The Star Wars Trilogy by James Kahn, George Lucas, Donald F. Glut

4.08 AVERAGE

penguininabluebox's profile picture

penguininabluebox's review against another edition

4.0
These may not be the most well written books of all time, but they are really fun and enjoyable.

hannah_rutkowski's review against another edition

it's literally like reading the movie. but it's still so fun.
chan_fry's profile picture

chan_fry's review against another edition

4.0

It’s probably two or three stars if I were grading fairly, but I’m not. It’s difficult to put a score on a set of stories like this, which have permeated pop culture through the majority of my lifetime. The literature itself isn’t incredibly profound or groundbreaking, and some might take umbrage at my very use of the word “literature” here.

Still, the stories are captivating, easy enough to read, and gosh darnit they’re fun.

I will say that even in these three novelizations, the canon changed — both from one book to the next and from the book to its accompanying film. So it’s odd to hear fans *today* complain about the ever-changing canon of Star Wars — because it’s been changing the whole time, friend.

(I have published a longer review on my website.)

dominik61b18's review against another edition

3.0
What a great read! The Star Wars trilogy novelization is written by three different authors (one for each movie) and all of them captured the space spirit perfectly. If you like Star Wars or movie novelizations in general, you should certainly check this out!
abomine's profile picture

abomine's review against another edition

4.0
A New Hope: A fun, breezy read reminiscent of the pulp science-fiction of yesteryear, with the famous cast of characters we all know and love. It doesn't add to the film, but it's an enjoyable romp nonetheless.

The Empire Strikes Back: This is almost literally the film's script with a few added adjectives. While the edgy, dark story is still intact, this novelization brings nothing new to the table. And also, Yoda is blue for some reason.

The Return of the Jedi: Easily one of the best Star Wars film novelizations in the saga (right up there with Matthew Stover's rendition of [b:Revenge of the Sith|35458|Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith|Matthew Woodring Stover|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388228249s/35458.jpg|476816]), it's action-packed, humorous, and even touching in all the right places.
Vader's unmasking scene is already one of the most moving and beautifully bitter-sweet scenes in all of Star Wars. But when James Kahn writes it, it's downright tear-inducing. I cried like a baby.


*Like other reviewers have mentioned, Return of the Jedi's novelization contains information and backstory that directly contradicts the canon established in the prequel trilogy. If you're one of those folks who doesn't consider the prequels canon, then there's no issue. But if you're like me and have been reading all of the Star Wars film-novels in chronological order (Episode 1 and onward), then this information can be a little jarring.
Obi-Wan is Owen's half brother? Anakin didn't know his wife was pregnant? There has been more than one Galactic Emperor in the past few decades? Dufaq?
However, it is not a major issue and does not detract from the quality of the story. When I re-read this, I'll just know to skip those parts, or just read them as an "alternate universe/what could have been".

Overall, a highly enjoyable read, but the somewhat disappointing novelization of The Empire Strikes Back docks it a star. A must-have for anyone who is both a Star Wars fan and a bibliophile.

z_dubya's review against another edition

4.0
4 stars because I love Star Wars.