Entertainment Weekly: Suzanne Collins Shares Her Favorite Books
Entertainment Weekly: Which classic have you never read—but pretended you did?
Suzanne Collins: I sort of half read Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge. It was assigned in 10th grade, and I just couldn’t get into it. About seven years later I rediscovered Hardy, and consumed four of his novels in a row. Katniss Everdeen owes her last name to Bathsheba Everdene, the lead character in Far From the Madding Crowd. The two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts.
What book would you use to swat a fly?
I try to catch flies in cups and put them outside. After I wrote The Underland Chronicles…well, once you start naming cockroaches, you lose your edge.
Tell us what your favorite childhood books were.
I’ve had a lifelong love of mythology, so I’d have to top the list with Myths and Enchantment Tales, by Margaret Evans Price, which belonged to my mom when she was a girl, and D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. Fiction standouts include A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle; The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer; and Boris, by the Dutch writer Jaap ter Haar, which I still think is one of the best war stories written for kids. Unfortunately, it seems to be out of print in this country.
Are there books you’ve gone back to and read over and over again?
It’s embarrassing to admit how many times I’ve reread the following: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, 1984, Lord of the Flies, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Germinal, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and A Moveable Feast.
Is there a book that scared the pants off you?
The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston. I just read it a few weeks ago. Still recovering.
Is there a book you always meant to pick up but never did?
The Idiot. I read several stage adaptations when I worked for the Classic Stage Company, so I have a general idea of the story, but that’s a different experience. And I love Dostoyevsky’s writing, so I’ve been meaning to read it ever since.
What do you want to read next?
Okay, well, now it has to be The Idiot. Next book I buy.
Well, Lauren and Matt wrote a song about THG and it’s like a duet between the two… I put a link earlier if you wanna listen
Oh, and she asked who sang it and Lauren is part of a wrock band called The Moaning Myrtles…
heard it, it’s cool…
I looked it up on youtube tthe moment you explained it…
hehe ok =) I’m a little bit too excited about it since I’m home alone and can listen to it as much as I want. What are you doing?
Drawing…
and waiting for the contest
Cool! I haven’t drawn in quite a while… Anything HG related?
Um I drew the mockingjay pin… and a picture of instant noodles….
You should post it in the forums… I saw they have a thread for Mockingjay pin drawings, but no one posted any.
Okay, zoned out for a bit. I can’t listen yet because I can’t find my headphones.
Also: you guys are lucky you can draw. I fail at drawing anything other than the sun.
oh it’s pretty rubbish
hey have you heard CHANGE by Taylor Swift it kinda relates to katniss n peeta in the games…
The way peeta want’s to give up a bit then he regains strength when katniss helps him… it’s pretty cool
No, but I’m gonna listen to it now. I kinda like Taylor Swift anyway
Have you got a HG playlist?
haha, I had a mockingjay badge but I lost it at tesco… GRRRR…. I got it for free and it’s the kind of badge kimmy’s giving out with the tshirts…
:’(
Oh, that’s too bad… But you’ll get anotherone with the book, right? I can’t buy them here, but I make a mockingjay necklace that I’m pretty pleased of ^_^
haha, you heard the song yet?
I made* :sigh: I guess I’m pretty tired…
Yep, I like it, but didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics except in the beginning. I knew it XD It’s nice, if I make a playlist, It’ll be on it.
me too, been waiting all day for the contest
haha I recommended for MMonday but hmmmm
I’ve got a cold… in summer…. 40 degrees(Celsius) outside… Hmpf! On the bright side, I might actually see the contest in time
god it’s 8.38 pm here……. I’m tired
It’s nearly 23 here… aren’t you from the us?
poor you
I’m probably going to go to bed soon cause I only had 3 hours of sleep last night..
UK….
Oh, that’s cool XD It’s not bad, I usually stay up really late cause I like reading at night the best. It’s the first time that I’m up now and not reading, since I’ve got the cold and would rather listen to music…
Any other songs that remind you of THG? ;;)
hmmmm not really… but Parachute by Cheryl Cole sprung into my mind but it’s nothing like HG
Okay, I’ll give it a try. Btw, Change seems like the perfect fit for the Districs against the Capitol.
Haha true true
Well… Now we know that she’s a bookworm.
YAYY!
Those sound like some interesting Books… I need to read them…
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>–|-)> Girl on Fire
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Wow, pretty cool selections. Yay for Suzanne.
I wonder when they’re gonna post the competition…
You and me both! They should post it effing soon!!!
Here we go again, waiting for the contest to start. I’m so ready!
ME TOO.. I have been waiting all day.. Anyway, its “tomorrow” today (if anyone got that, haha), so they should have posted already.
Suzanne Collins is a true genius
so true
I LOVE LORD OF THE FLIES!!! XD
I Loved The Enemy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“well, once you start naming cockroaches, you lose your edge”
Ahahah! I agree. After that series, I was a lot nicer to bugs.