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Title: Finding Forrester: A Novel by James W. Ellison ISBN: 1-55704-479-1 Publisher: Newmarket Press Pub. Date: 25 December, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.25 (8 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Good storyline... bad everything else
Comment: I did not see the movie Finding Forrester as I have always enjoyed the written word more than the the big screen. But... in this case, I should have seen the movie.
The novel by James Ellison was based on the screenplay so I did not go into this book expecting literary genius. I did, however, expect correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. For a novel about a young boy who possesses the gift of writing to be replete with so many obvious errors, leaves a strange feeling of irony that draws away from the story. This is a shame because the story is not half bad.
The concept is entertaining and the characters - likeable. But the errors combined with the overly simplistic writing style create a disappointing read. Certainly, more could have been done to flesh out the characters and to bring the scenes to life. The paragraphs with Jamal and William in William's apartment, alone, could really be used to create a mood and feel for the relationship between these two central characters. As they stand, the passages are flat and two-dimensional with very little flair to draw the reader into the work.
Really, the storyline is the only thing that makes this short, easy-to-read novel entertaining and that can't be attributed to Ellison since it is really Mike Rich's creation.
It appears that Ellison could take a few lessons from the protagonist in this novel about quality writing. It just goes to show you that a good storyline does not necessarily a good read make!
Rating: 4
Summary: GREAT STORY however, the book is sparse in places.
Comment: Like many reviewers, I saw the movie "Finding Forrester" well prior to buying and reading the book. I have viewed this movie a number of times now and still find it as inspirational and moving as the first viewing. Now, after reading the book, this story has to be one of the most meaningful and inspirational stories I've ever read.
Jamal Wallace is a 16-year-old South Bronx African-American kid introduced to the reader as a "regular" teenager, loving basketball and loathing school. As incredibly talented as Jamal is with a basketball, his literary gifts approach genius. However, not wanting to be seen as a freak, Jamal hides his intellectual side from his friends and teachers.
Close to the neighborhood courts, Jamal and his friends observe regular visits by a well-dressed man driving a BMW to the man in the upstairs apartment who has not been seen by the public in years. This (the well-dressed man and a BMW) are rarities in the South Bronx. Jamal's friends indicate that this mystery man is a "murderer" or a some sort of ghost. On a dare from his friends, Jamal climbs in the mystery man's window only to be scared out of the apartment when surprised by the mystery man. In his haste to make his escape, Jamal drops his backpack which contains his writing notebooks along with his school work. Two days later, his backpack is tossed out the apartment window at Jamal's feet. When Jamal opens the backpack, he finds his writing notebooks are still there but have edited by the man in the apartment. After confronting and apologizing to the old man, Jamal soon learns he is the reclusive legendary novelist William Forrester, a man who only wrote one novel but which received the Pulitzer Prize.
After striking up a strange friendship (inasmuch as strange can be defined as a frienship between a 16 year old African-American and a 70 year old anglo Scot), Forrester agrees to teach and mentor Jamal in his writing aspirations. Concurrent with his new friendship, Jamal is recruited for an academic and basketball scholarship to a snobby, WASP-based Manhattan prepratory school. Encouraged by Forrester and his mother, Jamal decides to leave his friends behind for the potential advantages of the prep school.
Soon after arriving, Jamal meets Claire, the daughter of an extremely powerful businessman who also happens to be the chairman of the board at the prep school. Jamal runs afoul of a writing/literary instructor (a failed writer known to Forrester) who acuses him (Jamal) of plagarism. Jamal is ostracized by Claire and most of his new friends even though he is not guilty. In reality, Jamal is honoring a promise he made to Forrester. This story ignites at this point and is best experienced by the viewer or reader.
This "novel" is a rewrite of the original screenplay by Mike Rich and therefore, is not an original novel. Ellison follows the storyline true to the screenplay albeit with few explanations/expansions providing the reader with some insight not seen on the screen. The most important expansion provided by Ellison is the actual text of the "story" read by Forrester during the writing contest hosted by the prep school. In the movie, the viewer was only provided with bits and pieces of the story. This is actually the prelude to the climax.
The novel is realtively sparse in peripheral prose. This is evidenced by the fact that the novel is less than 200 pages while the movie is 2.5 hours. In other words, although Ellison did provide a few spectacular gems (see above), he did not massage the storyline enough to provide the reader with the necessary visual images typically accorded a story of this stature.
This is an inspirational and motivational story. As an aspiring writer, this story is touching, emotional and caring. While the book lacks a bit of defferential detail, the storyline is brilliant. Watch the movie or read the book...you'll not be disappointed.
Rating: 3
Summary: Great reading ¿ no masterpiece
Comment: The novel "Finding Forrester" is fabulous to read (it took me a little over 4 hours...) and one of the most uplifting books I've ploughed through of late.
But the author has of course based his novel on the screenplay by Mike Rich -- the story, which is really the most outstanding aspect of "Finding Forrester", is not his in original. I will read the screenplay, and it will be seen how much of the book is really 'his'. There are also many editing errors and grammatical imprecisions that haven't been corrected by the publishers. In addition, the prose appears very bare-bone in traits, lacking in elaboration. In some cases, the writing is downright flimsy.
Nonetheless, Ellison fills many of the gaps in the film, in some cases with care and detail. For instance, he follows up on themes the motion picture touches upon without drawing a conclusion (see my review of the film), and most notably gives us the text Forrester reads in the Mailor-Callow auditorium (which in the film is unfortunately mostly covered up by music). In some instances, as in the party at the Spence Estate, Ellison gives significantly greater detail than the film, although he won't let the reader guess whose work his allusions recall: F. Scott Fitzgerald. By giving greater detail, central themes therefore appear much clearer: teenage development, race relations, social integration and deviance, Jamal's relationship with Claire, to name a few. In addition, in certain scences Ellison manages to create a great atmosphere by very simple and straightforward observations. This gives us a feeling of immersion and participation. He very ably characterises Jamal (and Forrester) with the same tactics: simple, recurrent observations. He ably but rather rudimentally combines images with feelings: sweat and heat with the fear and anxiety people dare not show explicitly; laces, sneakers, shoes and feet with fun, apprehension, routine. This give us an insight into the characters that isn't given by the film in the same manner.
The novel "Finding Forrester" is not a masterpiece, but then it is not meant to be. It is great to read, and sheds so much more light onto the film "Finding Forrester", and the story as a whole, that make us even more appreciative.
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Title:Finding Forrester ASIN: B00005ASOC Publisher: Columbia/Tristar Studios Pub. Date: 04 May, 2004 List Price(USD): $14.95 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $13.01 |
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Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) by J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré ISBN: 043935806X Publisher: Scholastic Pub. Date: 21 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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Title: Deception Point by Dan Brown ISBN: 0671027387 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 26 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown ISBN: 0385504209 Publisher: Doubleday Pub. Date: 18 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom ISBN: 0786868716 Publisher: Hyperion Pub. Date: 23 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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