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921 reviews for:
Star Wars, Episode III: De Wraak van de Sith: Het Boek van de Film
Gert van Santen, Matthew Woodring Stover
4.34 AVERAGE
921 reviews for:
Star Wars, Episode III: De Wraak van de Sith: Het Boek van de Film
Gert van Santen, Matthew Woodring Stover
4.34 AVERAGE
I like Revenge of the Sith. I think it’s a flawed movie, but I like it. Its biggest flaw is that the tragedy of the fall of Anikan never feels as realized as it could, nor as understandable.This is frustrating because all the ingredients to make it work are there. Anikan was a slave, not until he was nine, but his whole life. He was not freed by the Jedi so much as purchased by him. They were unwilling to buy his mother, they were unsympathetic to his fear and loneliness, and they almost instantly conscripted him into the Jedi order. He never really knew freedom and he has been a victim of powerful forces using him as a tool his entire life.
The novelization of Revenge of the Sith far better succeeds at portraying Anikan’s fall than the movie did. Palpatine is one of the only people who actually talks to Anikan and listens to him. In the book he pretends to be researching the Sith rather than just having knowledge of them for no reason, and he is then able to perform apologetics for them without giving away his position too soon. Like the movie, his focus is on death and the power to prevent it because Anikan, the hero without fear is terrified.
When Anikan Skywalker was still very young he saw a dying star.. “Even stars die,” Obi Wan told him. Anikan was horrified. Usually he manages to push away the fear and ignore it, but every night he feels it. He becomes overwhelmed by his fear of entropy itself. Palpatine plays on that fear and on Anikan’s dreams of his wife’s death. The force as portrayed here is a power that the Jedi serve and the Sith seek to control. The difference between light and dark is how one uses the force. As soon as one attempts to control it and shift it to their own control they are beginning to use the dark side of the force.
Stover seems to understand what he’s working with here in a way that the movie never manages to realize. This is the tragedy of Anikan Skywalker, a former slave boy turned Jedi hero who was used and manipulated until there was barely anything left of his old life. The book is occasionally overly poetic and overwrought, but that seems appropriate as this is the epic tragedy of a space wizard as he finally falls into darkness. The book focuses far more on Anikan then the film does, even cutting out the battles on Kashyyyk and instead focusing on the characters, who they truly are and what led to their tragic loss. We have an Anikan who is terrified of his own lack of power, an Obi-Wan who doesn’t particularly like being a warrior and would far rather be a hermit studying texts in a cave, a Padme who is actually a formidable politician, and an enigmatic Palpatine who switches between a kindly mentor and a living shadow itself. The seeds of this are in the movies, but are often so badly executed that it’s hard to see it.
It’s easy to scoff at novelizations, their existence usually confuses me, but this is a novelisation done right. This is one that boils down the themes and ideas of the film and focuses them into a stronger work. This isn’t perfect either. The writing is overwrought, which is often good but occasionally a bit much and it has some very prequelish moments, but this is better than the film and far closer to what it should have been.
And you rage and scream and reach through the Force to crush the shadow who has destroyed you, but you are so far less now than what you were, you are more than half machine, you are like a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, you can remember where the power was but the power you can touch is only a memory, and so with all your world-destroying fury it is only droids around you that implode, and equipment, and the table on which you were strapped shatters, and in the end, you cannot touch the shadow.
In the end, you do not even want to.
In the end, the shadow is all you have left.
Because the shadow understands you, the shadow forgives you, the shadow gathers you unto itself—
And within your furnace heart, you burn in your own flame.
This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker.
Forever. . .
The novelization of Revenge of the Sith far better succeeds at portraying Anikan’s fall than the movie did. Palpatine is one of the only people who actually talks to Anikan and listens to him. In the book he pretends to be researching the Sith rather than just having knowledge of them for no reason, and he is then able to perform apologetics for them without giving away his position too soon. Like the movie, his focus is on death and the power to prevent it because Anikan, the hero without fear is terrified.
When Anikan Skywalker was still very young he saw a dying star.. “Even stars die,” Obi Wan told him. Anikan was horrified. Usually he manages to push away the fear and ignore it, but every night he feels it. He becomes overwhelmed by his fear of entropy itself. Palpatine plays on that fear and on Anikan’s dreams of his wife’s death. The force as portrayed here is a power that the Jedi serve and the Sith seek to control. The difference between light and dark is how one uses the force. As soon as one attempts to control it and shift it to their own control they are beginning to use the dark side of the force.
Stover seems to understand what he’s working with here in a way that the movie never manages to realize. This is the tragedy of Anikan Skywalker, a former slave boy turned Jedi hero who was used and manipulated until there was barely anything left of his old life. The book is occasionally overly poetic and overwrought, but that seems appropriate as this is the epic tragedy of a space wizard as he finally falls into darkness. The book focuses far more on Anikan then the film does, even cutting out the battles on Kashyyyk and instead focusing on the characters, who they truly are and what led to their tragic loss. We have an Anikan who is terrified of his own lack of power, an Obi-Wan who doesn’t particularly like being a warrior and would far rather be a hermit studying texts in a cave, a Padme who is actually a formidable politician, and an enigmatic Palpatine who switches between a kindly mentor and a living shadow itself. The seeds of this are in the movies, but are often so badly executed that it’s hard to see it.
It’s easy to scoff at novelizations, their existence usually confuses me, but this is a novelisation done right. This is one that boils down the themes and ideas of the film and focuses them into a stronger work. This isn’t perfect either. The writing is overwrought, which is often good but occasionally a bit much and it has some very prequelish moments, but this is better than the film and far closer to what it should have been.
And you rage and scream and reach through the Force to crush the shadow who has destroyed you, but you are so far less now than what you were, you are more than half machine, you are like a painter gone blind, a composer gone deaf, you can remember where the power was but the power you can touch is only a memory, and so with all your world-destroying fury it is only droids around you that implode, and equipment, and the table on which you were strapped shatters, and in the end, you cannot touch the shadow.
In the end, you do not even want to.
In the end, the shadow is all you have left.
Because the shadow understands you, the shadow forgives you, the shadow gathers you unto itself—
And within your furnace heart, you burn in your own flame.
This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker.
Forever. . .
I for sure see why people say this is the best novelization of any star wars movie. It was spectacular. I will forever remember the quote, "Skywalker is a master of audacity." Because if that don't describe his character to a T, idk what does.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This probably the best Star Wars book ever written, but more than that, it's just a damn good book period. If Lucas's film was anything like this, it would have been up for an Oscar.
The only places the book suffers, are the area's where Stover can't escape Lucas's storytelling. Why are the Jedi and Anakin so stupid and blind when it came to Palpatine? He couldn't have been more obvious if he'd gone around with a bell on. And I refuse to believe that the Jedi's stupid and unrealistic "let it go" in response to all grief hasn't fucked them over in the past. Stover removes most of the terrible dialogue, but he does include Obi-Wan's hypercritical "Jedi don't deal in absolutes", which made as much sense here as it did in the film. Stover also includes Obi-Wan's rant to Anakin once he's been defeated, but it doesn't quite mesh with the calm Stover described Obi-Was as feeling.
But seriously, if you're a Star Wars fan you should read this book. If you're a sci-fantasy fan you only has a passing knowledge of Star Wars you should read this book. This is an amazing book.
The only places the book suffers, are the area's where Stover can't escape Lucas's storytelling. Why are the Jedi and Anakin so stupid and blind when it came to Palpatine? He couldn't have been more obvious if he'd gone around with a bell on. And I refuse to believe that the Jedi's stupid and unrealistic "let it go" in response to all grief hasn't fucked them over in the past. Stover removes most of the terrible dialogue, but he does include Obi-Wan's hypercritical "Jedi don't deal in absolutes", which made as much sense here as it did in the film. Stover also includes Obi-Wan's rant to Anakin once he's been defeated, but it doesn't quite mesh with the calm Stover described Obi-Was as feeling.
But seriously, if you're a Star Wars fan you should read this book. If you're a sci-fantasy fan you only has a passing knowledge of Star Wars you should read this book. This is an amazing book.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the first "Star Wars" novel that I've read. And probably the last.
I read this novel with the promise that I would never have to watch Star Wars episodes 1-3 ever again. I think that it accomplished its purpose. Nor will I ever have to read this novel again.
Remember "Mad Libs"? Give me a noun. Now give me an adjective. Now a verb.
This book felt very Mad Libby. Give me a material. Okay "permacrete" (or "duracrete") or "transparisteel". Give me a weapon. "Turbo Laser". Give me an alien food. "Hoi-broth". Does it need the hypen? Let me check the lexicon.
I could only imagine the poor author constantly checking the Star Wars lexicon (or "bible") for races, character names, descriptions, materials, weapons, and food. I could picture the "___________ (noun)" fill in the blanks through out the text. It was distracting.
Any problems with the novel are not the fault of the author nor of the screenplay. They're all solidly with George Lucas as the originator of the whiny, dark Anakin Skywalker. Oh, and Jar-Jar. And the ewoks. I could keep going. But I won't.
I'm done. Thank you for being patient.
I read this novel with the promise that I would never have to watch Star Wars episodes 1-3 ever again. I think that it accomplished its purpose. Nor will I ever have to read this novel again.
Remember "Mad Libs"? Give me a noun. Now give me an adjective. Now a verb.
This book felt very Mad Libby. Give me a material. Okay "permacrete" (or "duracrete") or "transparisteel". Give me a weapon. "Turbo Laser". Give me an alien food. "Hoi-broth". Does it need the hypen? Let me check the lexicon.
I could only imagine the poor author constantly checking the Star Wars lexicon (or "bible") for races, character names, descriptions, materials, weapons, and food. I could picture the "___________ (noun)" fill in the blanks through out the text. It was distracting.
Any problems with the novel are not the fault of the author nor of the screenplay. They're all solidly with George Lucas as the originator of the whiny, dark Anakin Skywalker. Oh, and Jar-Jar. And the ewoks. I could keep going. But I won't.
I'm done. Thank you for being patient.
I have nearly no words for how much I wanted to love this book. i think the writing style is gorgeous but it did not fit the energy of a sci-fi novel. Everything was dragged out way way way too long, every detail that was already in the movie simply overexplained. I had hoped that this book would serve to show us stuff that was not in the movie, information that would have expanded what I thought I knew, but I spent most of my time on this book simply scrolling away, and I think I only actually ‘read’ 30%. giving it two stars because the writing is pretty and i really did enjoy a few scenes, but lets just say that finishing this was incredibly difficult for me to do, and i almost didnt.