Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's not the movie, but just as good, July 5, 2002
I first saw the movie based on this book, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," in 1988. I loved it, and after many repeat video viewings it became my No. 1 favorite movie of all time, and remains so to this day. I still catch new jokes everytime I watch (now on DVD).Well, I finally decided to read this book. One thing's for sure, It's Not the Movie. Eddie Valiant, Roger, Jessica and Baby Herman are still here, but only their basic character traits (Eddie's alcoholism, Jessica's buxomness) are the same. The movie-makers adapted just one line of dialogue for the movie (Baby Herman's "I've got a 50-year-old lust and a 3-year-old dinky"). That's where the similarities end. This book deals with comic strip actors, not cartoon actors. When the 'toons speak, they make word balloons that very creatively reflect their emotions, and can be manipulated physically as well. Additional characters include a comic strip photographer, brother owners of a cartoon syndicate, a porn-cartoon syndicate owner, and a ton of colorful cameos. The book touches more on the human/'toon discrimination hinted at in the movie, but not much. Rather, it's just a good ol' fashioned Sam Spade-esque simile-rich read that enthralled me page by page. Warning: those familiar with the simple, sweet Roger from the movie may be a little shocked by the ending!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Darker than the film, March 18, 2007
This is the cult classic which inspired the film "Who framed Roger Rabbit" but the original book is much darker and more adult in tone than the film - and in spite of the fact that half the characters are "toons," much less cartoonish.
This is set in an alternative Hollywood in which cartoon characters or "toons" are real. Unlike the film however, they are neither industructible nor immortal. In the book, a toon can generate a temporary "doppelganger" duplicate of himself or herself, and these expendable copies are used as stunt doubles for all the dangerous or lethal work in films. A toon in this book who is hit by a bullet will die just as easily as a human.
The narrator and central character is P.I. Eddie Valiant - Bob Hoskin's character in the film. Other characters who were translated recognisably to the film from the book include cartoon comedy star Roger Rabbit, his humanoid toon wife Jessica Rabbit, and toon star Baby Herman.
As in the film, Eddie Valiant is hired by Roger Rabbit for a number of reasons including marital problems - in the book his beautiful wife Jessica has left him for his agent, Rocco DeGreasy. Roger wants her back, and believes Rocco has put pressure on her to leave him. At first he seems to be talking nonsense.
But a few chapters into the book, both Roger and Rocco are murdered. The police - human and toon divisions - think Roger killed his agent and Jessica murdered him in revenge. Shortly before he died Roger Rabbit created a doppelganger; this double persuades Eddie Valiant to look for evidence that both Jessica and his late self were innocent of the murders.
Eddie sets out to clear Roger and Jessica - with zany results.
A clever black comedy - well worth a read. The film was technically brilliant, but this original is a much cleverer story.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best stories you'll ever read, March 31, 1998
By A Customer
I've read several Gary Wolf books, and this one tops them all! He brings new meaning to the term "a page turner". It is wonderful. Don't be surpised if you read it, to find that it is absoloutly nothing like it's movie counterpart "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". Rabbit is the star of a newspaper cartoon strip, who is in the midst of a divorce between his beloved Jessica. He hires Eddy Valiant to investigate why his producers(?) won't let him transfer to another strip. Before Eddy find out, though, Roger get's murdred in his own home. As does one of the producers(?) the very same night. This is when it get's relly interesting, so I'm just going to leave you in suspense. (hee-hee) REad this book! END
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