Jayson’s Reviews > The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes > Status Update
Jayson
is starting
Notes:
(1) Some of you might recall that I did an audiobook re-read of "The Hunger Games" trilogy late last year. Well, the whole purpose of that was to prep myself for reading this book.
- The problem is I forgot, lost urgency and it got lost in the shuffle.
- I'm sure most people here know the feeling, when you buy a book, you either read it straight away or it sits around on a shelf until you're in the mood again.
— Dec 23, 2021 04:30AM
(1) Some of you might recall that I did an audiobook re-read of "The Hunger Games" trilogy late last year. Well, the whole purpose of that was to prep myself for reading this book.
- The problem is I forgot, lost urgency and it got lost in the shuffle.
- I'm sure most people here know the feeling, when you buy a book, you either read it straight away or it sits around on a shelf until you're in the mood again.
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is on page 518 of 528
Notes:
(1) Yeah, I just finished the book and I still don't know what the heck to think about it.
- Whereas "Mockingjay" similarly required time mull over its ending, it was a much more exciting book, punctuated with action. This, on the other hand, was slow throughout and ended with a head-scratcher.
(2) On the bright side, the thing I dreaded would happen because of the midpoint plot twist, didn't end up happening.
— Jan 04, 2022 04:30PM
(1) Yeah, I just finished the book and I still don't know what the heck to think about it.
- Whereas "Mockingjay" similarly required time mull over its ending, it was a much more exciting book, punctuated with action. This, on the other hand, was slow throughout and ended with a head-scratcher.
(2) On the bright side, the thing I dreaded would happen because of the midpoint plot twist, didn't end up happening.
Jayson
is on page 471 of 528
Notes:
(1) '"Hey, you found some katniss" ... but [Lucy Gray] immediately examined the roots, from which small tubers hung. “Little too early yet."'
- How awfully meta.
(2) Less than 50 pages from the end, and I still don't know what to think of this.
- By now, books would be in tidying-up mode, but what appears to be the climax doesn't feel built up enough to cap off this book, it feels like the end of a second act.
— Jan 04, 2022 05:50AM
(1) '"Hey, you found some katniss" ... but [Lucy Gray] immediately examined the roots, from which small tubers hung. “Little too early yet."'
- How awfully meta.
(2) Less than 50 pages from the end, and I still don't know what to think of this.
- By now, books would be in tidying-up mode, but what appears to be the climax doesn't feel built up enough to cap off this book, it feels like the end of a second act.
Jayson
is on page 391 of 528
Notes:
(1) The whole book I wondered why Lucy Gray Baird was called "Lucy Gray" while everyone else is referred to by their first name. Apparently, her first name is "Lucy Gray".
- It isn't a double-barreled surname, her people have double first names, with the second a common surname.
- Something that could have been explained 250 pages ago!
(2) The romance is going too well. I feel like tragedy's around the corner.
— Jan 03, 2022 05:15AM
(1) The whole book I wondered why Lucy Gray Baird was called "Lucy Gray" while everyone else is referred to by their first name. Apparently, her first name is "Lucy Gray".
- It isn't a double-barreled surname, her people have double first names, with the second a common surname.
- Something that could have been explained 250 pages ago!
(2) The romance is going too well. I feel like tragedy's around the corner.
Jayson
is on page 351 of 528
Notes:
(1) Collins seems to only know how to write one kind of female lead.
- Practically perfect in every way, who boys pine after.
(2) About 60% in, and it's a totally different book.
- It could have just ended there, and the rest could be Part 2 of a duology.
(3) Oh no! They're not doing what I think they're doing to link this to the main series!
- No spoilers, please.
(4) How very "Game of Thrones" Night's Watch.
— Jan 02, 2022 04:40AM
(1) Collins seems to only know how to write one kind of female lead.
- Practically perfect in every way, who boys pine after.
(2) About 60% in, and it's a totally different book.
- It could have just ended there, and the rest could be Part 2 of a duology.
(3) Oh no! They're not doing what I think they're doing to link this to the main series!
- No spoilers, please.
(4) How very "Game of Thrones" Night's Watch.
Jayson
is on page 255 of 528
Notes:
(1) Of course, being an Ancient Rome analogue, this society unsurprisingly has their own variation of public crucifixion.
- 20' high poles with a crossbeam sounds remarkably similar to American football uprights.
(2) It's a running joke that very few people in Panem actually know the national anthem.
- Possibly a commentary on indifference to national unity in the Capitol: anthems being symbolic of nationhood.
— Dec 30, 2021 05:20AM
(1) Of course, being an Ancient Rome analogue, this society unsurprisingly has their own variation of public crucifixion.
- 20' high poles with a crossbeam sounds remarkably similar to American football uprights.
(2) It's a running joke that very few people in Panem actually know the national anthem.
- Possibly a commentary on indifference to national unity in the Capitol: anthems being symbolic of nationhood.
Jayson
is on page 206 of 528
Notes:
(1) Whenever Coriolanus frets over the possibility Lucy, or Tigris, aren't as chaste as he naively presumed, I hear Britney Spears singing: "I'm not so innocent!"
(2) This is turning out to be quite the Jane Austen romance.
- Well, except for all the murder... and explosions... and allusions to prostitution... and ritual humiliation... did I mention murder?
(3) Tigris like to eat raw meat.
- A bit on the nose.
— Dec 29, 2021 05:40AM
(1) Whenever Coriolanus frets over the possibility Lucy, or Tigris, aren't as chaste as he naively presumed, I hear Britney Spears singing: "I'm not so innocent!"
(2) This is turning out to be quite the Jane Austen romance.
- Well, except for all the murder... and explosions... and allusions to prostitution... and ritual humiliation... did I mention murder?
(3) Tigris like to eat raw meat.
- A bit on the nose.
Jayson
is on page 157 of 528
Notes:
(1) There's a lack of distinction among students. All the names are too alike, exotically Roman, and easily confusable.
- Contrast this with "Harry Potter," where student names were distinct, a bit stereotypically ethnic but distinct nonetheless, and gave an impression of appearance and voice.
- I'm having difficulty telling Clemensia from Lysistrata and Persephone. Make note of different hair color, at least!
— Dec 28, 2021 04:45AM
(1) There's a lack of distinction among students. All the names are too alike, exotically Roman, and easily confusable.
- Contrast this with "Harry Potter," where student names were distinct, a bit stereotypically ethnic but distinct nonetheless, and gave an impression of appearance and voice.
- I'm having difficulty telling Clemensia from Lysistrata and Persephone. Make note of different hair color, at least!
Jayson
is on page 100 of 528
Notes:
(1) Dr. Gaul, the Head Gamemaker, is inclined to speak in rhyme... frequently, not all the time.
- Might as well call her Dr. Seuss.
(2) Familiar names keep popping up. I assume Arachne Crane is related to Seneca Crane and Hilarius Heavensbee to Plutarch Heavensbee, for example.
- How very "Harry Potter."
(3) 100 pages in, and I'm not feeling the urgency of the original books.
- Sort of reads like fan fiction.
— Dec 27, 2021 04:15AM
(1) Dr. Gaul, the Head Gamemaker, is inclined to speak in rhyme... frequently, not all the time.
- Might as well call her Dr. Seuss.
(2) Familiar names keep popping up. I assume Arachne Crane is related to Seneca Crane and Hilarius Heavensbee to Plutarch Heavensbee, for example.
- How very "Harry Potter."
(3) 100 pages in, and I'm not feeling the urgency of the original books.
- Sort of reads like fan fiction.
Jayson
is on page 22 of 528
Notes:
(1) I don't like that Collins uses poverty to make Snow sympathetic.
- Feels cheap to me.
(2) Snow's cousin's named Tigris. I wonder if this is the same Tigris from "Mockingjay"?
- If so, it'd give her scenes there added meaning.
(3) Snow's family is bankrupt nobility, a contrast with his school rival, Sejanus, who's family is nouveau riche.
- Such a very Victorian trope. Odd to see outside of classics.
— Dec 26, 2021 04:45AM
(1) I don't like that Collins uses poverty to make Snow sympathetic.
- Feels cheap to me.
(2) Snow's cousin's named Tigris. I wonder if this is the same Tigris from "Mockingjay"?
- If so, it'd give her scenes there added meaning.
(3) Snow's family is bankrupt nobility, a contrast with his school rival, Sejanus, who's family is nouveau riche.
- Such a very Victorian trope. Odd to see outside of classics.
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Maja
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Dec 23, 2021 05:31AM
yepp, either read the book straight away or not even look at it for like 10 years 😂 looking forward to see your updates for this one!
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Yeah, I know that feeling XD I think one book was on my TBR at least for 5 years before I've read it 🙈🤣 And I hope you like the book. In my opinion, it's not as amazing as the original trilogy, but it was really great to get back into this world 🤗 And God, I ADORED the ending!
Maja wrote: "yepp, either read the book straight away or not even look at it for like 10 years 😂 looking forward to see your updates for this one!"Thanks, Maja! This should be an interesting one to opine about, I'm looking forward to the feedback. People seem to either love it or hate it. 😁
Sana wrote: "Yeah, I know that feeling XD I think one book was on my TBR at least for 5 years before I've read it 🙈🤣 And I hope you like the book. In my opinion, it's not as amazing as the original trilogy, but..."Thanks, Sana! I think everyone has that one book that they've been putting off forever, for whatever reasons. In my case, I have enough to collect dust on several shelves Lol
Happy you enjoyed the book. You've got me curious about the ending now 😅
"when you buy a book, you either read it straight away or it sits around on a shelf until you're in the mood again"More like 5 years later 😂
GridGirl wrote: ""when you buy a book, you either read it straight away or it sits around on a shelf until you're in the mood again"More like 5 years later 😂"
Lol Exactly, easily five years. I have many that have sat around significantly longer 😅
Pretty much, for me mental health stuff plays/played a part in it too and I didn't want my favorites ti be affected, if that makes sense
TL wrote: "Pretty much, for me mental health stuff plays/played a part in it too and I didn't want my favorites ti be affected, if that makes sense"I can see that. I suppose if you're in a bad mood or a bad place mentally, you wouldn't want that to spoil a book you've been looking forward to. Entirely understandable.
Jayson wrote: "TL wrote: "Pretty much, for me mental health stuff plays/played a part in it too and I didn't want my favorites ti be affected, if that makes sense"I can see that. I suppose if you're in a bad mo..."
It's tiring fighting your own brain 🧠
TL wrote: "It's tiring fighting your own brain 🧠"Boy, do I know that. My brain's always scheming to sabotage me 😅
You honestly don't need to remember anything from the original trilogy to understand this one. There's a few Easter eggs here and there that have a deeper meaning if you remember the trilogy but it's nothing too big that you'll miss out on
Oh, yes, such an accurate thing to happen. I want to read all of my unread books in 2022. Fingers crossed!
Shawna wrote: "You honestly don't need to remember anything from the original trilogy to understand this one. There's a few Easter eggs here and there that have a deeper meaning if you remember the trilogy but it..."Thanks, Shawna! That's good to know. You never can tell with prequels and such. I always try to maximize the reading experience if possible, but I also need to remind myself that recreational reading shouldn't be like studying for an exam Lol
Jayson wrote: "TL wrote: "It's tiring fighting your own brain 🧠"Boy, do I know that. My brain's always scheming to sabotage me 😅"
I can understand that!
Dana wrote: "Oh, yes, such an accurate thing to happen. I want to read all of my unread books in 2022. Fingers crossed!"Wishing you all the luck with that, Dana! A very noble goal. I've personally given up much of my TBR for a loss at this point. Though, if by some miracle I was able to manage that, I'd imagine it'd be such a relief. I'd throw a party and everything 🥳😁👍
TL wrote: "Jayson wrote: "TL wrote: "It's tiring fighting your own brain 🧠"Boy, do I know that. My brain's always scheming to sabotage me 😅"
I can understand that!"
Brains always be scheming... 😏
Jayson wrote: "I'm sure most people here know the feeling, when you buy a book, you either read it straight away or it sits around on a shelf until you're in the mood again."So, so true for me! 😅
Jayson wrote: "Dana wrote: "Oh, yes, such an accurate thing to happen. I want to read all of my unread books in 2022. Fingers crossed!"Wishing you all the luck with that, Dana! A very noble goal. I've personall..."
With lots of champagne and more books :D!
I also have a big stack of books I want to check and see if I still want to read or give away. :)
Alina wrote: "So, so true for me! 😅"It's one of the small things that unites us as reader 😁👍
Dana wrote: "With lots of champagne and more books :D!I also have a big stack of books I want to check and see if I still want to read or give away. :)"
That's smart. I'm not quite so disciplined about clearing my clutter. I don't know if I could ever give a book away if I hadn't read it already. I don't know if I could give away books I've read, for that matter. LOL
Jayson wrote: "Dana wrote: "With lots of champagne and more books :D!I also have a big stack of books I want to check and see if I still want to read or give away. :)"
That's smart. I'm not quite so disciplined..."
It's hard for me, too, but I want to discipline myself and declutter so I can feel more peaceful. :D
Dana wrote: "It's hard for me, too, but I want to discipline myself and declutter so I can feel more peaceful. :D"Yes, always a good reason. I find little things like that can go a long way toward making life feel less hectic :)
I'm a big mood reader so I feel you 😅 I've got books that have been part of the tbr pile for so long they should honestly start to pay rent 😂
booksNpenguins wrote: "I'm a big mood reader so I feel you 😅 I've got books that have been part of the tbr pile for so long they should honestly start to pay rent 😂"LOL That's so true. There are definitely books that feel like they're freeloader or squatters on my shelves 😅
(1) Collins seems to only know how to write one kind of female lead.- Practically perfect in every way, who boys pine after.
Not a surprise, I haven't seen any of Collins' female characters being anything but: (1) strong female, (2) long suffering victim, (3) passerby who does nothing important and (4) plotting evil bitch.
Johanna is the only female character that I can like.
(1) Of course, being an Ancient Rome analogue, this society unsurprisingly has their own variation of public crucifixion.
I haven't seen anything to prove that the society in the Hunger Games is anything related to Ancient Rome saves Collins' claim of the Hunger Games is inspired by he Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and the gladiator games.
Mizuki wrote: "Johanna is the only female character that I can like."I agree entirely. Though, Effie's an okay character.
Mizuki wrote: "I haven't seen anything to prove that the society in the Hunger Games is anything related to Ancient Rome saves Collins' claim of the Hunger Games is inspired by he Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and the gladiator games"
Oh, I don't know how you can't see it. The most obvious point is that everyone in the Capitol has Ancient Roman names, and the country itself, Panem, is Latin for "bread," from the famous Roman saying "Bread and Circuses." The Hunger Games being the "circus" part of the equation.
There are, frankly, too many similarities to mention: gladiatorial games (death fights for entertainment), career tributes being trained from birth (gladiator schools), autocratic government, a single city dominating outer provinces, tributes being paraded in chariots, provincial destitution versus urban decadence, etc., etc.
Where I think you might be confused is, perhaps, thinking that I'm saying Panem is directly descended from Ancient Rome. In a sense, the entire Western World is, though here, when I say "analogue," I'm merely saying that it's analogous.
Jayson wrote: "The most obvious point is that everyone in the Capitol has Ancient Roman names."I can't see it because I read the Chinese translation and so I guess the supposed Roman-names are lost in translation.
There are, frankly, too many similarities to mention: gladiatorial games (death fights for entertainment), career tributes being trained from birth (gladiator schools), autocratic government
These mean nothing, these are pretty much some blanket examples of an evil government which is unconcerned of human life.
Mizuki wrote: "These mean nothing, these are pretty much some blanket examples of an evil government which is unconcerned of human life."Well, you can believe it or not believe it. I'm just telling you what I, and pretty much everyone, sees as patently obvious. But, as you say yourself, you lost the overt Roman references in translation. Honestly, the exclusivity of Ancient Roman and Greek names should have been enough to lead most people to the conclusion that the whole of Panem is a Roman analogue. But, if you're not seeing it, you're not seeing it, and I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise :)
Jayson wrote: "Mizuki wrote: "These mean nothing, these are pretty much some blanket examples of an evil government which is unconcerned of human life."Well, you can believe it or not believe it. I'm just telli..."
It's not that I believe or disbelieve it, but outside of those Roman-sounding names and words, the other stuff are those general dystopian society stuff. It's not like Ancient Roman was the only society in history to make public shows out of violence and cruelty, or had an autocratic government.
Mizuki wrote: "It's not that I believe or disbelieve it, but outside of those Roman-sounding names and words, the other stuff are those general dystopian society stuff. It's not like Ancient Roman was the only society in history to make public shows out of violence and cruelty, or had an autocratic government."Sure, but Ancient Rome is the one society being pointed to and singled out by the use of Ancient Roman names. They aren't just Roman-sounding, they are historical Roman names. The names of the citizens and of the country itself are a big flashing neon sign saying "Hey, we're making a comparison to Ancient Rome here." It's not something that can just be dismissed as a creative choice or aesthetic quirk, it's too pervasive and intentional. It's not a general dystopian motif, it's a very specific and deliberate one. Too on the nose, for that matter.
Any direct comparison of anything can be broken down into its constituent pieces and made to apply to other things or be considered generic. That doesn't invalidate what's apparent in total.
Like I said before, you can be convinced by it or not. Obviously there's no swaying your opinion, so it's not worth the discussion. We're just spinning wheels at this point. I appreciate that you have an alternate opinion. We should agree to disagree.
