Customer Reviews

Hidalgo: The Junior Novelization

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

 

 

I've seen HIDALGO at the movies twice now and am really looking foward to purchasing the DVD when it's released this summer. Since seeing it the second time around, I've collected some of the film's memorabelia (the poster, the CD of the score and this interesting novelization of the screenplay). It's written mainly for 8-12 year olds but I'm 24 and I happened to really enjoy it. Having seen it twice, I remember much of the details of the film which the book remains faithful to. I highly recommend this to anyone who's seen the movie, likes Viggo Mortensen (a highly talented actor who also played Aragorn in THE LORD OF THE RINGS movies) or if you just love to read really good books.

I purchased this book for my young nephew and to my friend's daughter. Before I gave it to them I read it. I feel the authors did a great job to "translate" some meaningful messages to young readers. The story is first and foremost about the Mustang Stallion, Hidalgo. It is no secret that Mustangs are the toughest when it comes to endurance. I was already familiar with Frank Hopkins, from well known writers and historians. His credibility I have found, was well established. I am disappointed that a review, (...Midwest reader) was published, with such "personal" undertone and prejudice. The book is extremely well done, kids found it exciting, entertaining. They learned about true values in life, such as saving a wonderful breed of horses from extinction, (...like Frank Hopkins did), and also how a person should relate to horses in general; with respect and appreciation. The true demeanor of the American Cowboy, (...a diminishing breed) was also illustrated in an excellent fashion! I highly recomend this book to any children or adult alike.

So many children that I know have become big HIDALGO fans in the
way that my generation embraced Black Beauty, The Black, and other wonderful horse heroes. What is nice is that Hidalgo is truly an American horse hero for the new generation.

The book is a wonderful companion and keepsake for the young
reader who wants to revisit Hidalgo and enjoy the magic in book form. The color photos are a hit with the kids, too: all that green Dakota grass contrasted with the sands of Arabia.

An easy and pleasant read.

This marvelous little book is basically John Fusco's movie script- a work of creative genius, in that it takes the readers(and viewers)into the stark and beautiful world of the desert of northern Africa and lets us all share an amazing adventure story that is uplifting and inspiring, much in the same way that Seabiscuit, The Black Stallion, and Pharlap were.It is a tale of strong-willed determination in the face of enormous odds, and of personal redemption from the torments of self-doubt and guilt. Beyond this spiritual struggle, there is also the story of one man's special bond of friendship and loyalty with his horse, Hidalgo, the equine hero of the movie and this book. This metaphor is powerfully portrayed by Viggo Mortensen and his paint mustang(which he now owns, apparently, in "real life"): the very close and symbiotic relationship that Mankind has had with the horse from the beginning of time and down through the centuries. And this, I believe, is why everyone can relate to this book and movie, even if we are not "horse people" in our present urban lifestyles. Our lives, indeed our entire civilization, have been built on horsepower- hay-burning horsepower-- to develop farming, to log in the forests, to build roads and train tressels, to explore new worlds, to conquer other armies. The symbiotic horse has been our loyal partner from prehistory until today, and we all feel this phylogenetic connection in the deeper recesses of our souls. So let this tale take you on a journey back through time. You'll be the stronger and wiser for it. Take my word for it, for I too have ridden in the desert.

If your child has the time, and they enjoyed the movie, then check the book out from the library; however, this is not a book they'll want to read over and over again. The book does not flow well, or make much sense if you have NOT seen the movie. The characters are neither developed nor believable; and there is absolutely no depth to the plot. If you have a horse lover, who may not be the best reader, I would recommend the Black Stallion series, the Sandy Lane Stable series, or the Thoroughbred series. These books may be a little more of a challenge for the casual reader, but your child will be more likely to pick up another book when they are done reading one of these.

My 11 year old son watched the movie and saw that it was based on a novel - he immediately asked me to find it for him. After we received it from Amazon, he read it the same weekend. He loved it. Very easy for a young reader, yet interesting enough for me!

I was SO disappointed in this book. I love horses and thought this would be a good gift for my nephew but after I got it I changed my mind. The story is kind of interesting but it seems from reading stuff on the Internet that it's really not true after all. So I'm not giving my nephew this book (which is labelled as "a true story"). I don't want him to end up thinking something is true history which is really not.

It's got some disturbing contents, too, including a scene of the main character getting drunk. I just don't think this is a good book for kids.