Hello, you are not signed on.
[ Blogs.starwars.com ]

A Rebel's Ramblings
by: FAN4YRS
date posted: Sep 01, 2007 3:17 PM
Reading Through the Prequels: ATTACK OF THE CLONES, Blog #3
To all of those who were waiting, I apologize. It really took a lot for me to finish ATTACK OF THE CLONES. I had decided to read the Prequel Trilogy in novel form (see previous blogs of similar titles) in the hopes that I would gain a new appreciation for it.

In this reading I found an appreciation for the Original Trilogy novels that understood they could tell a reviting story, with insights not found in the film, in 240 pages or less. This book was at least 100 pages too many.

I don't blame the novelist entirely, his work had to be based on the movie, which is the least of the six films. Still, I would have prefered more Jango and Boba and less of Padme's relatives (unless they could have been written in a more interesting way).

My biggest problem with ATTACK OF THE CLONES is that the Jedi seem to be Superman one minute and Clark Kent the next (or maybe even Peter Parker). They seem superhuman strong in one instance and the next they're bumbling around.

My idea of the Jedi was born in the Original Trilogy. I thought that, overall, the Jedi were not physical fighters, they COULD be, and obviously were fantastic ones, but mostly they could find their way through a situation with wisdom and other skills. In this novel you have Yoda sifting through the Dark Side, something I don't believe he would ever do.

I wish the author would have spent more time on Dooku, because he is an intriguing character that never realized his full impact on screen, or in this novel.

I'll see you for REVENGE OF THE SITH, my favorite of the Prequel Triology films, we'll see if its also my favorite read of the three.

leia19886
Someone get this big walking carpet out of my way ...
date Posted: Sep 01, 2007 3:50 PM
:) Glad you enjoyed the book as a whole.

Hope you get the same out of ROTS!!!!

Enjoy your weekend!
Leia
  ketal13
HanAnWan
date Posted: Sep 01, 2007 5:18 PM
Darn it! I too thought that the book would divulge much more about the mysterious Count Dooku, but no such luck 'eh? I'm sneaking in reading wherever I can, I think I may get to finish it this weekend (fingers crossed):)
I'm thinking that I'm going to read the novel that fits in between AOTC and ROTS--I think it's Labyrinth of Evil???? Something like that, (I'll search for the title later) I heard very good reviews about it, so I thought, what the heck, I might as well try it.
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Sep 01, 2007 5:30 PM
You're right, it's LABYRINTH OF EVIL. I think I'm gonna skip it. My project was just the Prequels.
rpvee
The Power of the Force
date Posted: Sep 01, 2007 7:03 PM
YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE REVENGE OF THE SITH!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a WORK OF ART, a MASTERPIECE in the world of books. I have NEVER heard a complaint about it.
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Sep 01, 2007 8:22 PM
So, rpvee, it sounds like you will hate my guts if I end up disagreeing with that.

Seriously though, I think it will be a good read, I'm looking forward to it.
  Captain Peabody
date Posted: Sep 01, 2007 8:49 PM
Good luck with Revenge of the Sith! Like you, it's my favorite of the PT, and I've heard good things about the novel. I'll be interested to hear what you think of it.
The Stooge
Star Wars Joke-A-Day (gone fishin')
date Posted: Sep 01, 2007 10:09 PM
I wish the author would have spent more time on Dooku, because he is an intriguing character that never realized his full impact on screen, or in this novel.

A-frikkin'-men. Man, I wish they'd do more about Dooku.

I haven't read it, but I also heard that the ROTS novel is pretty terrific.
Jade Sabre777
A luminous being, I am...
date Posted: Sep 02, 2007 4:42 PM
YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE REVENGE OF THE SITH!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a WORK OF ART, a MASTERPIECE in the world of books. I have NEVER heard a complaint about it.
Woo hoo! Well said! My best friend's dad is reading it now (I've gotten him into Star Wars books even though he's not a crazy fan like us) and he loves it! You might have to put up with a little gush between Ani and Padme here and there, but I don't recall it being anywhere near as much as AOTC so you'll be fine. And I cried at the end. :D
  Fish1941
date Posted: Sep 04, 2007 9:44 PM
My biggest problem with ATTACK OF THE CLONES is that the Jedi seem to be Superman one minute and Clark Kent the next (or maybe even Peter Parker). They seem superhuman strong in one instance and the next they're bumbling around.

Have you ever considered that the Jedi are both? Why should they be one thing or the other? That sounds a bit superficial. And I get the feeling that one of the reasons many fans find the PT so hard to accept is that they cannot accept the complexity and ambiguity of the characters.

  Fish1941
date Posted: Sep 04, 2007 9:45 PM
I've read the ROTS novel. I disliked it. Intensely. I disliked Stover's prolonged description of Palpatine's rescue, his over-the-top narrative and I especially disliked his ridiculous idealization of Obi-Wan's character.
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Sep 04, 2007 11:07 PM
I may end up agreeing with you, Fish1941. I really haven't even gotten into ROTS yet, I took a break to read SOUTHIE and get back to the Bible.
Frederick Wentworth
Obi-Wandi's Blog Spirits
date Posted: Sep 15, 2007 2:18 AM
It is a quite a crime not to have managed to establish the character of Dooku better within the motion picture narrative and even more so in the novel. He is even far more wasted in the ROTS movie, whose novelisation at least heralds excellent probings into Dooku's mind.

Altogether it is saddening and short of paradoxical that while great figures undoubtedly populate the prequel arena, they somehow are incorrectly manipulated by the narratives.

What further troubles me about the ATOC novel is also the vacuous treatment of the Fett family, but I find the latter portion extremely rushed, and untypically misbalanced in relation to the rest of the book.
FAN4YRS
A Rebel's Ramblings
date Posted: Sep 15, 2007 6:45 AM
I agree, the book should have spent more time on the Fetts, especially on Boba's reaction to his father's death. I realize there is/was a children's book series that covered Boba immediately after Episode II, but it would have been nice to have an "official" thought on what Boba was thinking and who stopped and helped.
Frederick Wentworth
Obi-Wandi's Blog Spirits
date Posted: Sep 22, 2007 2:28 PM
but it would have been nice to have an "official" thought on what Boba was thinking and who stopped and helped.

Absolutely. Requiring readers to pick up additional novels to complement the reading experience of a particular piece simply indicates to me that it ís quite simply incomplete. I am of the opinion that a novel should be able to stand its own ground entirely independently.
  • Please log in to post comments