Mythological Games

A day or two ago I finished reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I was amused to read on the book jacket that Stephen King could not put the book down! Well, neither could I; I was consumed by it, and still cannot shake off the lingering effects. I will never be able to look at a dandelion again, especially the first of the season, without remembering this book and its heroine, Katniss Everdeen. Why am I starting a blog post with this novel? To me it is a great mix of influences, first and foremost the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. Just as Theseus volunteered to be one of the fourteen tributes to be paid annually to Minos, King of Crete, Katniss volunteers to replace her sister, Primrose, as one of the twenty-four tributes “reaped” annually for the Hunger Games. The story continues to haunt me, but what a heroine Katniss is! Having myself become more conscious of eating better, simply, locally, and not wasting food, I was mesmerized by the constant recitation of meals and survival. I also found the name of the country interesting, Panem. To a Latin student, Panem means “bread,” but someone without Latin might also pronounce this name as “Pain ‘em,” i.e., “Give them pain,” which is certainly what happens in the story. Among other influences I found interesting were references to ancient Roman gladiators and allusions to Harry Potter-type creatures/amalgams or, as they are known in the book, “mutations,” like the mockingjay and the tracker jacker hornets. All in all a chilling story; I’m not sure I will pursue parts two and three. Perhaps after I let this one settle for a while.