"The Hunger Games" - Book First or Movie First?

I've NEVER had a book ruin a movie, but I've had movies ruin books...

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Do NOT bother with the shallow "sort of OK" movie where the characters don't look like they should in relation to the story and what's happening to them (HELLO-They're ragged STARVING people from district 12, but in the movie they look like the cast from Dawson's Creek) etc. So much of the underlying meanings to ponder are completely lost in the movie. The movie is desensitizing, whereas the book is poignant. IF you are bored out of your mind with nothing better to do than burn two hours on a movie, then MAYBE see it AFTER the book, but its very disappointing if you have read the books.

The book however is MANDATORY contemporary fiction and AMAZING, a must-read for all. I was so mad that people let their teens go prancing to the movie without reading the book. It really short-changed them on an intellectual experience. I wouldn't have even wanted to read the book after seeing the movie, because why bother with all the details (many were wrong in movie) if you already know what happens? Anyway the movie changed one major detail in the beginning that made the whole thing sort of stupid if you really thought about it.

Anyway Hunger Games movie to Hunger Games book DOES NOT equal Lord of the Rings Movie to Lord of the Rings book.

It's not a great movie. They should have gotten a different director and cast.

But it is a great book.

5 moms found this helpful

BOOK BOOK BOOK!!!!

The book is so much better than the movie and it's a quick read.

JMO.

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read the book first. I started and couldn't put it down. I actually just tried watching the movie last night, and fell asleep. I'm afraid if you watch the movie first u may not want to read the book. haha

4 moms found this helpful

Read the book first.

Typically, I am very annoyed by movies based on books, because I already have a vision in my head and the books rarely even keep the facts from the books... Harry Potter, My Sister's Keeper, The Other Boleyn Girl are some of the ones where I read the book first and was soooo annoyed watching the movie!!! I have to view the movie as it's own creation, because if I try to compare it to the book I can't enjoy it. lol.

The Hunger Games actually did a great job following the book... There were a few holes, but at least they didn't flat out change anything! So I think it's nice to have the book in your head, so that you can know what's going on since they actually go together. :)

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Book first! Like others have said, the movie (to me) left important details out of the plot.

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I would definitely read the book first! I just read it for the second time and we bought the movie and watched it at home. I was just telling my husband that the movie, while good, makes a lot more sense if you've read the book. Due to the fact that they have to condense so much to fit it into a movie, there are definitely nuances that are in the book that are not in the movie. Enjoy!! I loved the series.

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Book first, always.

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Book first!! You will read it in no time, and then you can watch the movie. The series was awesome!

3 moms found this helpful

oddly enough this would be one i would watch the movie first. they are different, but i think it would be neat to *see* the characters and then feel them be developed sooo much more in the book. Plus the special effects would add to your appreciation of the book.
If it weren't such a trendy book/movie i might feel diff, but that's how i would do it,

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We just watched the movie for the first time 2 days ago.
We actually were not very happy with it, there were a lot of holes in the story and things we just didn't understand.
We talked to some friends who are HUGE Hunger Games fans, and they told us that the movie left out REALLY important story line stuff.
And after they filled in a couple of the details, we loved the story then.

For this reason, so that you completely "get" what is going on, I recommend reading it first.

I am starting the book now.
I have been told it is WAY better :)

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You will probably like the movie either way...it is a fantastic story. However, it may be easier to understand if you read the book first. Although, I think that can also be applied to almost any movie that is based on a book :)

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Yes! Read the book first. It is a quick read, and well worth it. I think you will enjoy the movie much more this way.

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It didn't take me long to read the books, still haven't seen the movie yet.

Books always have more to them, there are things one can do with words that you just can't do on film with out it being goofy or confusing.

When in doubt, read the book. If you're a quick reader the movies won't be tempting you for long. :)

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Hi queen-

I am ALWAYS a fan of 'read the book first'.

My kiddos and I have often had a 'field day' 'casting' characters...and discussing screen play ideas.

But...whatever you do...

"may the odds be ever in your favor"...

LOL

best luck!
michele/cat

3 moms found this helpful

Oh, Oh, Oh,
the BOOK first.
My son and I read the series
His school took them to see the movie
He was disappointed in the movie and insists that the book was better.

Let's face it, you cannot fully develop character nuance in a movie. Words paint a much more complete "picture", often including the characters' thoughts and feelings in ways a movie cannot. With words, your mind can create the image. With movies you are given the images.

While we often see movies based on books, we only do so after we read the books, and while we enjoy the movies, having read the books first usually makes the movie a richer experience.

NOTA BENA: Love in the Time of Cholera was fantastic, wasn't it?

3 moms found this helpful

I always read the book before I see the movie. It is so much better that way:)
The movies are always missing stuff from the book so I read first so then my mind will fill in the blanks so to speak.

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Definitely read the book first! (It only took me 2 days)

The movie was ok, but left out some details I thought were important. Besides, the books are always better, and you can picture the characters in your head the way you want them to look.

Happy Hunger Games!

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In our home, it's always book first, movie second. You're not allowed to watch the movie until you finish the book.

Why? Because it's easy to sit and watch a 2 hour (or in the case of Harry Potter, 3 or more) movie. Reading allows you to expand your imagination, work on your reading skills, and understand the English language better. (If you don't understand a word in a book, you go look it up. If you don't understand a word in movie, they move on so fast you don't have a chance to even think about it!)

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BOOK! There is SOO much more charachter development and understanding of things that happened that they had to skip and alter for time's sake. I was not upset by these things having read the book first - but my fiance did the reverse and now regrets not making the book a priority on his reading list.

btw was able to just sit and read the book (ty daddy!) took 6hrs in total (including short breaks/food/potty time).

3 moms found this helpful

BOOK! I read the book first. Then saw the movie with my non-having-read-the-book-friend. She said she was glad I had explained some things first b/c she was confused at varying parts of the books and the whole premise (the districts being governed by the capitol, and the uprising that had occured in the past, and so forth).

btw - the book is way better. They did a good job with the movie, but left out a lot of details - like the whole Mockingjay pin - She did not aquire it the same way in the book as she did in the movie! And she was allowed to wear it into the arena - not like it was hidden on her in the movie. And the whole "hunger" theme - my friend (who hadn't read the book) said that the movie didn't really show the hunger that the people in the districts deal with. I agree that the book really did go into more depth with the foods, lack of food, types of foods that only the Capitol gets, etc.

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The book is SO much better than the movie!! If you read the book you will know the true story. The movie didn't follow the book at all I didn't think. My hubby has read the book too, and we watched the movie together and we thought it was terrible.

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I always try to read the book first! Hunger Games is a quick and engaging read. And since you already know which actors play who, you can imagine them in place and not be weirded out when katniss looks nothing like you imagined her.

Sidenote- ditto Jenna M about My Sisters Keeper and Other Boleyn Girl. I too get annoyed when they do a bad job adapting a book to screen. Especially when they pick the wrong actor to play the part. Cameron Diaz as the mom? What? I also thought the Lovely Bones was mildly disappointing as a movie but couldn't put my finger on why...

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Either way! My daughter and I read them first, and were not upset about stuff after watching the movie. My other daughter is now reading the book after seeing the movie and is liking the book. It was a movie that made my husband want to read the book, which almost NEVER happens with him.

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Any time there is a movie/book combo that I even THINK I want to read the book, I choose to read the book first. Otherwise, when you try to read the book, you have someone else's "vision" of what everyone looks like and the scenery and clothes and EVERYTHING all mixed up in your head. And you can't make your own vision in your mind's eye. Drives me crazy to be reading a novel and some actor face keeps popping into my head, instead of letting the author's words craft a visual image for me.

The ONLY time I have ever done the opposite (saw the movie first) was with Lord of the Rings. And I was glad I did. I read The Hobbit as a tween, and I remembered there being SOOOOO many various "characters" (creatures) that I had a hard time keeping them straight. The Lord of the Rings was like that also, and actually seeing on the big screen that "Aragorn" was a man, and "Gimly" was a dwarf, and Galadrial (?) was a forest queen/elf (or whatever she was), and "Legolas" was an elf, "Treebeard" was an Ent, and on and on and on.... That made reading all the names much easier.

In a way, the name thing was reminiscent to me of Dostoyvski's "Crime and Punishment", as I had a terrible time keeping the characters straight reading that, because the names were so foreign.

Other than that, I would always (if I know in advance that I want to read the book) choose to read the book first.

I did not plan to read "True Grit", and thought the recently made one so outstanding, that I bought the book and read it after, though. So did both my kids (read the book after, b/c they liked the movie so much).

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I try to always read the books first, for any movie that is made from a book. The books provide so much more background than a 2 hour movie ever could. A lot of times it makes the movie seem different if you don't have the back stories. I know my sister and I have disagreed on a lot of movies that were made from a book. She didn't read the book and I did, so we had different perspectives.

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I love the Movie!! I already read the book before the movie even I know whats going to happen. I love to read! There's also this great book called the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson. Yes, they're for older kids, but I ended up reading it anyways, my daughter got caught up in reading them, the last book came out on the 6th. They're making a movie next year, gonna see it too! But you should both watch Hunger Games, and read the book.

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I didn't read the book. Don't plan to.
But I did see the movie recently on Netflix streaming, sans kids.
I was not impressed with the movie.
I don't know what the hype was all about.

*Edit: read your update. Ya know what fiction series is really great and fun? Its called "The Mysterious Benedict Society." New York Times Best Seller. I loved that series. I read book 1, then had to get the rest in the series. Its a so called kids book, but adults are reading it too. Nice thick book but quick reading, because once you start, you won't want to put it down. Its my daughter's book. But its a great book. 5-Star ratings.

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The movie is only 2 hours.

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If there's anything I learned from Harry Potter, it's that sometimes movies leave plot holes that the books fill in. If you watch the movie first, you might be unimpressed because it's not very deep, or they didn't explain this or that very well. If you read the book first, you can then watch the movie and understand its depth in relation to the books.

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I haven't read this book or seen this movie, but I am almost ALWAYS a proponent of read the book first (unless the book is actually based on the movie).

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I still have not seen the movie...hopefully tonight! I love Vudoo!

But I have heard both...read this book first...then watch or watch then read.

I absolutely love this series...hands down my favorite series ever.

Movies to me are never quite as good as the books. I have learned to separate the two. I see the movie as someone elses vision, not mine.

Just like with the upcoming Reecher movie...Tom Cruise was not my vision of the character of Lee Reecher. To me the casting or director didn't read the Reecher series...he's a big tall, muscular man...not short and skinny!