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Lit In praise of Revenge of the Sith novel

Discussion in 'Literature' started by DarthIshyZ, Jul 2, 2023.

  1. DarthIshyZ

    DarthIshyZ Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2005
    Last night I re-watched Ep III with my son. Round about the time Palps reveals himself to Anakin, I thought about the novel and how things are portrayed in there. Amazing. Simply amazing. The area where Palpatine "records" the confrontation.
    [the following is a transcript of an audio recording presented before the Galactic Senate on the afternoon of the first Empire Day; identities of all speakers verified by voiceprint analysis]
    and proceeds to tell you the propaganda of what was portrayed before giving you what really happened. Brilliant

    To think that the final 30 minutes of the movie took place in 20 pages. It shows how important those events were that they took the time to (try) to do things right.

    But then, the masterpiece at the end.
    Matthew Stover is one of the most brilliant writers in the Star Wars universe. And that book, along with Labyrinth of Evil before it, are two of the most brilliant Star Wars books to this day.

    I, honestly, don't know if this belongs here, in the Prequel forum, or even in the circular file. I just had to say it.
     
    DarthIshyZ, Jul 2, 2023
    #1
    cthugha, Cracian_Thumper, Nom von Anor and 9 others like this.
  2. Force Smuggler

    Force Smuggler Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    The ROTS novel is amazing.
     
    Force Smuggler, Jul 2, 2023
    #2
    Nom von Anor, AusStig, devilinthedetails and 4 others like this.
  3. CampOfSorgan

    CampOfSorgan 5x Hangman Winner star 5 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2020
    I recently read RotS by Matthew Stover just a couple months or so ago, and loved it. Great piece of literature.
     
    CampOfSorgan , Jul 2, 2023
    #3
    Nom von Anor, AusStig, devilinthedetails and 3 others like this.
  4. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    I actually consider it the very best SW novel we've ever had.

    Ever.
     
    Sinrebirth , Jul 3, 2023
    #4
    Cracian_Thumper, Xammer, AusStig and 7 others like this.
  5. AvarandElzarsittininatree

    AvarandElzarsittininatree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2021
    I really should have actually read the novel instead of listening to the audiobook. Listening to the narrator try to do Padme's voice is unfortunately what sticks out in my mind when I think about that book.

    It also made me realize how paper thin most Star Wars movie plots are. I was listening to it in the car while traveling somewhere with my folks. We listened to it for a bit and then put in another book on tape and the other story had about ten times more depth to it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2023
    AvarandElzarsittininatree, Jul 3, 2023
    #5
    devilinthedetails , Alpha-Red , Sinrebirth and 1 other person like this.
  6. devilinthedetails

    devilinthedetails Fiendish Fanfic & SWTV Manager, Tech Admin star 6 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Jun 19, 2019
    Ah, a whole thread dedicated to praising Stover's ROTS novelization! This is exactly my kind of thread, so don't mind if I pull out my tent and camp right here:cool:

    The ROTS adult novelization is one of my all-time favorite Star Wars novelization, and from a writing craft and prose standpoint, I always felt that Stover was one of the most talented authors to write for the Star Wars franchise. There is something about how he writes that really makes me believe that he thought about and carefully chose every word.

    I did love all those present tense snippets that really delved into the characters and their perspectives that were interspersed throughout the novel, and it was a very effective gut punch going from most of them being structured like "this is how it feels to be X character now" to "this is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker forever." The forever can just have such weight of contrast there.

    My favorite part of that section probably comes a bit later than yours:

    "And there is one blazing moment in which you finally understand that there was no dragon. That there was no Vader. That there was only you. Only Anakin Skywalker.

    That it was all you. Is you.

    Only you.

    You did it.

    You killed her.

    You killed her because, finally, when you could have saved her, when you could have gone away with her, you were thinking about yourself...

    It is in this blazing moment that you finally understand the trap of the dark side, the final cruelty of the Sith--

    Because now yourself if all you will ever have."

    It just really effectively and emotionally captures the tragedy of Anakin's downfall and the themes of ROTS so well for me.

    Especially that last line to me is very haunting and conveys the horror of Anakin's fate at the end of ROTS.
     
    devilinthedetails , Jul 3, 2023
    #6
    Nom von Anor, AusStig, PCCViking and 3 others like this.
  7. DarthIshyZ

    DarthIshyZ Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2005
    That's part of the reason I was so disappointed with the later novelizations. No additional info. Stover takes GL's movie script and fleshes it out a lot more. He clarifies some of the movie's difficulties. He makes it so you can understand what's causing Anakin's problems. Try reading it.

    @devilinthedetails, welcome! I agree. That whole passage was incredible! I just didn't post the whole thing. It's just heart wrenching.
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2023
    DarthIshyZ, Jul 3, 2023
    #7
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  8. Ghost

    Ghost Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2003
    Ghost, Jul 3, 2023
    #8
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  9. AvarandElzarsittininatree

    AvarandElzarsittininatree Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2021
    Why did that thread get shut down so early. Did the used to shut threads down a lot earlier back in the day? Kind of interesting to go back and look at threads that old and see all those people that haven't been on this board for over a decade (and a few that are still posting today).
     
    AvarandElzarsittininatree, Jul 3, 2023
    #9
  10. Sinrebirth

    Sinrebirth Mod-Emperor of the EUC, Lit, RPF and SWC star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2004
    Usually it drops a few pages and automatically locks, tbh.
     
    Sinrebirth , Jul 4, 2023
    #10
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  11. DarthIshyZ

    DarthIshyZ Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2005
    DarthIshyZ, Jul 4, 2023
    #11
  12. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    When we were being hosted by IGN (and using their software) threads autolocked after 6 months of inactivity. That's probably what happened in this case.
     
    LAJ_FETT , Jul 4, 2023
    #12
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  13. PCCViking

    PCCViking 2 Truths & a Lie Host./16x WW Win/14xHMan Win. star 10 VIP - Game Winner VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Jun 12, 2014
    Gives new meaning to the phrase "in before the lock."
     
    PCCViking , Jul 4, 2023
    #13
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  14. Ghost

    Ghost Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Oct 13, 2003
    Ghost, Jul 4, 2023
    #14
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  15. AusStig

    AusStig Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 3, 2010
    It's a great book. Best Star Wars novel. Really plays into the strengths of a novel.
     
    AusStig, Jul 5, 2023
    #15
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