Jayson’s Reviews > The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes > Status Update
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.
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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 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.
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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Virginia Ronan
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Dec 29, 2021 05:51AM
Haha! Now I have an earworm. Britney Spears's songs will do that to you. *lol* I think you're right about the Jane Austen romance. XD You could say it's a Jane Austen romance with... erm... a little spice? *lol* How are you enjoying it so far? I really liked it even though it was totally different than I expected it to be.
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Virginia Ronan wrote: "Haha! Now I have an earworm. Britney Spears's songs will do that to you. *lol* I think you're right about the Jane Austen romance. XD You could say it's a Jane Austen romance with... erm... a littl..."Yes, definitely its fare share of spice. Happy I'm not alone in thinking it's Austen-esque :)
I don't know quite what to make of the book so far. I guess I'm still in the "wait and see" frame of mind. It's a lot different than I expected it to be as well. When I caught wind that this was supposed to be about Snow, I didn't think they'd go so high school with it. Though, given this is the quintessential YA series, I shouldn't be so shocked. It's definitely interesting, and I'm not bored by it at all. Though, I'm not engrossed with it either.
You know, the more I get into this book, the more it reminds me of Mockingjay. There's a lot of political considerations and maneuvering going on, and Hunger Games-like action without being in an actual Hunger Games. If I'm correct about this, I predict a shocking twist ending in this one as well. Though, I'm only at the start of the Games in the book, so it could always go in a totally different direction.
I think you could turn this book into a drinking game. Every time Coriolanus is read take a shot. You’ll be smashed after two chapters
BAM wrote: "I think you could turn this book into a drinking game. Every time Coriolanus is read take a shot. You’ll be smashed after two chapters"Well, given it's the name of the main character, I'd say it's closer to two pages than two chapters Lol
That’s why I stopped reading it.his name is in pretty much every other sentence. Excessively used
BAM wrote: "That’s why I stopped reading it.his name is in pretty much every other sentence. Excessively used"I don't think it's so much the frequency of his name. He's the main character after all, and it's not like it's common practice to not use their names often. I think it's more so the complexity of his name. Something that flowed off the tongue a bit better would likely be less of a stumbling block when encountered.
I take it you haven't read Jane Austen's Juvenilia? There's quite a bit of murder in that. One of the characters murders her whole family. ;)
Bhavya wrote: "I take it you haven't read Jane Austen's Juvenilia? There's quite a bit of murder in that. One of the characters murders her whole family. ;)"As far as I understand, Juvenilia is a generic term for an author's teenage writing, often short stories or poems. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I presume you're referring to some short form collection and not a romance novel. At least, I'm not familiar with one titled as such. 🤷♂️
Jayson wrote: "Bhavya wrote: "I take it you haven't read Jane Austen's Juvenilia? There's quite a bit of murder in that. One of the characters murders her whole family. ;)"As far as I understand, Juvenilia is a..."
Yes I think you are right! I'd assumed you meant just something written by Austen in general and not a complete novel. Sorry, my bad.
(and apologies if i came off as rude)
Bhavya wrote: "Yes I think you are right! I'd assumed you meant just something written by Austen in general and not a complete novel. Sorry, my bad.(and apologies if i came off as rude)"
No worries, I always assume good intentions. Good insight in any case 😁👍
Jayson wrote: "Bhavya wrote: "Yes I think you are right! I'd assumed you meant just something written by Austen in general and not a complete novel. Sorry, my bad.(and apologies if i came off as rude)"
No worri..."
thank you. :)
Bhavya wrote: "thank you. :)"😁👍
