Once Upon A Time In America

by Lee Hays

Based on screen play of film of the same name

Genres: Media Tie In

First published June 1, 1984

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the novelization of the movie Once Upon A Time In America, I've never seen the movie. In fact I had never heard of the movie until I bought this book for 25 cents at Library book sale a million years ago.

I've done some research on the movie and its super polarizing. Some people think it's up there with The Godfather as far as gangster films go. And others think its boring and confusing.

While I havent watched the movie, I thought this book was boring and confusing. The book flips between 1933 and 1968 but most of the time I had no clue as to which time period I was in. I assumed that the book would flesh the characters out more but I didn't feel connected to anyone. And to make matters worse, the ending was anticlimactic. Now I've heard that the movie has completely different ending and that makes me more inclined to watch the movie.

Hopefully I get to see the movie eventually but I dont recommend this novelization.

[Zoltán · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was wondering why the tiny little book was so strongly evocative of the movie I've seen a long long time ago, but have only realized that this was the paperback pulp made based on the movie script and not the original when I was trying to identify who the Author was actually supposed to be. Then I've also found a footnote in the book.

Oh well nice quick read, but it's pretty much just putting the movie in words which isn't much of thing to stand on its own.

[Hila · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very lackluster adaptation of one of the best movies ever made in Hollywood.

[Luca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mera trasposizione del plot.
Deboluccio, si perde tutte le qualità del film.