Hunger Games: "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes"

ISUChippewa

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2006
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So, maybe a bit random, but I read the book when it came out in 2020 and saw the movie this afternoon. I really enjoyed both a lot, although naturally the book is better, but not by much IMO.

Any other readers or movie viewers have any thoughts or opinions?
 
My middle daughter is a huge fan of the books and movies. Saw it opening night and she loved it. I couldn’t get the image of Eminem out of my head though. Rachel Ziegler can really sing, I’ll give her that. It was good.
 
My middle daughter is a huge fan of the books and movies. Saw it opening night and she loved it. I couldn’t get the image of Eminem out of my head though. Rachel Ziegler can really sing, I’ll give her that. It was good.

I had never seen nor heard of that actor before (Tom Blyth?), but I thought he was excellent in that role. Really good cast from top to bottom; anytime you can get Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage in important but supporting roles you're doing something right.
 
So, maybe a bit random, but I read the book when it came out in 2020 and saw the movie this afternoon. I really enjoyed both a lot, although naturally the book is better, but not by much IMO.

Any other readers or movie viewers have any thoughts or opinions?
Was the book better than Mockingjay? That was such a slog to read.
 
I want to throw in that I am weird. I've never seen any of the movies in this series at all.
I was forced to go and watch this movie with the rest of the family. I had never read the books or seen any of the movies. It kept my attention the whole 3 hours and was well done, but for most of it I was like WTH is this, and who dreams this crap up.
 
Was the book better than Mockingjay? That was such a slog to read.

It's always subjective, of course, and I really enjoyed all of the books in the series, including Mockingjay, but I actually think I enjoyed "Ballad..." more than the other books. It is a long book (500+) pages, but it does a great job of world-building of the earlier days of Panem and the Capitol and it did a great job of showing how the Games evolved (or maybe devolved?) from their early stages to the grand spectacle they became in the original trilogy. Great character development as well.
 
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It's always subjective, of course, and I really enjoyed all of the books in the series, including Mockingjay, but I actually think I enjoyed "Ballad..." more than the other books. It is a long book (500+) pages, but it does a great job of world-building of the earlier days of Panem and the Capitol and it did a great job of showing how the Games evolved (or maybe devolved?) from their early stages to the grand spectacle they became in the original trilogy. Great character development as well.
I've read the original trilogy but was confused what this was. So it's basically a prequel?
 

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