A Review of the Book "Forrest Gump" by Winston Groom

Title: Forrest Gump

Author: Winston Groom

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Inc

Year: 1986

248 pages

From the Back: "Bein a idiot is no box of chocolates," but "at least I ain't lead no hum-drum life," says Forrest Gump, the lovable, surprisingly savvy hero of this wonderful comic novel. When the University of Alabama's football team drafts Forrest and makes him a start, that's only the beginning! He flunks out - and foes on to be a Vietnam War hero, a world-class pong-pong player, a wrestler, and a business tycoon. He compares battle scars with Lyndon Johnson, discovers the truth about Richard Nixon, and suffers the ups and downs of true love. Now, Forrest Gump is telling all - in a madcap, screwball romp through three decades of the American landscape. It's Gump's amazing travels, and you've got to read them to believe them.

Personal Thoughts: Forrest Gump is one of my favorite movies. So I was pretty excited to find a copy of the book that started it all. Unfortunately, I was completely disappointed. I haven't yet come across a book that I disliked more than this one. I have no idea how they got the movie from the story within these pages. They are completely different, except maybe the underlying love story with Jenny, although even that story has differences. The book was crass and lacked all of the innocence found in Gump's on-screen character. I am usually a fan of book over movie, but this is one book I'm telling you not to bother with, especially if you're a Forrest Gump fan.