Customer Reviews

Grease

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first read the Novel of Grease shortly after going to see it at the Movies when I was about twelve years old. I have to admit that while I will always love the movie version, the book version was fun to read because the kids were always very supportive of one another. In the book, we see that Danny is much more tender around Sandy than in the movie and we also see how supportive the T-Birds and Pink Ladies are when Danny returns from his Summer Romance with Sandy in a deep depression. Although Danny does act like a jerk when they are reunited because he doesn't want to lose his cool around his "boys" deep down, he is a nice guy with his own insecurities that he doesn't want to display. The only strange thing I have to admit that I had a hard time with was reading about characters that weren't in the movie such as Marsha, Sonny's Girlfriend and Roger Mooner Extrodinaire who also knew about cars like nobody's business but all in all, it's a fun read for any die hard Grease fan.

I thought I would like this book but it left me feeling cold. Grease is one of my all-time favorite movies, so this should be a natural favorite for me. The movie has such a great feeling to it.

But for some reason I can't explain, the singing and dancing and such really doesnt translate to the page very well. I found myself in total disbelief nearly every time the gang broke out into song. That doesnt happen when I watch the movie. Also, I think the author wasted too much time describing the dance moves -- i.e. (from page 38), "Sonny shook his arms and twisted around in a circle, as Danny waved in time to the beat. Meanwhile, Roger grabbed Sandy and spun her in a tight pirouette, swaying his hips all the while." This could be especially distracting when there were more than 3 or 4 people dancing at a time.

Another thing that really annoyed me is that while there were a couple new characters, sometimes the author found it too difficult to stray from the movie. I couldn't believe it, but he actually described Danny this way: "He was 18, the hunkinest senior around. His brown pompadour stayed still in the highest winds. Many people considered Danny a ringer for a young John Travolta." I thought this was supposed to take place in the 1950's!!! Also, regarding Sandy, a couple times the author notes that she sings "almost in an Australian accent." (p. 71, p. 174). I believe these are gratuitous references to Olivia Newton John rather than legitimate biographical details about the character.

While I do think it is admirable that somebody tried to make a book from this great movie, I do not think the musical genre translates very well to the page so I hesitate to recommend this book.

The book is quite different from the film but it is nice to here it from Sonny's point of view. I would recommend it to "Grease" fans.

This book is a must for fans who still believe that Grease is still the word. It don't only follow the T-birds and Pink Ladies through school but it starts out in the summer. I love the perseptive that it is being written from, that being Sonny the T-bird. It is from the original screenplay so don't expect none of the music from the movie. I am only half way thrpough it and have only come across one song, and parts of another. If I was watching the movie I would already drowned out with tunes.

Any Grease enthusiast will enjoy this book. Don't expect it to be just like the movie. There are little twists in the story and a few characters who were not in the movie (Marsha and Roger). This is more of a depiction of what the movie would have been like if it had actually happened. Plus, you get a little more insight into what the characters were feeling and thinking, which can be dificult when told in thrid person perspective (Sonny's point of view). A must read for Grease fans

THE SHOW, COOL. THE SCREENPLAY, BETTER. THE MOVIE, PERFECT. THE BOOK ABSOLUTLY BRILLIANT. AFTER READING IT YOU'LL FEEL NO NEED TO SEE THE MOVIE.