Welcome to the Hunger Games read-along! Beginning July 1st, 2010, we will be reading and chatting about one chapter a day of both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins in anticipation of the release of Mockingjay on August 24th.

In the unlikely event that this is your first read of these amazing books, welcome! And more importantly, beware of spoilers! There will be spoilers.







Saturday, August 14, 2010

Catching Fire Chapter 18

Sorry for the late post, all!  I had brunch to attend to.  Then I had the best strawberry ice cream of all time.  But I digress...

End of Part II!  In which Cinna takes a bow, Peeta tells the world that he and Katniss are married, and that she's pregnant.  Instead of freaking out and being angry, Katniss understands his motivations and rolls with it.  She's growing and learning, everyone!   Finally!  The victors stand, united.  The Capitol is in an uproar!  They can't stand it!  Katniss says "We'll never see Effie again."  And guys, I hope it's not true.  I've become rather attached to Effie.

Katniss gets into her sheer blue jumpsuit with purple belt and nylon shoes.  Hmm, not as bad as it sounds!  Although Chaff might look a little sillier...but then Cinna!  Noooooooo!  CINNA!  Can you  hear me?  I'm coming to save you!

So, when he's being creepy and showing off his watch, Plutarch Heavensbee mentions that they build the arenas very early (as they must).  But how appropriate for the girl on fire to come up into an arena filled with water.  Is this a coincidence?  Hmm, PK9, no landmines here.  How do you think they keep the tributes/victors on their plates?

Someone asked why Cinna isn't dead yet.  True, he's up to no good.  But I'm sure the Capitol knows he has ties everywhere, and if he's in on any sort of rebellion, then he must know a lot.  Worth more alive than dead?  Anyone want to weigh in?

How do you think the Capitol's reaction to the interviews will aid (or not) the resistance?  Can those silly people, who clearly never thought about how the world works, be of any use in a rebellion?  What will they really be fighting for if they get involved?

Get ready with predictions, everyone!  We'll have a special post for them a week from Monday.

Also, what about Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Cinna?  He looks hot in a suit, and has a quiet mischief about him that could be good...

7 comments:

  1. The majority of this post was written last night, prior to my reading of Heather's post:

    I find it interesting that last year Peeta was being completely honest about his feeling and Katniss was just playing along for the benefit of the audience, while this year Peeta’s coming up with all the lies. Although Katniss' reaction is pretty funny. It sounds like she just got the results of an EPT: "Darn it, I'm knocked up. And I missed out on the fun part too."

    Just to finish up the question from last time (since the interviews weren’t completed until this chapter)… Going on the theory that Snow changed the Quarter Quell to get back at Katniss and/or to stomp out any rebellion, I can picture him thinking “oh… crap…” as the whole thing blows up in his face during the interviews and the anthem. This is what you get when you put seasoned veterans into the interview chairs instead of terrified kids with 8 hours of training. People who have been mentors, have interacted with sponsors. People who know how to win the crowd. And now there’s a possibility of an uprising starting in the Capitol itself.

    It’s obvious they delayed Katniss’ launch so she can witness them beating Cinna senseless, but then what? Are they going to execute him? Make him into an Avox? How do they make that distinction? Why did Seneca Crane get executed for bumbling the Games and the redhaired girl get turned into an Avox for running away from the Capitol? And back to the question asked earlier, where do they find people loyal enough to be Peacekeepers willing to beat up a well-liked Capitol celebrity? OH. I just remembered what this reminds me of! Deitrich getting black-bagged in V For Vendetta! Why is it that oppressive governments in fiction always have thousands of goons/Fingermen/Stormtroopers who are loyal to the oppressors and sadistic in their enjoyment of their job?

    How the hell did Katniss get pushed up from underground into an ocean without a) getting soaked and b) seeing that she was coming up through water? And does this mean there are no land mines so she can leave her plate right away? [ETA: We're on the same wavelength, Heather! I wonder if the landmines have been abandoned as a result of my boy from last year? Maybe what he did could be interpreted as an act of rebellion as well?]

    The question that has me debating whether to just go on and read chapter 19 right now, “is she even in the arena?” Did they dump her alone somewhere in the ocean? Are the other 23 tributes also in the water in a circle surrounding the Cornucopia? Or perhaps there’s no Cornucopia this year and the tributes are being launched from random places all over the map? Argh. I think I can sleep on this.

    [For the record, I did sleep on it, and I am going to start chapter 19 in a minute]

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  2. One more thing: Haymitch says "remember who the enemy is". My interpretation is that Katniss would say the "enemy" is the Capitol, what do you guys think?

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  3. I agree, P. I think he's reminding her to keep the big picture in mind, rather than focusing on the other victors.

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  4. But if Katniss is on a suicide mission, how is the Capitol relevant to the last few days of her life?

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  5. But if she dies, who will narrate? ;-)

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  6. Yes to PK9 and Heather, I agree K should read Haymitch's comment to mean, "Remember that the Capitol is your enemy, not the other tributes." Which means this whole thing is bigger than the one-on-one face-offs in the arena where PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE. Lucky for Haymitch, K agrees this thing is bigger than her life, and thinks she would be an effective martyr for the rebels. Martyrdom? Yikes!

    Say, Heather, are links to the blue bodysuit, purple belt, and swimmy shoes a sneak peek at your costume for WORD's Katniss-look-alike competition on book release night? Please say yes!!

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  7. Sarah, I SO do not look like Katniss, that I'm not even going to make a stab at that one. But I do volunteer to help you with an outfit. :) Consider me your Cinna, if you want (although I'm terrible with braids).

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