Forrest Gump [Hardcover]

Winston Groom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1994

This is a series of simplified stories, designed as an introduction to literature. The series offers classics, best-sellers, film-titles and original stories. Each book has extensive exercises, a detailed introduction and information about the syllabus. They are published at six levels: level 1 - beginner (300 words); level 2 - elementary (500 words); level 3 - pre-intermediate (1050 words); level 4 - intermediate ( 1650 words); level 5 - upper intermediate (2300 words); level 6 - advanced (3000 words). The series is designed to be suitable for students of English as a foreign language, for students of English as a second language and for reluctant readers.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

There is a joyously madcap feeling to the first half of this unusual novel, but then the absurdity gathers its own speed and begins to run dangerously amok. Groom's picaresque tale is told by an idiot, the Gump of the title, and follows his outrageous life from early stardom for Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide, through a tour in Vietnam and across the broad canvas of America during the '70s and '80s. Like most literary idiots, Forrest Gump is a lot smarter than the people he encounters. He is also no ordinary idiot. Instead, he is a mathematical idiot savant, capable of outperforming NASA's on-board computers, which is why Gump ends up on a space mission with an ape and the first woman astronauta mission that ends in the forests of New Guinea where Gump meets a Yale-tutored cannibal. All this takes place after Gump has met Lyndon Johnson and saved Chairman Mao from drowning, which is to say that this is a very broad satire. While there is much on-target humor here, Groom, author of Better Times Than These, has written better books than this.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Forrest Gump provides social commentary in a light, humorous style. Gump's adventures range from shrimp farming and chess championships to space flight and capture by cannibals. Nixon, the military, Vietnam, college football, and other topics receive blunt and caustic comment from Gump. Throughout his experiences, Gump remains a likable fellow who views the world and notes his observations simply, straightforwardly, and truthfully. Author and narrator Groom uses inflections and intonations that capture Gump's character and personality. The recent feature film starring Academy AwardR winner Tom Hanks should help stir demand. This delightful and easy-to-listen-to audiobook is an appropriate addition to most collections.
Frances Yates, American Cooperative School of Tunis, Tunisia, North Africa
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books; 1st Pocket Bks edition (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671526065
• ISBN-13: 978-0671526061
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #660,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than the movie, August 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Forrest Gump (Movie Tie in) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book has been one of my favorites for years. I bought the first edition hardback back in '86 when it came out, at, of all places, the grocery store. I just picked it up by chance and read the first paragraph, and I was instantly hooked. It's alternately heart-touching and hilarious, but never shmaltzy or sentimental. "Forrest Gump" is first and foremost a satire, and always retains an underlying current of cynicism, not surprising since the book is actually modeled after Voltaire's "Candide". Pick up a copy of "Candide" from the literature section of your local bookstore and you'll see what I mean. It's funny, but after reading and re-reading it, for years I said that it should be made into a movie. I never really believed that it would happen, but it was something I always hoped for. You know that old saying, "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it?" Well, that sums up my feelings for "Forrest Gump", the movie. I found it to be a big disappointment. Not that it's a bad movie, it's just lacking something, mainly, an edge. It's the biting satire that makes the novel so much better than the movie. The movie has a little bit of a satirical edge to it, but it's too sentimental--and sentimentality and satire do not go well together. Of course, if I hadn't read the book before I saw the movie, I probably would've enjoyed the movie much more. But them's the breaks, and I'll take Forrest in print over Forrest on celluloid anyday.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FORGET THE MOVIE, THE BOOK IS THE BEST WAY TO GO!, November 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Forrest Gump (Movie Tie in) (Mass Market Paperback)

I first read Forest Gump when I was in the 6th grade! And now that I'm in the 10th grade it is still one of the most memorable books I've ever experienced. I read it after seeing the movie and the book surpasses it by far. Forest is a guy who when growing up didn't get it easy, he was considered stupid by almost everyone, except his lovin mama. Winston Groom writes the book hilariously! I found myself laughing out loud on numerous occasions and I still giggle every now and then at the embarrassing, goffy, and out of this world situations Forest got himself into. Now this book is more than a barrel of laughs, throught the book you will experience every emotion. From running through a torpedo of bullets in the war, to just kicking back and playing the harmonica. It's told from Gump's point of view and Groom never breaks character. At the end of this book you will have experienced a lifetime of memories, and you'll still be yearning for more!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the best I have ever read., May 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Forrest Gump: A Novel (Paperback)

"Let me say this: Bein a idiot is no box of chocolates." These are the opening lines of Forrest Gump. This is a great book in every aspect imaginable. From college football, to the Vietnam War, and even the game of Ping-Pong, this book has everything to offer. From the introduction of the book till the end, I was laughing. My favorite part of the book would have to be in the beginning when Forrest's father is mentioned. Because his father is killed by a large load of bananas, which fell upon him, this starts the nonsense. The story uses the first person point of view through Forrest's eyes, which lets you see how he views the world. Although he is considered an idiot by his IQ of seventy, his thoughts make you think of who the really idiots are. Forrest is a great character because he does not really care what people think about him. Even if he knew that a person did not like him, it would not really bother him. Another original trait of Forrest is that he acts on instinct instead of reason, which leads to a few embarrassments. For example, when he was honored as being one of colleges' best football players, his first words were that he had to pee. Forrest is also an excellent character because you see him advance in life from a boy into a man. His life is full of barriers, which society has placed upon him and he is able to surpass them all. Forrest also experiences ups and downs of true love through his best friend Jenny. Jenny was the only girl Forrest's age who gave him a chance. Since they both needed a good friend, they were meant for each other. The movie Forest Gump does not compare to the novel. I feel that the book is a lot more detailed and it even adds a few more scenes. The book is also more humorous than the movie because you have to use your own imagination to visualize what is really going on. This is probably the funniest book I have ever read. I have never experienced a book like this in which every other page creates an amusing venture. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who likes a book that will keep them reading and have them strive to get to the next page.