I am a Catholic, but I strongly dislike the Christian attitude that their holidays are the only ones that matter.
I'm a "Catholic" too… (I was raised catholic, but I'm not affiliated with any religion… I don't believe in any religion, just certain stories and my own ideals). It's not the "Christian attitude" it's capitalism that took advantage of the holiday and blew it up. The Christian attitude you are referring to is in the minority of extremists (like I said in the other reply) not Christians as a whole. Again, tired of generalization. It's prejudice.
Since I am a part of the religion, and didn't say all or even most Christians, I don't think I was generalizing at all. It IS an attitude that I see more in Christianity than in other religions in the U.S.(I don't know how it is in other countries), I'll just put it that way. Since it's the ONE day a year that my business is closed and the one holiday that I am guaranteed not to have to work, I won't complain too much though 🙂
Totally agree about Capitalism though. That darn Capitol! Haha, see what I did there? I got this back on topic!
Also something to note is that Jesus was actually born in the spring. Just saying.
Er, I gots hugs for everyone. ::holds out arms::
And I know very well that all of my fun holidays came from the pagans. Thanks, pagans with cool holidays! 😀
We do not! Christmas is one of the darkest days of the year. Jesus was called the light of the world. So it's like bringing light to darkness. He was actually born more like in April. We just celebrate it on Christmas. They used to celebrate it on the actual darkest day, but it kept changing, so they just picked one day. I'm not going to comment on the STFU comment, mainly because I don't understand what it means. I think it means you think we think all other religions are inferior, but we don't think badly of other religions as a whole.
"Dip that boy in some hummus, I’m hungry!"
Oh my god this might be my favourite thing you've ever said.
Fanart!
Some Gale stuff. The first picture is pre-Games.
Very Serious Gale Portrait by Julvett
<img src=http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/304/b/4/very_serious_gale_portrait_by_julvett-d31x0b0.jpg>
Gale by burdge-bug
<img src=http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/171/8/3/Gale_by_burdge_bug.jpg>
President Snow =/
the Men of the Hunger Games 2 by burdge-bug
<img src=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/079/a/a/the_Men_of_Hunger_Games_2_by_burdge_bug.jpg>
Haymitch!
HG sketches: Haymitch by Peibee-an-Jay
<img sr chttp://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/354/1/5/hg_sketches__haymitch_by_peibee_an_jay-d358yi6.png>
Haymitch and Katniss by burdge-bug
<img src=http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/187/4/2/haymitch_and_katniss_by_burdge_bug.jpg>
Catching Fire by RohanElf
<img src=http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs49/i/2009/279/2/3/Catching_Fire_by_RohanElf.jpg>
You love Burdge-bug too? I think she does great art work!
Yeah 🙂 She's one of my favorite artists on DevianArt. She always captures the characters exactly the way I imagine them.
That's exactly how I feel! I'll re-read the books, and when I get to a part I know she has drawn, I run and look and read it while I look at the picture, and it's incredible!
I <3 Rohan Elf. She does some great Obernewtyn series fan art and that picture of Peeta is exactly how I'd imagine him.
Wow! Those are all pretty amazing! And the first one is hilarious. 🙂
Whoops, this one didn't post:
HG sketches: Haymitch by Peibee-an-Jay
<img src=http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/354/1/5/hg_sketches__haymitch_by_peibee_an_jay-d358yi6.png>
Looks like Jet from Avatar.
My New Year's resolution will be to stop being the biggest dweeb ever.
My New Year's resolution is to watch more Avatar.
the second one is MY Galeinmyhead./
Just sayin'
Check it out Mark, you and Oprah think alike:
http://www.oprah.com/entertainment/Books-to-Read-…
And President Snow *shudder* creeps me out, why would a person smell like blood.
He's on his period?
/shot
But that's not even blood! Common misconception. =P
Also this makes me sound like a serial killer, but I think blood has a pleasant scent. =x
HE SMELLS LIKE BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
I love you for referencing Arrested Development.
I still love how the "romance" isn't about romance at all. Strategy, politics, appearances. I think it's an interesting take on today's reality tv/celebrity-romance-obsessed/tabloid culture.
"Get it because he’s the bread boy. Also, in the comments of the final Hunger Games review, someone pointed out that he’s the bread boy and his name is Peeta. Dip that boy in some hummus, I’m hungry!"
*gigglesnort*
XD
I actually think his parents did that on purpose. Katniss' father named her after roots that he gathered in the woods, and her sister Prim is also named after a plant. Since Peeta's parents are bakers, I figured they named him after pita bread and just replaced the I with two Es so that it looked more like an actual name.
And here I was thinking she was just trying to differentiate from "Peter". Creativity I have not.
I always thought it was both, actually. Peter and pita mushed together somehow. Why anyone would do this (to their child or their character) is beyond me.
I think I said this in an early review, but in my accent (Australian) it sounds pretty much identical to 'Peeta'. I think it would with British accent, too?
I think it might have been subconscious (on Collins' part). It might have been a word association she didn't even realise she used. I know I do that!
Dude, you even talked about the Peacekeepers in your first review! (I swear I'm not some sort of stalker, I have a really good memory!)
"Most of the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who hunt because they’re as hungry for fresh meat as anybody is. In fact, they’re among our best customers. But the idea that someone might be arming the Seam would never have been allowed."
So…the Peacekeepers. They’re obviously not the working class, so…law enforcement? I don’t know. But I am seeing the pieces fall together for some interesting social parallels. I’m intrigued.
And I'm pretty sure that she mentions at some point that the first time she saw Gale was when they gave them some sort of medal for both their parents being blown up. I'll try to find that.
Found it!
From Ch 8
I’d seen him around the Seam and at school. And one other time. He’d lost his father in the same blast that killed mine. In January, I’d stood by while he received his medal of valor in the Justice Building, another oldest child with no father. I remembered his two little brothers clutching his mother, a woman whose swollen belly announced she was just days away from giving birth.
I was gonna post this but I couldn't find the quotes, haha. I knew they mentioned it somewhere in the first book but I had no clue where, haha. Anyway props to you for quoting 🙂
Katniss mentioned that Gale's father died and he takes care of the younger kids a few times, but that kind of detail falls aside after you get to kiddie death arena. And does this make Peeta Steve Holt!?
Yeah, when you asked for MOAR HAYMITCH, you really should have specified that he not be wallowing in his own filth.
oh SteveHolt! Please let's keep the Arrested Development angle going!!!
Well, obviously Octavia is Tobias:
<img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/2z8x5x5.jpg" />
This chapter is mostly just a bunch of set up, so I don't know if I have much to say other than '"HOLY FUCK, PRESIDENT SNOW".
Oh and also, I do like the continued theme that winning the Games (while obiously not as bad as losing) isn't as peachy as it seems. In the first book we saw how Haymitch was still really messed up because of the Games and now we see how being a victor is messing with Katniss and her sense of self.
"I do like the continued theme that winning the Games (while obiously not as bad as losing) isn't as peachy as it seems."
Yeah, there is a lot of emphasis that once your name is drawn from the glass ball, your life is over and you belong to the Capital. If you survive the Games, you at least get to see your family again, but you still belong to the Capital.
I think it's interesting how Katniss seems to have so much more respect for Hazelle than her own mother. The reason why is obvious: when Hazelle's husband died she had a baby and was out on the street immediately looking for work while Katniss's mother pretty much collapsed and left her children to starve. Katniss views her mother almost as a child, like she needs to protect her from everything, while she seems to think of Hazelle in more of a motherly role. I wonder if this is why we know Hazelle's name but we still haven't learned the name of Katniss's mother.
Yeah, well, she calls her mum or mother, but it is weird that her name hasn't come up in a conversation or something.
I think the parallel between these two women is very interesting, it just shows how different people react to life-changing situations, right?
Exactly, and it shows why Katniss is still so hurt and upset over her mother's actions, because she saw Gale's mother doing whatever she could to provide for her family while her own mother did nothing.
Except she doesn't even call her mother by name. When I read CF, I noticed that she only ever says "my mother" instead of "Mother" or "Mom". Hmm!
I'm surprised that there you didn't comment about Snow smelling like BLOOD AND ROSES. I mean really, more Collins subtlety, but its still SUPERDUPERCREEPY
i dont think he got there yet
it just said the room smelled like it
DUN DUN DUN…
Just wondering – when Katniss describes Snow’s eyes as being ‘snakelike’, am I the only one that thinks of Voldemort?
yeah I think most of us probably did. My response was something like, "Really, Collins?! Where have I heard that before?" BUT, it is a more common trait in evil people what with snakes being horrible throughout literature, myths, and religion.
In my novel, the villain is going to have puppy dog eyes, because like mark I'd do things just BECAUSE I CAN.
You know what I think is interesting, is that I can never picture what an author means by 'snakelike eyes' because there are snakes that have slit pupils and look super-creepy and evil, but non-poisonous snakes have round pupils and their eyes look like puppy dog eyes. I wonder if they mean the person doesn't have any eyelids? Because that would be creepy and evil-looking. Also, Voldy's eyes are described as red, and I can't think of any snakes that have red eyes (help me out herpetologists?).
So does El Presidente have 'eyes that are snake-like because they have slit pupils that are similar to that of poisonous snakes' or 'eyes that are snake-like because he doesn't have eyelids, or doesn't blink a lot, and then how does he stop his eyes from drying out and being super-itchy?'
Of course, if Voldy's eyes were snake-like because he didn't have eyelids, that might explain why they were red 😛
actually, the summary on the cover was not a good one in my opinion. it did not reveal that much, or anything, really.
merry christmas everyone! 😀
Ahhh..I laugh because your so unknowing, it’s almost cute haha It reminds of when my older bro was reading the series and he’d call me from work and be like “COLLINS IS FUCKED UP! DID YOU READ THE PAR ABOUT *……..* HOLY SHIIT MAN! ” And then he’d hang up and call again like 15 mins later =)
xD I love it that you couldn't wait a single day before starting the next book. I DID THE SAME THING. *hugs* Happy Winter Holiday of your choice!
And happy summer holiday for the southern hemispheries! It’s christmas/holiday day already! Bring on the champers and sorbet, I’m going swimming!
“I’m dreaming of a monsoonal christmas.” Sorry I’m a little crazy down here, we might be flooded in and it is humid humid hot hot hot!
Arrested Development! So excited for the movie, 2012 seems so far away…
<img src="http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o388/bananamayhem/arrested.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
<img src="http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o388/bananamayhem/adchickens.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
<img src="http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o388/bananamayhem/addance.gif" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
Also, in my mind Snow is like the creepiest Cheney/Rove-thing. *shudder*
<img src="http://i341.photobucket.com/albums/o388/bananamayhem/snow.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">
OMG YESSSSSSSSSSSSS
O.O
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!
I THOUGHT THEY SCRAPPED IT!!! HOLY SHIT SO EXCITED!!! YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY!!!
I thought the movie was just a rumor that's been going around (for the umpteenth time), but it looks like it actually has an IMDb page now and everything. Yes!
Michael: …Has anyone in this family ever even -seen- a chicken?
haha that's one of my favorite parts
AND YES
YES
AHAHAHA I thought it was dead in the water!
<img src="http://i1195.photobucket.com/albums/aa391/synner313/tumblr_lckjx0eniA1qbxnug.gif" border="0">
yep. pretty much.
but HAYMITCH MOAR HAYMITCH
<img src="http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l162/evilme28/blowingfire.gif" border="0">
and Voldy! you're back! so good to see you!
<img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac149/maquiladora7/qqcrd3jpg.gif" border="0">
wassuppp dude?! Long time no see! I see you've gotten your nose back! well done!
Hehe, I keep trying to imitate Voldy's hand movements up there, and am failing miserably.
Thank you for that hilarious Voldy gif, now I have soda sprayed all over the screen.
Oh..I also wanted to mention A) sounds like your “team Gale” B) I believe in book 1 Katnisss mentioned the peacekeepers but said something like they were more friends then enemies cause they didn’t enforce the Capital’s policies and C) Am I the only one who envisioned Steve Buschemi as Snow? Just reading his description and his odd face and overinflated lips..I see him all the way being cast, just like I always knew Patrick Stewart would be Professor X if an Xmen movie was ever made
President Snow DOES sound like a little funny-lookin guy, yeah…
Um, YES to Steve-Buschemi-as-Snow! I was picturing either him or Christopher Walken. Make it happen, movie… 😉
Oh man, you are right, Steve Buschemi is totally President Snow. That is exactly how I was picturing him without even realizing it.
Arrested development reference is made of win. Also, "dip that boy in some hummus, I'm hungry!" = lulz forever. Mark why are you too awesome.
OMS MARK YOU ARE NOT PREPARED.
(No, really. I just read like half of this book in a day. NOT. PREPARED)
Not sure if it's because he seemed pretty evil in the last book and FUCK or because he has snakelike eyes, but from now on President Snow=Voldemort for me.
Also, Mark, you're losing memory cells apparently because Katniss totally mentioned both the Peacekeepers and the fact that Gale's father was blown up in the first book.
As it turns out, I have really, really, really terrible self-control. I've read the series before, but I decided that I wanted to reread this one with you. I finished the book (again) last night. WHY?
I did the exact same thing!
Yep, I'm halfway through again. No self control whatsoever.
Yep. I managed to just reread along with Mark for THG but the entire time, whenever a chapter was done, I was so unsatisfied with the information we found out. This time, I was just going to reread the first section since I didn't think I could do the chapter by chapter again. I just finished Chapter 24. Oops?
😛 I wait for Mark to finish before I reread.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Mark and everyone 😀
I don't have any HG Christmas fanart, but I do have Harry Potter, and I don't think anyone will object to that right?
Happy Family by julvett
<img src=http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/046/a/c/Happy_Family_by_julvett.jpg>
<img src=http://www.chamberofkeys.com/fanart/photoshop/MWPPXmas.jpg>
<img src=http://mudblood428.com/art/RhrChristmas.jpg>
OMG the first two are SO SAD WHYYY?
sobbing forever.
-sobs along with you- They were so cute and happy together 🙁
Also, right after I posted this, Alex Carpenter released a new music video. It's sung from Teddy's POV and how he misses his family at Christmas, but finds a family in Harry and the Weasleys. :'(
[youtube hUX7KTR0YWs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUX7KTR0YWs youtube]
just out of curiosity, is the first one harry and ginny and james or is it james and lily and harry?
James, Lily, and adorable baby Harry when he was happy and had a family.
aw. sad 🙁
Aw cuteness, but so sad 🙁
I love these. So cute, yet so sad. Also, no wonder Pettigrew betrayed the Potters. They didn't invite him to their Christmas party!
The Ron/Hermione one is adorable but made me sad cause of the stocking that says Fred 🙁
It's from my favourite fanartist: http://www.mudblood428.com/artarchive.html
Oh, thanks for putting that. I forgot to.
Also, this is the reason I love prediction time soooo much. Mark's Prediction 4ish: "We will not see President Snow until the end of the book." Heh. Very close.
Am I the only one who saw "Peacekeepers" and immediately thought "FARSCAPE!" when I read this chapter for the first time?
I like that Haymitch is still as messed up as ever in this chapter, actually. Alcoholism isn't just something you can quit and move on from — kind of like the Games themselves, actually.
Not the only one! I've been thinking it this whole time.
And now I want to see Aeryn Sun in the Games, if only because she would own everyone ever. Unf.
Speaking of Farscape, has anyone seen best thing ever aka this: http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&am… :))))
No, you certainly were not. That's why I think President Snow is Scorpius, but not half as cool.
"I am reading Catching Fire via an e-book reader, so I’ve not seen any covers or summaries or those slightly irritating quotes "
Merline, you're lucky – I had to rip the cpvers of my copies, because they were smothered in quotes from Smeyer!!
But there's also a quote from John Green, whose never ending awesomeness wins out over Smeyer's world suck.
DFTBA!
never heard of him, so probably not on the UK edition…
Omg you get JOHN GREEN quotes?! No fair, we get Smeyer and Stephen King and The Times. I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE BOOK FIFTY TIMES MORE IF THERE HAD BEEN A JOHN GREEN QUOTE. DFTBA.
I think they should take a quote from this blog.
"This is so fucked up"
-Mark
OMG HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! MAY ALL OF YOUR WISHES COME TRUE!!!!!! GOD I AM SO CHEESY!!!!!! AND WHY CAN'T I STOP CAPSLOCKING?!?!?!?!?!
Ok, I will now read the review and say something thoughful about it, I just wanted to get into the season spirit BEFORE we get to the blood bath 😀
Yay the ride's starting!!!Two messed up things for me in this chapter– The scent of blood and roses together, which for some reason, my brain can imagine very disctinctly, and also that they made the school classes go down into the coal mines– even after some of them had relatives that died in mining accidents.
The mines are the heart of the local economy, and also the place that a good number of these children will end up working. Sensitivity takes a backseat to "this is essential information about your community and probably your future."
I understand about it being the heart of the community and essential for the children to appreciate it, and I'm all for the fields trips to show the children, it's just the "mandatory" part that I dislike.
I, for one, am curious why President Snow smells of a combination of blood and roses. What is wrong with him that there is a smell of blood? Are they covering up something else with the roses, attempting to drown the smell? I WANT TO KNOW.
Also – I totally wasn't expecting him to be there.
Okay … I'm on board! I still don't have the epubs loaded up … but I figured I remembered enough to play along for a couple chapters. Awesome sauce! 🙂
But Mark, a review on Christmas would be the greatest gift ~of all time~
Also, I read Mockingjay cover to cover in four hours last night. aal;kgjahgohaghajkdfghaklhgklsahl <—That's my review.
Can you blame Haymitch, really? He went though the HUNGER GAMES, and who knows what else. He has none in his life before Katpee. He's lonely, in pain, suffering from PTSD, and has to mentor two kids every year and watch them die. He's been an alcholic for 25 years, he's not going to stop because for once he got the kids out alive.
I have to agree. I'm not sure this is so much Collins foreshadowing something about Haymitch's past, but more just showing another horrible result of the Games. I'm interested to see more on how Peeta and Katniss are coping mentally and emotionally, because there didn't seem to be to much of that in this chapter. I'm sure it will come up more as they go on the Tour.
Haymitch is alcohol dependent. He needs it just to be baseline functional. But Haymitch is pretty smart and he knows what bad things are coming- this is his method of coping. It's worked for him over the last million years.
Thanks. Katniss describes that he has the DTs which is really serious in a place without decent medical care, and it's not like there's a Betty Ford Clinic in District 12. After all of these years, if he doesn't drink he cannot function, and because he doesn't have to keep Katniss and Peeta alive, there's no reason to stop drinking. I like Collins' honest portrayal of alcohol dependence and that she didn't just cast him as a loutish drunk.
Mark –
You allude to some unfinished fiction of yours. I think you've built a unique and loyal fanbase of your own here, made up of people who are at heart, readers. I think people would welcome any original fiction you wanted to post; fragments, vignettes, or gratuitous death scenes. How about you have a "Mark writes" week after this trilogy? (And, after that I wish you would read/review The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin.)
Yes please! I' d love to read more of your work. Your short plays, esp the epilogue, were really good!!!!!!
You know, it's more scientifically likely (if we are to take The Bible as fact) that Jesus was born in the spring. The shepherds were out herding their sheep at night, which they only did in the warmer months before they shaved them in the summer.
Also, Mary & Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem to be counted in the census, and I think I remember being told that was usually done in the spring or summer so that people wouldn't have to travel during the winter.
And now that I think about it even more, I'm pretty sure I learned this at church as a kid… I don't remember if it was part of the official Sunday School lesson or not (probably not, since the church I grew up in was… crazy) but I do remember someone explaining that the actual day of Christmas was more a symbol like the way eating crackers and drinking grape juice was a symbol of Christ's body for Communion.
I don't understand your comments about Haymitch at all. You don't suddenly stop having a physical and psychological addiction just because something okay happened.
My birthday's Sunday! 😀
Happy Birthday!
Thank you! 😀
I guess Snow showed up a bit earlier than expected =D
Now it has been a while since I actually read these books, and I'm working on the Vorkosigan books at the moment so haven't gone back to read them yet, but this chapter seems to imply that Hazelle is pregnant? Which makes NO SENSE AT ALL if it is now 6 months since the Hunger Games and that was like…years after her dad died. It may be that she isn't pregnant and it just reads that way from your quotes (and the fact that I can't remember there being a baby, but then I am not very good at remembering minor characters) but reading this post I was just 'wow, biology fail.'
If she has had the baby though then oops, my bad!
She was pregnant at the time of the mine explosion that killed her husband five years ago.
Ah my bad interpretation then! Thought it might be. Thanks!
And regardless of how I feel about this series, it’s always sort of fun to start like this, completely ignorant to how things unfold.
I agree. If I already know I'm going to read something regardless, I try to know as little as possible about it so that EVERYTHING is a surprise, even some of the basic worldbuilding aspects or what the general plot/focus of the book is. And although I do enjoy Big Twists, I hate knowing there's going to be a Big Twist at the end because then I'm anticipating it. I like surprises to catch me by, you know, surprise.
Also, in the comments of the final Hunger Games review, someone pointed out that he’s the bread boy and his name is Peeta. Dip that boy in some hummus, I’m hungry!
Ha ha ha ha, I never noticed that.
WHAT THE FUCK IS HE DOING THERE also I am a genius.
When you predicted that we wouldn't see President Snow until the end of the book, I laughed out loud. MORE LIKE END OF FIRST CHAPTER.
A wild president Snow appeared!
Also the peacemakers were mentioned in the first book. But I still enjoy the treecutters and cakemakers. Although we know cakemakers are still bakers because of Peeta.
yay! you started catching fire!
i hope you have a GREAT holiday! =)
hehe…he started catching fire…like he's on fire lawlz
punny.
lol i def. didn't think about it that way.
you win.
When I first "read" this series, I actually did so by audiobook. Once I was hooked, I didn't want to look up any information about it for fear of spoilers, so I actually had no idea how Peeta's name was spelled until after I finished the series. I thought it was spelled Pita or Peta, and always associated it with pita bread because that's how it was pronounced. The fun of audiobooks!
Gale and Katniss are Les Cousins Dangereux.
"Preferably French, I like the way they think." That has nothing to do with this but I can't help but quote AD.
I originally read THG over Thanksgiving break in two days. So this time, I was determined to read CF along with you. Someone checked it out at the library and its not in stock at my bookstore, so I had to read it online last night. I may have finished Mockingjay at 5 a.m. this morning. So much for reading along 😉
OMG Snow? What are you doing here so early in the book? And why do you smell like blood and roses? That is disgusting.
I was just wondering if anyone has read The Valisar Trilogy? I think that's a great series of books that Mark could read 😛 Merry Christmas all you guys.
Only thing I can really say about this review is "President Snow <3"
(Anti-beginning-of-Catching-Fire comment that earns negative seven thumbs.)
Catching Fire was better than the Hunger in some ways
Mark! I’ve read the trilogy, but am now going to reread Catching Fire with you. I must know: what kind of ereader are you using? I’m quite interested in hearing as many opinions as I can on ereaders! Thanks!
From the very first chapter of The Hunger Games:
Did Collins forget about this? Or is there another reason that no one but the tributes and their families seem any better off than they were before?
It's probably just media hype- give the hungry kids a few gifts and show the footage all year. Plus,that food is just food, no medicine, better education or safety in the mines. Just some extra food. :[
OMFG. I was searching online to read the first chapter… And accidentally read the first chapter of the third book. I was like: WTF, THIS IS WAAAAAAAAAAY INTO THE FUTURE, WHAT AN INFO-DUMP.
But no, I was just being stupid.
I hate myself.
Wow, you must have been SO confused.
I kept on hoping that it was an introduction to a flashback…
T___T
UGH. *reads the right chapter*
". . . he’s the bread boy and his name is Peeta." !!! I did not connect those dots.
I had no idea what HG or CF were about when I started them. Actually, someone told me they were vampire books.
Can't wait for chapter 2!
Anyone else picture Snow as Alan Rickman?
Yes. But there's probably no way it'll happen, since he's in Potter. 🙁
Oh, Hagrid’s birthday is tomorrow?
"Get it because he’s the bread boy. Also, in the comments of the final Hunger Games review, someone pointed out that he’s the bread boy and his name is Peeta. Dip that boy in some hummus, I’m hungry!"
LOLZ. I have to point out that my mom has called me "Pita" since I was a kid (only with a Dominican accent), for whatever inexplicable reason, and my brother is constantly making jokes about me being bread and he's gone with a hummus crack more than once. I feel for Peeta, I really do.
i really can not imagine reading this book chapter by chapter.
I predict…. that Peeta will suffer DEATH BY HUMMUS!!!
Sorry, was that a mega-spoiler?
We've got Snow at Christmas, get it?
"What I can’t figure out, though, is what the actual conflict is going to be, besides their efforts to maintain their romance."
You are so unprepared, Mark. More so than ever. How gross is it that President Snow smells like blood and roses though? I mean, just think of those two smells together. Ew.
People who keep saying that Snow smells like blood and roses:
Next chapter guys. Talk about his Voldemort eyes instead.
Happy 'Jesus was born or something' day Mark.
Actually, it does say that Snow smells like blood and roses in this chapter: "My nose registers the conflicting smell of roses and blood."
Uh, how do you do italiacs on here? Is it BBC code or HTML?
So this chapter was alright, with the opening of Katniss sitting in the pre-dawn darkness in solitude coming off as a good way to start the story. It picked up on the solemn, subdued tone that helps start sequels off and I think it'll be a good place for the film to start off.
I have a question though; isn't it a little ridiculous that Kat and Peeta are still in that awkward/sulking stage roughly 6 months after the last HG chapter? I can understand it being a difficult thing to mention, especially with their homecoming and settling into their new life as victors, but they've had half a year without one bit at reconciliation? As adverse as I am to Collins using them, I hope we at least get a bit of a flashback of them trying and it going horrible, or some sort of explanation as to why they seem to have let such a pressing issue sit stagnant for so long.
Merry Christmas! I had Christmas yesterday.
🙂
“because Jesus was born or something”
Really? That could be considered very offensive to some people.
I think the intent was more along the lines that obviously pretty much everyone in America knows exactly what Christmas is and means, regardless of what they believe, so it's more a joke along those lines. I do see your point, but I don't think it was meant to be an attack of any kind, especially considering the source.
I imagine Sting as President Snow.
Haymitch!
"Haymitch tosses his shirt somewhere into the mess. “Brrr. You two have got a lot of warming up to do before showtime.”"
…Why is Haymitch not wearing a shirt?
Because he's all man.
I think it says he's wearing an undershirt; he takes off the normal shirt after Katniss soaks him with the water to wake him up, and there's some mention to an equally disgusting/stained undershirt underneath.
(Also, the image of Haymitch without a shirt on is mildly scarring.)
"Is this the namesake pattern for a lot of things in this alternate future? Gamemakers, Peacekeepers, Cakebakers, Treecutters….sorry. That’s where my mind is going."
Hahaha this made me laugh. and I think that's the concept, idk.
"Also, in the comments of the final Hunger Games review, someone pointed out that he’s the bread boy and his name is Peeta. Dip that boy in some hummus, I’m hungry!"
Wow I just made that connection too, haha. That's genius.
Is chapter 2 up for anyone???
No, and I'm going crazy!
Me too!
MARK! 🙁 you're making me a sad girl, lol
I bet you're in a food coma from all the delicious food you ate yesterday….
How sad is it that I'm checking this site several times a day?
I have no life.
It's ok, neither do I.
I don't either…
I NEED YOUR CHAPTER 2 REVIEW SO I CAN LAUGH AT HOW UNPREPARED YOU ARE FOR CATCHING FIRE, MARK. GEEZ.
I need my Mark fix! Where are you?? 🙁
We're all sad here Mark! You've turned us all into reveiw-addicts!
I'm rereading along with you and that's the 3rd time today I've read the line about him smelling like blood and roses. Everytime I read it I cannot help but cringe. It's so beyond creepy to me.
Also, does anybody else notice that it starts to snow right before she sees Snow? Blunt Collins is Blunt.
HAHAHAHHA! I never noticed that.
Stupid me is stupid.
Okay guys, calm down! Before we all spontaneously combust, I checked his twitter.
"Will do my best to get reviews up today. If not, I will do two reviews in a day for both sites this week! Weeeee!"
Also, another tweet says he's been traveling all day on 2 hours of sleep. So let's all be patient, okay? 🙂
SNOW SNOW SNOW. What a freaky creepy scary man.
And it's also scary how his appearance and his bodyguard made it so awkward for Katniss to be in her own "home".
I never really understood Greasy Sae's importance in the whole trilogy. To me she's just going to be that lady who owns some sort of diner and serves wild animals and chunky soup.
And even if the love triangle doesn't seem legit. To me it's still one and I still despise it…Oh Well..
I'M EXCITED.
Turq,
Do we really want him to? ;D
I just noticed, but Katniss makes the same prediction about the book as you Mark! SHe thinks Effie will have a new color wig!!
Wait, really??? Was this mentioned in The Hunger Games? I don’t recall knowing this before now; that seems like a big detail to avoid sharing at all in the first book.
Uh, yeah it was definitely mentioned. Just ‘cos you don’t remember doesn’t mean it wasn’t written
You just connected Arrested Development and The Hunger Gamea. I love you.
er. *Games
Mark, I love you man but this review made me facepalm at least three times. Both Katniss and Gale's fathers were killed in the same mine explosion. It was mentioned when Katniss was in the Justice Building. That they had both been there before to accept medals in commemoration. And of course there are Peacekeepers! You mentioned them in your Hunger Games reviews! Several times! But the one that really makes me shake my head is that you never noticed that Peeta was a play on words! His name is Peeta and he is a baker's son. Like pita bread! I realized that before I even picked up the first book. Where is your reading comprehension, friend?