The Hunger Pains

Last updated
First edition (publ. HarperCollins) The Hunger Pains.jpg
First edition (publ. HarperCollins)

The Hunger Pains is a 2012 novel by The Harvard Lampoon and a parody of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games . [1] It was first published on February 7, 2012, through Touchstone Books, [2] and a cinematic book trailer was released in March of the same year. [3]

Contents

Plot summary

On the morning of Super Fun Day, Kantkiss Neverclean and her hunting partner Carol Handsomestein hunt a cow from beyond the fence before they participate in the selection ceremony. In District 12 this is the "nose game", in which whoever touches their fingers to their noses last becomes tributes. Her sister, Princess "Prin" Neverclean, is selected, but Kantkiss is volunteered to participate by Slimey Sue, who is trying to get revenge on Kantkiss. She is paired with Pita Malarkey, the baker's son who she knows as the "Boy with the Head" due to his massive head. Pita was responsible for her first sale when she was struggling to become a telemarketer to support her family after her father was killed in an explosion at the telemarketing office. Although he bought something that her company did not carry, completing this first sale helped Kantkiss become more successful.

Reception

The book reached number 9 on the New York Times Bestseller List. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>National Lampoon</i> (magazine) American humor magazine

National Lampoon was an American humor magazine that ran from 1970 to 1998. The magazine started out as a spinoff from the Harvard Lampoon. National Lampoon magazine reached its height of popularity and critical acclaim during the 1970s, when it had a far-reaching effect on American humor and comedy. The magazine spawned films, radio, live theater, various sound recordings, and print products including books. Many members of the creative staff from the magazine subsequently went on to contribute creatively to successful media of all types.

<i>The Harvard Lampoon</i> College humor magazine

The Harvard Lampoon is an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876 by seven undergraduates at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

<i>National Lampoons Doon</i> Book by Ellis Weiner

National Lampoon's Doon is a parody of Frank Herbert's 1965 science fiction novel Dune, written by Ellis Weiner and published in 1984 by Pocket Books for National Lampoon. It was reprinted by Grafton Books (ISBN 0-586-06636-5) in 1985. In 1988 William F. Touponce called the book "something of a tribute to Herbert's success on college campuses", noting that "the only other book to have been so honored is Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings," which was parodied by The Harvard Lampoon in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Hendra</span> British satirist and author (1941–2021)

Anthony Christopher Hendra was an English satirist and writer who worked mostly in the United States. He was probably best known for being the head writer and co-producer in 1984 of the first six shows of the long-running British satirical television series Spitting Image and for starring in the film This Is Spinal Tap as the band's manager Ian Faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Downey (comedian)</span> American actor and comedian

James Woodward Downey is an American comedy writer and occasional actor. Downey wrote for over 30 seasons of Saturday Night Live, making him the longest tenured writer in the show's history. SNL creator Lorne Michaels called Downey the "best political humorist alive".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. J. Novak</span> American actor (born 1979)

Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzanne Collins</span> American television writer and author

Suzanne Collins is an American author and television writer. She is best known as the author of the young adult dystopian book series The Hunger Games.

Christine Feehan is an American author of paranormal romance, paranormal military thrillers, and fantasy. She is a #1 New York Times, #1 Publishers Weekly, and International bestselling author of seven series; Carpathian, GhostWalker Series, Drake Sisters, Sister of the HeartSeries, Shadow Riders Series, Leopard Series and Torpedo Ink Series. Six of the seven series have made #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. As of January 2020 she has 80 published novels. The first in her Torpedo Ink Series, Judgment Road, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Lawrence</span> American actress (born 1990)

Jennifer Shrader Lawrence is an American actress. She is known for starring in both action film franchises and independent dramas, and her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide. The world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, she appeared in Time's 100 most influential people in the world list in 2013 and the Forbes Celebrity 100 list from 2013 to 2016.

Henry Nichols Beard is an American humorist, one of the founders of the magazine National Lampoon and the author of several best-selling books.

<i>The Glass Castle</i> 2005 memoir by Jeannette Walls

The Glass Castle is a 2005 memoir by American author Jeannette Walls. Walls recounts her dysfunctional and nomadic yet vibrant upbringing, emphasizing her resilience and her father's attempts toward redemption. Despite her family's flaws, their love for each other and her unique perspective on life allowed her to create a successful life of her own, culminating in a career in journalism in New York City. The book's title refers to her father's ultimate unfulfilled promise, to build his dream home for the family: a glass castle.

<i>The Hunger Games</i> (novel) 2008 dystopian novel by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is a 2008 dystopian novel by the American writer Suzanne Collins. It is written in the perspective of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in the future, post-apocalyptic nation of Panem in North America. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, exercises political control over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games is an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12–18 from each of the twelve districts surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle royale to the death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Kate</span> American writer (born 1981)

Lauren Kate is an American author of adult and young adult fiction. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages, have sold more than eleven million copies worldwide, and have spent combined months on the New York Times Best Seller list.

<i>Mockingjay</i> 2010 novel by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay is a 2010 dystopian young adult fiction novel by American author Suzanne Collins. It is chronologically the last installment of The Hunger Games series, following 2008's The Hunger Games and 2009's Catching Fire. The book continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, who agrees to unify the districts of Panem in a rebellion against the tyrannical Capitol.

<i>The Hunger Games</i> Young adult book series by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The first three novels are part of a trilogy following teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and the fourth book is a prequel set 64 years before the original.

<i>Divergent</i> (novel) 2011 book by Veronica Roth

Divergent, the debut novel of American novelist Veronica Roth, was published by HarperCollins Children's Books in 2011. The novel is the first in the Divergent series, a trilogy of young adult dystopian novels set in a post-apocalyptic version of Chicago. The society defines its citizens by their social and personality-related affiliation with one of five factions. This rigid system has removed the threat of anyone exercising independent will and re-threatening the population's safety. In the story, Beatrice Prior joins the ranks of the Dauntless and explores her new identity as "Tris". Underlying the action- and dystopian-focused main plot is a romantic subplot between Tris and "Four", one of her instructors in the Dauntless faction.

<i>The Hunger Games: Catching Fire</i> 2013 American dystopian action film by Francis Lawrence

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a 2013 American dystopian science fiction action film directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn, based on the 2009 novel Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. The sequel to The Hunger Games (2012), it is the second installment in The Hunger Games film series. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. In the film, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson) become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the Games inspire uprisings in Panem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Hart</span> American internet personality, comedian, author, and actress

Hannah Maud Hart is an American internet personality, comedian, author, and actress. She is known for starring in My Drunk Kitchen, a weekly series on YouTube in which she cooks something while intoxicated. She also runs a second channel where she talks about life in general and gives her opinions on various topics. She co-produced and starred in the independent comedy film Camp Takota, released in 2014. She wrote a parody cookbook which was a New York Times bestseller for five weeks in August–September 2014. She is a 2017 recipient of the Alex Awards.

<i>The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2</i> 2015 film by Francis Lawrence

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 is a 2015 American dystopian science fiction action film directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong, based on the 2010 novel Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. The sequel to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014), it is the fourth and final main instalment in The Hunger Games film series. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. In the film, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) leads a team of rebels to Panem to liberate it from the tyrannical leadership of Coriolanus Snow (Sutherland). This marks Hoffman’s final film appearance prior to his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colleen Hoover</span> American author (born 1979)

Colleen Hoover is an American author who primarily writes novels in the romance and young adult fiction genres. She is best known for her 2016 romance novel It Ends with Us. Many of her works were self-published before being picked up by a publishing house. As of October 2022, Hoover has sold approximately 20 million books. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.

References

  1. "Best Sellers April 01, 2012". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  2. Lee, Stephan. "See the trailer for 'The Hunger Pains,' the Harvard Lampoon's 'Hunger Games' parody -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  3. Perkins, Will. "'The Hunger Pains' parodies 'The Hunger Games' perfectly (VIDEO)". Yahoo. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  4. "Best Sellers - Paperback Nonfiction - Sunday, April 15th 2012 - List - NYTimes.com". The New York Times . 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2017-06-24.