Customer Reviews

West Side Story

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

West Side Story has always been one of my favorite musicals. The tragic love story of Tony and Maria touches me in many ways. I, too, have had a forbidden romance, which is why I marvel at the earnestness of the story. Set in New York City, it introduces two groups.

The Jets: an American gang.

The Sharks: a Puerto Rican gang.

The gangs attend a community dance in which they plan a fight. Things take an interesting twist when Tony -- the former leader of the Jets -- falls for Maria, Bernardo's sister. Bernardo happens to be the leader of the Sharks, and he doesn't want his sister involved with his rival.

This is, without a doubt, the urban equivalent of Romeo and Juliet. The stories are very similar, but West Side Story has an irresistible urban appeal, an appeal that has captured audiences and readers for many decades. I am so glad I have read the novelization of this popular musical. If you're in the mood for a timeless love story, read West Side Story. Satisfaction is guaranteed!

West Side Story by Irving Shulman is an excellent book about two rival street gangs in New York City. The Jets are the white gang; the Sharks are the Puerto Ricans. Barnardo, the leader of the Sharks, has a younger sister named Maria. Problems arise when Maria falls in love with Tony, a member of the Jets. I've seen the movie and read the book. I love them both.

This is an excellent bok that you will never want to stop reading! It is about two gangs, the Sharks and the Jets. The Jets are Americans and the Sharks are Puerto Ricans. This novel takes place in New York City. Both of the gangs attend a commuity dance to plan a fight, and Tony, an American that used to lead the Jets, falls in love with Maria, a Puerto Rican. Maria's brother is Bernardo, who is the head of the Sharks and despises Tony. How will they solve this? This book is basically a modern version of Romeo and Juliet with changes in characters, and it is definitely something that you should read!

One big difference between a novel that is made into a movie and a novelization of an existing movie is that you can take the thing to work enjoy during lunch. I mean, the actual story you saw onscreen. Also, it's still there in the bookcase years later. The problem is that novelizations normally go out of print almost as soon as the second-run theaters stop running the flick. Maybe there's a new edition if the networks run the film, usually not. If not for the title, it would be too easy to write this book off based on its shortness, but you have to remember that the story itself only covers a few days. Also, in this book, our cast gets last names that aren't in the stage production or the film: Riff Lorton, Tony Wyzek, Bernardo and Maria Nunez, Chino Martin. One adult gets a real name--youth center operator Murray Benowitz--we used to only know him as "Glad Hand". Drugstore owner Doc doesn't get one, though. The cops--Schrank and Krupke--don't get first names either. One other thing this book proves--Jerome Preisler and Jack Gregory didn't invent the reverse process of the bringing of a story from the screen to the page. Like the play and the movie, this one is simple, but it's great.

I really liked West Side Story because I love books about gangs. Also most books you can tell what's going to happen in the end but this book was a huge surprise for me. Actually when I was in the middle of this book I went out and bought a copy of the movie.
West Side Story is about a gang called the Jets who really hates a gang called the Sharks because they are Puerto Rican. The Jets feel that the PRs invaded America and they don't like it so they try and give the PR's a good kicking whenever they get the chance. But what happens when the ex-leader of the Jets falls in love with a PR? Then they have an all-out rumble to see who's the toughest one and too see whom gets to own the street. Will any one be able to stop the rumble before it goes to far?
I think readers who would like this book is someone who likes books about gangs like The Outsiders.

When I first saw that they had made a novelization of West Side Story, I was thrilled. West Side Story is my all-time favorite musical, and possibly my favorite movie. Ever since I did the play I have been completely in love with it.

I just finished this book this afternoon, and I must say I was EXTREMELY dissapointed. The first act of the story was not horrible, but the second act, the MOST IMPORTANT part of the story, was completed in only 30 pages. The death of Riff and Bernardo was one paragraph total. Tony's character was comppletely off, and Anita wasn't much better (Which saddens me, because Anita is my favorite character in the play).
There were key elements of the play and movie that were much different in the book, and even though it is a novelization, they could have EASILY been written. The final scene was terrible as well. Tony's death was lifeless and boring in every possible way, and Maria's monologue was pretty sad as well. Every time I watch this movie it makes me cry. Many books make me cry. This book left me bored and strongly annoyed at how terrible it was.

I strongly considered giving this book 2 stars instead of 1, for the fact that it was still West Side Story in general. But I strongly look at details, and that's what makes the play great; the small things that make it a true tragedy. The good points of the play lacked in this book. To be blunt, it sucked. Obviously you can't novelize the dancing and singing, but you can do a better interpretation than this book.

If you are interested in reading this novel, then by all means, do.
But if you are a die-hard West Side Story fan like I am, I suggest not wasting your time. It's a sad excuse for the play, and disregards it in every way.

I felt that this book was a true classic tale of love verses hate. i feel that this book is similar to a modern romeo and juliet. a forbidden love that ends in tradgedy. read this book and enjoy!

The book follows the events of the movie but has a lot more detail and it's a little longer. It's very well written and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves West Side Story like I do.

I love this book it is the best! The West Side Story is my favorit book and I recomend it to everyone. Two gangs, the Porte Ricans and the the American, were enemies. When Maria and Tony met they fell in love. The only problem is that Maria is Porte rican and Tony is American. But they didn't care. They loved each other. Tony and Maria kept there love a secret, and planed to run away with each other. In the end a tragic thing happend and everyones' lives changed. Read this wonderful book and find out what happend!

Personally I think that this is proboly the best book I have ever read. This Story tells a tale based on a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Although the story is based on the dramatic story Romeo and Juliet, I find A West Side Story well writen and very touching. The book is set in New York City, and tells how two rival gangs (the Jets, and Sharks). The 2 gangs are fighting over a section of the city. When one member of the Sharks finds love in one of the Jets' sister, the Jet gets very angry. In a street fight the Shark kills his lovers' brother, the shark retreats to a local hide out. later that night the Shark is gunned down by a rival gang member. In the end the 2 gans realize that there is no reason to fight. I love the book.