The Hunger Games movie comes out today. I thought it would be fun to bring up some fun facts for all the fans. Check out this blog tomorrow for my thoughts on the novel.
Buy The Hunger Games Trilogy Set
1 ) Author Suzanne Collins (website) said she got the idea for The Hunger Games while surfing channels and seeing people competing on a reality show and footage of the invasion of Iraq. The two blurred and an idea was formed.
2 ) The Hunger Games’ initial print was 200,000, bumped up from 50,000
3 ) The book has been translated to 26 different languages
4 ) Suzanne Collins is the first children’s or YA author to sell over a million Kindle eBooks and, as of March 2012, Collins is the best selling Kindle author of all times.
5 ) The Hunger Games can also claim 29 of the 100 most highlighted passages in Kindle eBooks and, at the time of this post, Collins has written 17 of the top 20 most highlighted passages.
6 ) The novel ranks fifth on the American Library Association of most banned books for 2010 for being “sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and violence.”
7 ) Suzanne Collins noted that some of the themes in The Hunger Games are “severe poverty, starvation, oppression, and the effects of war among others”.
8 ) The bird on the cover of the book is a Mockingjay – a genetically engineered bird.
9 ) Even though the reviews for The Hunger Games were mainly positive, some critics were saying that it was similar to the 1999 novel Battle Royale by Japanese author Koushun Takami. However, author Stephen King noted that the TV series Badlands as well as the novels The Running Man and The Long Walk (both written by King) are all similar to Battle Royale. Collins on her part maintains that she have never heard of Battle Royale before her book was “turned in”.
It is now generally accepted that both The Hunger Games and Battle Royale, while similar, have “enough possible sources for the plot line that the two authors might well have hit on the same basic setup independently”.
By the way, conveniently the release of Battle Royale‘s DVD is scheduled for today.
Coincidence? I think not.
10) The Hunger Games have received numerous awards including:
Zohar – Man of la Book
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Funny how that worked out ;-). Fun post.
i think that is totally right about the book i love it and be honest do you like the hunger games?
Yes, I did like it: http://manoflabook.com/wp/?p=5068
I haven't watched Battle Royale yet even though I have the DVD sitting on a shelf at home(because I know the story and I don't think I can take it)
But I am planning to catch The Hunger Games today since I am a fan of the series (but I admit the last book bored me to the point I put it away for about a year before finishing it.)
Lilian, I understand that Battle Royale, the movie, is very good.
Who are you to criticize? You're a man after my own heart, that's who. I love the dystopian themes and world building, but I have to grit my teeth against all the angsty teen trappings. And the names? It's as if Collins wants you to make fun of them.
But I agree with you on what you said at the beginning of the review--can't let our wives out-read us, now can we?
Thanks Jonathan. I also got the impression that Collins is having fun with the names. Maybe it's part of the dry humor in the book.
No, we cannot let the wives out-read us, LOL. Even though I just bought my wife 50 Shades of Grey but I don't think I'll be reading it.
Thanks Zohar for that request i like that book to and hunger games totally sweet