Two-fer

I think I'm regressing. These two reads are proof of that possibility.

The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. I'm not generally a fan of rat and squirrel books, having given Chip much grief while he was in his Brian Jacques phase. I read this book only because, 1) it's on the list of top novels; and 2) B&N made the e-version free. What did I have to lose?

Turns out nothing, but everything to gain. This beautifully written novel is poetical, lyrical, with beautiful descriptions of the setting. Plus the story is good: the adventures of a group of animals, who epitomize fellowship, friendship, loyalty, and a sense of adventure. The story begins with Mole, who tires of spring cleaning, emerges from his underground world to discover the great big world, including the river. Along the way, he becomes good friends with the River Rat, Badger, and Otter. And then there's Toad. Proud and prone to gross exageration, his adventures provide some of the funniest moments of the book. Ultimately, it was the best kind of children's literature, that which can be read on multiple levels to make it entertaining to both children and adults.

Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. What if Mark Burnet created a reality TV show, sort of like Survivor. It would still involve the same kind of challenges that make a difficult situation even more challenging. There would still be the opportunity to form alliances and rewards of needed or desired items. But no wasted time on votes. It could be the ultimate game of survival because the fight is to the death. That would essentially be the premise of this book.

Talk about a dystopian society. North America has become the country of Panem, which consists of a capitol and 12 districts. As punishment for a failed rebellion, the Capitol keeps extraordinarily tight restraints on the Districts and requires each District to send two tributes--one boy and one girl--to the annual Hunger Games. The tributes are selected by virtue of a lottery which all children between the ages of 12 and 18 are required to participate. Children can get extra rations of food but with the cost of more entries into the lottery. Shirley Jackson, meet Suzanne Collins. Anywho, Katniss is not selected; her younger sister, Primose is selected against the odds, since her name is entered only once since is the first year she is eligible and she has no extra entries. Kantiss, howeve, volunteers to go in her sister's place. The baker's son is the boy tribute from District 12.

The stage is set, as the children are whisked off to the Capitol to eat better than they've ever eaten in their lives and to by grommed and styled for the opening ceremony and their live interviews. It's all very warped and very disturbing.

The end is a foregone conclusion--after all the book is written in first person and surely someone who is being hunted by fellow tributes is unlikely to waste time journaling the daily happenings. The real suspense is how Katniss will manage to survive and whether she will lose her humanity in the process.

I bought this book for Chip almost a year ago. B&N classifies it as teen literature. Ultimately, it's a good and suspenseful read.

Listening: Atlas Shrugged. Almost done. Hallelujah!