some thoughts on the 1st book

[SoldierMellark1]

I figured I'd finally try the series, and i got started with the book instead of the movie.

kinda funny that Stephenie Meyer has a quote on the cover, since she's not one to talk about good writing.

some great setting building, great enoguh to get me to keep reading, apparently. she had carved out a plac ein that heckhole, and I jsut knew it was going to get even worse.

I liked Peeta as soon as we heard of him and about him - such a great guy, and his father's really nice too. Peeta thinks he might have wanted daughters, makes sense for sucha  sensitive guy I suppose. it was awesome how Peeta challenged Haymitch on the train. Katniss was scared, but he was still competition at that point, so I understand. The interview was played brilliantly, hadn't seen the crush reveal twist comong. I wonder how long it took Katniss to fall in love with him and how long she was in denail about it - I suppose the tiem it took to stop seeing him as competition. It was great the skills he had in addition to fighting ability. I identified with katniss' habit of excessive cynicism, not wanting any help and underestimating oneself - Peeta seemed like a great counterpoint to all that.

The arena action moved fast, yet was still well described - the dehyradration, fireballs, Rue conversation, supplies destruction, all of it,. the cave scenes blue me away.

I wasn't sure whether they were actually gonan  let 2 win - well played, peeta and kastniss, well played. now things are really gettign interesting, great set up for the sequel. too bad Peeta and Katniss are growing apart already. she was scared of Gale though.

[Ivana2804]

I liked Peeta as soon as we heard of him and about him - such a great guy, and his father's really nice too. Peeta thinks he might have wanted daughters, makes sense for sucha  sensitive guy I suppose.

I forgot that detail, Peeta said his father might have wanted daughters? I've thought that this could have been the case, since the Mellarks had three sons over the space of just a few years, and from what we know about their marriage, I can imagine them popping out the kids soon after they got married (think about it, the Everdeens only had their first child when the Mellarks were having their third) and then not even sharing a bed anymore. Poor Peeta, yet another thing to reinforce his feeling of being unwanted and unimportant.

I don't think his dad was that nice - Katniss thinks he's nice because he was nice to her, and nice in comparison to his wife, but Mr Mellark seems like a weak man, he didn't protect his son (or sons) from physical and emotional abuse by his wife (either he was not observant or interested enough, or too afraid to stand up to her). He also told his five-year old son about having been in love with another woman and not being able to have her, before he married his mother, and it sounds like he talked like he was still hung up on that woman and wishes her daughter was his daughter - none of these were the things you should tell your child. His emotional intelligence doesn't seem too high. 

she was scared of Gale though.

Do you mean, she was scared of hurting Gale?

[SoldierMellark1]

I liked Peeta as soon as we heard of him and about him - such a great guy, and his father's really nice too. Peeta thinks he might have wanted daughters, makes sense for sucha  sensitive guy I suppose.

I forgot that detail, Peeta said his father might have wanted daughters? I've thought that this could have been the case, since the Mellarks had three sons over the space of just a few years, and from what we know about their marriage, I can imagine them popping out the kids soon after they got married (think about it, the Everdeens only had their first child when the Mellarks were having their third) and then not even sharing a bed anymore. Poor Peeta, yet another thing to reinforce his feeling of being unwanted and unimportant.

I don't think his dad was that nice - Katniss thinks he's nice because he was nice to her, and nice in comparison to his wife, but Mr Mellark seems like a weak man, he didn't protect his son (or sons) from physical and emotional abuse by his wife (either he was not observant or interested enough, or too afraid to stand up to her). He also told his five-year old son about having been in love with another woman and not being able to have her, before he married his mother, and it sounds like he talked like he was still hung up on that woman and wishes her daughter was his daughter - none of these were the things you should tell your child. His emotional intelligence doesn't seem too high. 

yeah, it's definitely in there, at some point before the arena. since I long sicne took my copy back to the library, I can't look up an exact page number.

well, when you put it like that...
In general, we do just see what Katniss sees.
i thought he was beign gracious about that woman choosing someone else, maybe it was an awkwards response to hearing about peeta's crush on katniss.
maybe he could be too nice to the point of being a pushover.

she was scared of Gale though.

Do you mean, she was scared of hurting Gale?

she seemed scared of Gale being angry at her for being in love with peeta or at least pretending to be. maybe she was worried aobut hurtign his feelings, but the angry explanation seemed more obvious towards the end.

[Ivana2804]

well, when you put it like that...
In general, we do just see what Katniss sees.
i thought he was beign gracious about that woman choosing someone else, maybe it was an awkwards response to hearing about peeta's crush on katniss.
maybe he could be too nice to the point of being a pushover.

Telling your 5-year old son that you used to be in love with a woman other than his mother and wanted to marry her but couldn't, generally isn't something one should do.

she was scared of Gale though.

Do you mean, she was scared of hurting Gale?

she seemed scared of Gale being angry at her for being in love with peeta or at least pretending to be. maybe she was worried aobut hurtign his feelings, but the angry explanation seemed more obvious towards the end.

Of course she was scared of hurting his feelings. She felt guilty. Maybe she was scared of losing their friendship. But she most certainly isn't "scared of Gale" - I can't believe you would even think that. 

[carolyn]

I agree with Ivanna.  I don't believe Katniss is afraid of Gale.  Katniss does not want to hurt the feelings of the handful of people she cares about, but even to those chosen few, she speaks her mind most of the time.  Every once in a while she censors her comments because she's afraid she'll hurt one of them.  She worries often about Gale's reaction to things.  That's not the same thing as being afraid OF Gale.

[lambstew]

If Katniss was ever scared of Gale it would be on their first meeting as a 12 year old. The tone of Gale in their first meeting was cool and intimidating when he thought that she was stealing his catch. But at that meeting she showed no sign of being scared, even warning the much bigger man that "stealing is punishable by death" when he wanted to inspect her bow! In that sense Katniss has no fears, but she does have constant fears of losing the ones she cares.

As for Peeta's father. I felt that he is a quiet gentle man in an unhappy relationship with a very angry and abusive woman. He wanted to be with Mrs Everdeen and probably still feeling envious when he pointed out Katniss to Peeta at school.

[SoldierMellark1]

If Katniss was ever scared of Gale it would be on their first meeting as a 12 year old. The tone of Gale in their first meeting was cool and intimidating when he thought that she was stealing his catch. But at that meeting she showed no sign of being scared, even warning the much bigger man that "stealing is punishable by death" when he wanted to inspect her bow! In that sense Katniss has no fears, but she does have constant fears of losing the ones she cares.

As for Peeta's father. I felt that he is a quiet gentle man in an unhappy relationship with a very angry and abusive woman. He wanted to be with Mrs Everdeen and probably still feeling envious when he pointed out Katniss to Peeta at school.

I didn't see it like that, i thoguht of Katniss being too nervous to say ner name clearly. but things could have been different several years later and with the romantic issues.

maybe he was hung up on Mrs Everdeen, but some other woman or stayign single might also have been good for him. that's exactly how I saw Mr. Mellark, ruined by the wrong woman. how he ended up with her is one of the mysteries of the series. m,aybe she used to be better. if so, what made her go bad - Peeta's crush and/or the Mrs. Everdeen hangup, or soemthing else? maybe it's because he got her pregnant the 1st time and they somehow ended up with 2 more.