Fargo [Paperback]

Joel Coen (Author), Ethan Coen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 1996

Winner of the Academy Award as the best Original Screenplay of 1996.

Set in the midst of the bleak midwinter snow drifts of the American Midwest, Fargo is a story of murder and mayhem.

Stylistically, Fargo-in its observation of a specific Minnesota community-is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the post-modernism of The Hudsucker Proxy and the baroque hallucinations of Barton Fink. Fargo exposes the dark side of existence, but the grimness of the tale is alleviated by the laconic humor with which the characters greet their fates. The plot is executed with brilliance, and yet the writing also reveals a humanity at its core.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ethan and Joel Coen have made several critically acclaimed feature films together and are the recipients of numerous filmmaking awards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber (July 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571179630
• ISBN-13: 978-0571179633
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,560,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Movie And Even Better Script, August 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Fargo (Paperback)

WOW!If you really want to read a great screenplay pick up FARGO by joel and ethan coen. I love the coen brothers and this is a perfect example why. the characters are all so great and the dialouge is sharp and funny. When you read it for the first time you'll probaly think you know where the story is headed. WRONG. It's full of twists and turns you'd never expect.TAKE MY WORD FOR IT READ THIS BOOK NOW, THATS AN ORDER!

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it or hate it, it's a darn good script., May 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Fargo (Paperback)

This screenplay started with the premise, "Wouldn't it be cool if you put a guy through a wood chipper?" and snowballed (no pun intended, honestly) from there, according to the Coens. I think that's part of the amazing originality of this script. Why start with a plot? The storyline is so bizarre and non-linear that it at first you might be inclined to believe the movie actually is based on a true story. Twists, turns, and laugh-out-loud dialogue (for an extra laugh, watch the creative dubbing on TNT sometime: "frugal," "frozen," "flipping," etc.) make this a script worth reading, and well worth its Oscar. And to the Dakotans that have issues with the stereotypical accent: get over it. I'm from North Carolina, and I'm tired of you people whining about how all people in your region don't talk the same way. We southerners don't all talk like rednecks, but neither do we get uptight over movies that tend to forget that. But I digress. This is an excellent peice of writing, as is the rest of the Coen brothers' library. "Raising Arizona" and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" are also wonderful; I recommend them.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Darn Good, February 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Fargo (Paperback)

What a great script! I'm surprised so many locals missed out on the humor of this film. Its easy to see the Coen brothers have a great vision what their films will be while they write. To the Minnesotans and North Dakotans who were harmed as a result of the "yah" stereotype, get over it. The Coens are the best thing to come out of the area since Lawrence Welk.