Gladiator, Level 4, Penguin Readers (Penguin Readers, Level 4) [Paperback]

Peter Gram (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582471176 | ISBN-13: 978-0582471177 | Publication Date: April 3, 2001 | Edition: 1st

General Maximus is admired by his men and by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. But when the Emperor's son murders his way to the throne, Maximus goes into exile. He is captured by slave traders and forced to fight as a gladiator. When the Emperor arranges a gladiator spectacle, Maximus' chance for revenge has come. A spectacular epic film of courage and revenge depicting the splendours and cruelties of ancient Rome directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Pearson ESL; 1st edition (April 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582471176
• ISBN-13: 978-0582471177
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #534,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great story that doesn't add too much to the movie, July 19, 2000

By 

Sumbudy "buriedatlantis" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gladiator (Paperback)

Anyone who's seen the movie knows that Gladiator has a strong story and script behind it. But, when it comes to novelizations I like to see a little extra background, perhaps more character development than you can have in the film. And that's where this book is a bit of a let down. This is a straight retelling of the screenplay with a couple of scenes that didn't make the movie, which where kind of nice to see. I remember when Commodus finds that Maximus is still alive and he was lied to when he thought he was dead, his sister tells him that the legion should know that lies should not be tolerated. In the movie, nothing really comes of that, but in the book it then later goes to a good scene where Commodus oversees the execution of those who told him Maximus was dead. It's just little touches like that.

When I read a book, I want to feel like I'm experiencing something a little different than the movie. I felt that way when reading Terry Brooks novelization of The Phantom Menace or even Raymond Benson's novelization of Tomorrow Never Dies. I really didn't get that feeling with this one.

So, in short, if you go into the book expecting the movie to be expanded on, prepare to be disappointed. However, if you really enjoyed the movie's great story as is and are expecting nothing else, this is a fast, fun read.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great tie in, May 9, 2000

By 

Lisa - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gladiator (Paperback)

I've seen Gladiator twice since the release on the weekend. It really is a great movie and this is a great companion piece to the book. My favorite novilizations of films are those where the author interprets what is on screen. Not something that is not there, leaving the reader wondering whether or not the author and the reader saw the same thing. But Gram stays 100% faithful to what is up there on screen. He gets every nuance and every characterization perfect. I probably could not have written it better myself. If you collect novilizations of your favorite novels you'll want to get this one.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read into the Thoughts of each Character., June 27, 2000

By 

Suzanne (Missouri United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gladiator (Paperback)

Either read this book first, then see the movie or see the movie first, then read the book. I saw the movie Gladiator 3 times before I read the book, and each time I had seen the movie, I saw something new. After I read the book Gladiator, I saw the movie 2 more times. In My Opinion, the book Gladiator is a great read if you want to learn alittle more about the characters. It also gave me a better view of what each of the characters were thinking in each scene. Some of the parts of this book filled some of the gaps, that the movie didn't show. Also, the dialogue in the book was very helpful for me when I saw the movie again, because there were some words and sentences I had missed while watching the movie. This book is just as powerful as the movie, because it explains every scene with the same details, if not more. It gives me alittle more aspect of Maximus as a Warrior, General, Husband, Father and Friend, which is one of the reasons that I really enjoyed reading this book and seeing the movie.