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A review by goodverbsonly
Star Wars: The Last Jedi by Jason Fry
3.0
The Last Jedi is a practice in nihilism, and I just...wish it wasn't.
This is a genuinely good novelization, even if personally, I want to see more than entirely possible into Kylo Ren's mind. I think if The Last Jedi wasn't the exactly opposite of what I was looking for in a Star Wars story, then I would have even really enjoyed this novelization. Alas, here we are, two and a half years later, and I am angrier about tlj than ever.
To be honest, sort of as a disclaimer before I begin: I was completely ambivalent about tlj in 2018. There were things I liked (Yoda, Kylo Ren's hissy fit on Crait, The Nuns), and things I didn't like (Rey, Poe's attitude, the way the Resistance went from being an entire fleet on the heels of a "major victory" to 6 transport ships who had no contact from whatever remained of the Republic, seemingly abandoned); I even defended the plot - I thought it was perfectly precedented and in some ways, when executed well, I think a story about running out fuel and being saved at the last second is very good. Unfortunately, in this novelization, it sort of dragged - especially knowing that Finn + Rose would ultimately be unsuccessful. That, coupled with inisight into the characters, bring this book from a 4 to a three star read. (Also, and I'm going to talk about this moment in a second - towards the end, Finn reflects that DJ will have to learn the hard way eventually that not choosing a side in the face of evil will only hurt him in the long run, and this would be fine, if it was: Finn reflects, and realizes that was what he was doing, and he cannot do it anymore, INSTEAD OF Finn reflects, and pats himself on the back for not doing this anymore - anymore being, he must have had this realization in the lat 30 minutes).
So the good of this novelization stands out to me in a couple of key sections: the beginning and the end. The novel opens with. This section is beautifully written, references characters from ANH who have been written out of the movie, and is thematically relevant to Luke's journey in tlj. I had high hopes that the rest of the novel would move me in the same way that the prologue did. The end covered both the boy from the end of tlj who uses the Force (the moment that tricked me into thinking I enjoyed the movie), and also the NUNS!!! I was so excited about the NUNS???? I love them! Wish this whole book was about these alien space nuns!!! and their relationship to the Jedi!!! and the Force!!! I know that's ridiculous, but wow. And also, it is well written, I think Jason Fry might be trying to refute some of the nihlism that occurs in tlj, and it's engaging for the most part. Wish I liked the story so I could give this book it's due.
Okay, to be fair, this isn't my idea: my phil professor last spring was like: Yo, was it just me or was tlj wack? Like...nihilism (this is NOT a direct quote! and only half an idea, he almost immediately moved on with the lesson, realizing we did not have the time to start dissecting this movie, and so idk how he really comes down on it, but I've been thinking about it for the last year, and FINALLY, I've got it! I know what he was saying).
There's one section that could have been really really cool if it didn't absolutely stand against everything that I believe Star Wars is about and it turned out to irk me, ticked off every single star wars nerve I have: In the Throne Room Scene, Snoke reflects on the beginning of the First Order and the Fall of the Empire:
1. Palpatine was planning a Contingency and this eventually turned into the First Order.
2. Oh we're doing: Palpatine was An All Knowing God again (if we recall this was my problem with tLords of the Sith) and it was Luck that Vader was able to stop him and not Palpatine's hubris. Boy does this SPIT in the face of the Original Trilogy (not to mention the prequels, which is really what I care about) - Luke didn't really save Vader and the Galaxy - Palpatine knew that the Empire would have to end so he started the First Order (known to him as the Contingency) to not only replace the Empire but to weaken it. Oh this makes me SO angry! Palpatine doesn't have any flaws (except that he's evil, I guess, but this isn't really a flaw as much as like, A Character). He is undone simply by the Will of the Force, not because he is, at the end of the day Human. Really minimizes Luke's impact, and I'm beginning to see why people were Big Mad at tlj now. Although, I don't think it was about this.
2b. is like...I guess they knew they were going to work Sheev back into the mix somehow, unforunate that Snoke is like...a Sheev clone or something. Still unclear about ros tbh. Glad the st is continually retconning itself in an attempt to show off.
3. In addition to it being just...an illconcieved mess, this is just...the villain believes in Nihilism, he believes in Will to Power, and there is just no solid refutation of this philosophy. I'm not saying that there needs to be for other people to find value in this story; I think tlj and the sq as a whole come down pretty heavy on the side of Neitzsche - the only refutation being that they are going to make themselves into powerful people through the power of love, but a) I do need a more solid refutation to find value in it, and b) I just don't think that's star wars. I do think there is a struggle between the light and the dark, but I don't thinks star wars had historically taken a stance of: the dark will always triumph. I don't think star wars works with that philosophical assumption, so tlj, which really wants to take that sort of position, has to shift and say: the darkside is always out there trying to squash out the light, and if we don't meet it on it's own terms (vie in the Power struggle of the universe), then it will overpower. This is seen in Palpatine manufacturing the Empire's own undoing in the Contingency, NOT JUST the rise of the First Order. This is The Resistance Fleet (a military organization) being specified to be a Weirdo But Brave Group of New Republic Defectors (or something) because the New Republic wouldn't take the First Order seriously (but if Palpatine built it, of course there was no chance) becoming nothing more than six transport ships with no one else in the galaxy at their side - no one except themselves, and they have to Fight, as Finn says. This is seen in Luke INSISTING that he can't save Ben. >:| Sir, you saved Darth Vader, I think you can save Ben Solo! The ending of the ot was the exact OPPOSITE of this stance: Luke does not fight Vader, he does not give in to his hatred. In fact, the rotj novelization specifies that Luke doesn't save Vader because he loves his Father but because he is a Jedi and it's the right thing to do. If Vader saving Luke "undoes" his mistake from rots, then uhhh...Luke wanting to burn down the tree with the Jedi Order undoes THAT sacrifice. Luke sacrifices himself to give the Resistance more time, but I've decided that you were all right: Luke should have had a better end, no matter how much it moves me when I see it. I think it's a trick. I think so much of this movie is a trick!!! .
Also: I think Rey is overpowered and her connection to Ben and her connection to the Force is contrived. I don't like how little time she spends with the rest of the Resistance, I think there are too many characters. And that little boy gets too much credit for what Rian Johson was trying to say about Star Wars or the Force, especially since if it was about "democratizing the Force" as I read one reviewer describe it, uhhh, sir, the Force already is like that, please watch a Prequel I BEG of you!
The above isn't really Jason Fry's fault, but I've never felt so clear and confident about why the st doesn't engage me until I finished reading this book. All in all: If you like tlj this is Good and I think You'll Really Enjoy this, but this review details why I didn't.
This is a genuinely good novelization, even if personally, I want to see more than entirely possible into Kylo Ren's mind. I think if The Last Jedi wasn't the exactly opposite of what I was looking for in a Star Wars story, then I would have even really enjoyed this novelization. Alas, here we are, two and a half years later, and I am angrier about tlj than ever.
To be honest, sort of as a disclaimer before I begin: I was completely ambivalent about tlj in 2018. There were things I liked (Yoda, Kylo Ren's hissy fit on Crait, The Nuns), and things I didn't like (Rey, Poe's attitude, the way the Resistance went from being an entire fleet on the heels of a "major victory" to 6 transport ships who had no contact from whatever remained of the Republic, seemingly abandoned); I even defended the plot - I thought it was perfectly precedented and in some ways, when executed well, I think a story about running out fuel and being saved at the last second is very good. Unfortunately, in this novelization, it sort of dragged - especially knowing that Finn + Rose would ultimately be unsuccessful. That, coupled with inisight into the characters, bring this book from a 4 to a three star read. (Also, and I'm going to talk about this moment in a second - towards the end, Finn reflects that DJ will have to learn the hard way eventually that not choosing a side in the face of evil will only hurt him in the long run, and this would be fine, if it was: Finn reflects, and realizes that was what he was doing, and he cannot do it anymore, INSTEAD OF Finn reflects, and pats himself on the back for not doing this anymore - anymore being, he must have had this realization in the lat 30 minutes).
So the good of this novelization stands out to me in a couple of key sections: the beginning and the end. The novel opens with
Spoiler
Luke dreaming he had never left TatooineOkay, to be fair, this isn't my idea: my phil professor last spring was like: Yo, was it just me or was tlj wack? Like...nihilism (this is NOT a direct quote! and only half an idea, he almost immediately moved on with the lesson, realizing we did not have the time to start dissecting this movie, and so idk how he really comes down on it, but I've been thinking about it for the last year, and FINALLY, I've got it! I know what he was saying).
There's one section that could have been really really cool if it didn't absolutely stand against everything that I believe Star Wars is about and it turned out to irk me, ticked off every single star wars nerve I have: In the Throne Room Scene, Snoke reflects on the beginning of the First Order and the Fall of the Empire:
2. Oh we're doing: Palpatine was An All Knowing God again (if we recall this was my problem with tLords of the Sith) and it was Luck that Vader was able to stop him and not Palpatine's hubris. Boy does this SPIT in the face of the Original Trilogy (not to mention the prequels, which is really what I care about) - Luke didn't really save Vader and the Galaxy - Palpatine knew that the Empire would have to end so he started the First Order (known to him as the Contingency) to not only replace the Empire but to weaken it. Oh this makes me SO angry! Palpatine doesn't have any flaws (except that he's evil, I guess, but this isn't really a flaw as much as like, A Character). He is undone simply by the Will of the Force, not because he is, at the end of the day Human. Really minimizes Luke's impact, and I'm beginning to see why people were Big Mad at tlj now. Although, I don't think it was about this.
2b. is like...I guess they knew they were going to work Sheev back into the mix somehow, unforunate that Snoke is like...a Sheev clone or something. Still unclear about ros tbh. Glad the st is continually retconning itself in an attempt to show off.
3. In addition to it being just...an illconcieved mess, this is just...the villain believes in Nihilism, he believes in Will to Power, and there is just no solid refutation of this philosophy. I'm not saying that there needs to be for other people to find value in this story; I think tlj and the sq as a whole come down pretty heavy on the side of Neitzsche - the only refutation being that they are going to make themselves into powerful people through the power of love, but a) I do need a more solid refutation to find value in it, and b) I just don't think that's star wars. I do think there is a struggle between the light and the dark, but I don't thinks star wars had historically taken a stance of: the dark will always triumph. I don't think star wars works with that philosophical assumption, so tlj, which really wants to take that sort of position, has to shift and say: the darkside is always out there trying to squash out the light, and if we don't meet it on it's own terms (vie in the Power struggle of the universe), then it will overpower. This is seen in Palpatine manufacturing the Empire's own undoing in the Contingency, NOT JUST the rise of the First Order. This is The Resistance Fleet (a military organization) being specified to be a Weirdo But Brave Group of New Republic Defectors (or something) because the New Republic wouldn't take the First Order seriously (but if Palpatine built it, of course there was no chance) becoming nothing more than six transport ships with no one else in the galaxy at their side - no one except themselves, and they have to Fight, as Finn says. This is seen in Luke INSISTING that he can't save Ben. >:| Sir, you saved Darth Vader, I think you can save Ben Solo! The ending of the ot was the exact OPPOSITE of this stance: Luke does not fight Vader, he does not give in to his hatred. In fact, the rotj novelization specifies that Luke doesn't save Vader because he loves his Father but because he is a Jedi and it's the right thing to do. If Vader saving Luke "undoes" his mistake from rots, then uhhh...Luke wanting to burn down the tree with the Jedi Order undoes THAT sacrifice. Luke sacrifices himself to give the Resistance more time, but I've decided that you were all right: Luke should have had a better end, no matter how much it moves me when I see it. I think it's a trick. I think so much of this movie is a trick!!!
Also: I think Rey is overpowered and her connection to Ben and her connection to the Force is contrived. I don't like how little time she spends with the rest of the Resistance, I think there are too many characters. And that little boy gets too much credit for what Rian Johson was trying to say about Star Wars or the Force, especially since if it was about "democratizing the Force" as I read one reviewer describe it, uhhh, sir, the Force already is like that, please watch a Prequel I BEG of you!
The above isn't really Jason Fry's fault, but I've never felt so clear and confident about why the st doesn't engage me until I finished reading this book. All in all: If you like tlj this is Good and I think You'll Really Enjoy this, but this review details why I didn't.