The Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matt Stover (spoilers allowed)

I've only read a few chapters of the novelization. So far, I'm not really enjoying it. The whole "This is Obi Wan/Anakin blah blah..." felt repetitive, by the fifth time I saw it I felt like throwing the book to the wall. And then there was 'Jedi hand signals' or something, which made me go "Huh? They're Bene Gesserit now..?"

Maybe I shouldn't be reading Frank Herbert stuff before reading this

Oh well, this is just a first impression. Hopefully, as I progress I will enjoy more.

 

It's selling well

http://theforce.net/latestnews/story/ROTS_Novel_on_Bestsellers_List_91323.asp

STAR WARS(r) EPISODE III NOVELIZATION ROCKETS ONTO BESTSELLER LISTS AFTER ONE DAY ON SALE!

After just a single day on sale, the official Star Wars Episode III film tie-in, STAR WARS(r): REVENGE OF THE SITH(tm) by Matthew Stover, debuted at #1 on the Wall Street Journal hardcover fiction bestseller list (dated April 8) and at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list (dated April 17) for the same category.

The novel, which went on sale nationwide on Saturday, April 2nd with a first printing of 650,000 copies, also hit at #4 on the USA Today's bestseller list, which combines all formats, and came in at #3 on Bookscan's overall hardcover fiction bestseller list for the week ending April 3rd. The bestseller lists are compiled from reports of books sold over the entire week.

Del Rey Books, which publishes both the Star Wars film tie-ins as well as a line of extremely successful original Star Wars fiction under its LucasBooks imprint, reports that sales for the novel are up twenty percent over their previous Star Wars film tie-in, Star War Episode II Attack of the Clones.

"Star Wars fans have waited nearly thirty years for the final chapter of the Star Wars saga, and the story behind the rise of Darth Vader," said Betsy Mitchell, Del Rey's VP & Editor-in-Chief. "Now that the film is only a few weeks away, there's an enormous groundswell of anticipation and excitement building, and that excitement is translating into amazing book sales. I'd say the Force is definitely with us!"

There's also an interview with Mr. Stover here:

http://movies.channel.aol.com/feature/starwars/pagetoscreen/stover

 

I think Vader may be partially diminished because of the constant torment he has to endure as a result of his 'suiting'. Reading one of the last parts of the books, the line that begins "This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker, forever...", you can really get a sense of the horror of Vader's situation, and of course his guilt only compounds it. Kind of reminicient of Metallica's 'One'.

I think that Qui-Gon became one with the force and will be able to project his spirit to Yoda and Obi-Wan, like Obi-Wan was able to do in the OT. I've always wondered why Yoda and Obi-Wan disappeared when they died, while Vader, Maul and Qui-Gon remained corporeal. I hope that the movie will solidify this phenomenon.

I agree that Padme's character was weak. She was more of a dimensional character in TPM and AotC, but seems to have lost a lot of her character in the book. All she seems to do is pine and whine. Maybe some of her spirit is sapped, having been transferred to her twins.

And I am SO glad Threepio got a memory wipe, helps explain his ignorance of being on Tatooine. I think the first hours he and Artoo were on Tatooine, Artoo was playing stupid: he knew exactly where he was and who he was trying to find.

 

I didn't get to read much of this book, but what I did read was wonderfully written. I made it to the part about Dooku, the way Stover brings out his character is amazing. We get inside his mind and now what he feels and how he is. We also see that Dooku has much dislike for anakin. That whole part about Dooku blew me away, Stover did an exellent job with this book from what I hear and read.

 

This was an incredible book; one of the best StarWars books I've read.
I didn't actually intend to read it until after the film, but my 10 year old started it, and I know he just can't keep his mouth shut *roll eyes*

I didn't particularly llike Traitor, but Shatterpoint was good; so it was with mixed feeling that I started the book. My main worry now is "will GL's film be able to live up to it?"

This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker.
Forever ...

 

Now you people are getting me all paranoid that the movie's not going to be as good as the book. I don't think that this movie will fail us though...it had better not or there's going to be a tremor in the Force that will rock Skywalker Ranch into rubble!

 

I believe Qui-Gon's special ability has something to do with his study of the "Ancient Order of the Whills," but perhaps we can attribute it purely to his strong connection with the living Force.

 

I thought the first two-thirds of the book was better than the last part.

Stover did a great job of showing Anakin's inner conflict here, constantly including quotes from earlier conversations to contrast with whatever was being said at the moment. The build-up to Anakin's fall was PHENOMENAL.

I must say though, that from the point Anakin pledged allegiance to the Sith, the book didn't do the story justice. That's OK though because I'm hoping this is where the movie is really going take off. Actually not having seen that part painted in perfect strokes yet leaves a lot of anticipation for the movie.

In this sense, Stover has written a brilliant movie novelization. He's taken wondrous care and attention to detail in defining the characters and setting up the story without stealing all the thunder from climax of the movie. This book's a winner and the movie should be as well!

I just hope that the last five minutes of the movie aren't like the book - a contrived checklist of things that don't seem to flow from the story but rather happen just to plug plot-holes and set up the story for A New Hope.

Finally, Yoda's discussion with the Force is the one highlight I found in the final third of the novel. I'm glad that he realizes the flaws of the old Jedi order are as much responsible for Vader as anything else. Also, as a big fan of the NJO series, Yoda's confession to the Force in regards to these faults gives license to the style of Luke's later Jedi in the EU and their ignorace of the old Jedi code.

 

The Avatar of the Force is OT Obi-Wan and Yoda. They've learned and grown from the mistakes of the Old Jedi Order and become one with the Force.

 

I didnt get the novelization but I did get the graphic novel...

I have noticed they cut alot out of the adaptation, so I have just one real question.

what are the lines that vader speaks in the film...you know, the lines that jamers earl jones will speak as vader?

 

Anakin Skywalker is still the "avatar" of the Force, I think in as much as he is the "galaxy", for lack of a better metaphor. The Jedi's test, so to speak. He is still the Chosen One, but it takes the other three to come back to a better way. The old way was wrong, they used the old way to teach Anakin. They had to use the new way to teach Luke, meaning...let the Force talk to Luke and let him act on it. They didn't let Anakin act on what the Force told him, he was pigeon-holed by the old teachings. Luke is able to act on what the Force tells him (read: wills) and it is then that he realizes what he has to do: redeem his father. I don't think Qui-Gon, Yoda, or Obi-Wan can do anything but lead him to trust in and listen to the Force, they can't tell him what to do. That is their lesson, listen to the will of the Force and act on it, even if it goes against the "Jedi Code". This is what Luke does and then gets Anakin to do, he makes Anakin remember to listen to the Force and act on his feelings (or attachments in this instance).

 

I too enjoyed the book. I wasn't going to read it but I couldn't help myself. Besides, no matter the movie the book is usually better.

I thought the build up to Anakin's fall was great but the fall scene itself was pretty lame. Like, "OK, you're a Sith. Go kill all the Jedi". It seemed so rushed.

I hopeing that the book fleshed out all it could ( or GL would let ) and left the rest up to GL and the film. Which worries me a little.

 

First this book was fantastic...I loved how stover wrote the fight with dooku that was phenomenol because I was like obi-wan doesnt use that formed he switched then boom dooku's scare...its so good I think I will read that scene again

 

I have read both the adult version and the kids version (accidentally bought it because I though it was paperback version). Just wanted to say it was a great book and also that two things were finally explained to me. First the reason C3PO was unable to tell Leia and Luke about their parents is because of his memory wipe at the end of the book and also that another reason Vader turned on Palpatine in ROTJ was because reall he has probabl hated Palpatine all along for taking his love away. Remember at the end of the book when he tries to kill Palpatine when he first wakes up after his surgery and can't because he is weaker? Yea, he finally realizes the "cruelty of the Sith" and the "sith trap." So there is some clarification on those two. Yea, and I need LoE bad.

 

I actually got kind of sad when I realized what he could have been. I remember when I was younger and first saw the original trilogy how I never really wondered about Darth Vader since I knew he was simply bad. But now I realize he was just a kid who was really pissed cuz his mom died and then he finds out his wife is going to die and tries to prevent it.

 

I have a theory on Qui-gon's elevation.

When he and Obi-wan get seperated, and he's facing off with Maul alone is when it happens. They stop fighting, and Qui-gon meditates. When he meditates, he knows that Qui-gon Jinn has no chance of beating Maul.

So, he gives himself over to the living force. Like Obi-wan does when he confronts Grievous. The Living Force took Qui-gon Jinn, and used him.

The Force works in mysterious ways. And it used Qui-gon to save the jedi order.

 

That seems to be the inference from both the film and the novelization, yes. Qui-Gon's recognition of imminent defeat, and his apparent submission to the will of the Living Force...him allowing it to continue using him in an even more complex and Buddhist manner than before.

Throughout the film, it's made clear that Qui-Gon's itinerant tendencies were a result of his outlook upon the Force, him being a tool of the moment, as the individual situation dictated, swept along by the "will" of the Force. This doctrine is nearly a heresy in the eyes of the "enlightened" High Council, whose slavish adherence to the Universal Force served to stultify their development. Not that such a belief was necessarily wrong, but rather that they'd come to rely too much upon the "long view" of things, not paying attention to what was happening right under their noses.

Which is where Qui-Gon comes in. Thus, Yoda's declaration in Revenge of the Sith that he and Kenobi are now Qui-Gon's "students," and he their true "master."

All those who come after Luke are now Qui-Gon's Jedi.

 

I love the cover. It reminds me of a RotJ movie poster.

I love the 2 lines after the first line (of the prologue?)

It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it.

The whole prologue is awesome. It is like the prologue of Romeo and Juliet; It framed the whole traedy. You know it is going to end badly, but the whole time you hope it turns out alright:

...From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
...A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death...
Is now the two hours traffic of our stage;
The which, if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.


Anyway, I didnt read the beginning. I remember (was it a year ago?) that in the main ep. III forum someone leaked the beinning, and most people thought it was garbage...I would hate to read it again but I wouldnt mind seeing it.

Beyond that, its a good book but I dont see how its better then the other novelizations (of the other movies). For ex., in the novelizaation of AotC, there was a lot of inner dialoue for Padme, how she felt for Anakin. In this book we have an insipid Padme. This line is too high school for me:

her life before Anankin belonged to someone else, some lesser being to be pitied, some poor impoverised spirit who could never suspect how profoundly life should be lived.

I can imagine this coming out of the mouth of 14 year old Juliet. Or out of Brunnhilde, happy that her father took her godhood, and she was taken by Siefield, the hero. But Padme should be made of more mature stuff. Unless this is a comment on her not being allowed to grow up like a normal kid without so many responsibilities.

We get the answer of who is older between Luke and Leia. Was it in The Last Command that someone asked Luke who was older?

 

I hope Obi-Wan and Yoda-baby would be in the movie, to break the tension. But it seems one of the things that would appear in the book but not in the movie.

I think of the book Red Dragon when Anakin is talking to his dragon. A lot of psycopaths talk to their bad self, the self that does all the bad things (psychopaths dont like to blame themselves for the bad things they do), so I can see why the dragon was used, but I cant stop but think of Dolaryde.

 

Up.

 

We get the answer of who is older between Luke and Leia. Was it in The Last Command that someone asked Luke who was older?

I believe Han makes a passing comment about twins, and Luke mentions that they never did find out which one was older. I haven't read the novel, but Luke Skywalker just screams baby brother to me.

This novel is sounding better and better by the moment. The only detracting comments I've heard about it is that the the actual climax of Anakin's turn to the dark side doesn't quite match the drama building up to it, but I'm sure I can overlook that.

 

SPOILER ALERT
















Luke was born first.

 

In the book we have Bail see a young padawan cut down, and also Anakin kill the Seperist leaders. I have a feeling we won't see that in the movie.

 

We'll see both those scenes, we just wont have Arnie skywalker in the latter, heres Bail confronting the clones:

[image=http://www.rebelscum.com/swdb/dbimages/84/43784F.jpg]