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The official novelization of Columbia's summer movie blockbuster, by a New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed comics writer.Bitten by a genetically altered spider, an ordinary teenage boy suddenly finds himself possessed of spectacular powers -- and becomes the daring nemesis of crime's most diabolical villains.
359 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
54 people are currently reading
976 people want to read
About the author
Peter David
3,568 books1,363 followersaka David Peters
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 7, 2025
This is a novelization of the first Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie, not an original Peter Parker adventure, so the primary duty of David was to novelize the David Koepp script, not to change or improve it. I thought he did both of those things pretty well, however, adding quite a bit of character depth, to Mary Jane and Norman Osborn particularly. David had been a comics writer for a very long time, so he knew and understood the characters and the Marvel universe intimately. It's not a brilliant piece of fine literature, but it's not supposed to be. He did his job very well and then added a lot of depth and detail that enhanced the film. Excelsior, true believers!
April 28, 2020
First 2 thirds: Spectacular, amazing
Last third: script trancription
I've bought the other 2 novelizations by the same author.
For nearly 20 years I've got this book laying around my room, never noticed was one of the best novelizations of a movie.
Last third: script trancription
I've bought the other 2 novelizations by the same author.
For nearly 20 years I've got this book laying around my room, never noticed was one of the best novelizations of a movie.
March 22, 2019
From my early childhood to this day, Spider-Man has been my favorite superhero character and comic book franchise. Anything with Spider-Man plastered over it is automatically held in high regards to me, especially the original three movies. I can say without question or embarrassment that Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and even the much maligned Spider-Man 3 are my top three movies of all-time (though, Spider-Man 3 has to be the Editor's Cut in order to make my top three). I simply cannot get enough of the Sam Rami Spider-Man Trilogy, for I truly love each not only as Spider-Man properties, but as cinematic achievements in their own rights. That is why I was so excited to discover that my three favorite movies were novelized by one of comic's most prolific writers, Peter David, author of the acclaimed Death of Jean DeWolff Spider-Man arc. Due to the film's legacy and the talent attached as writer, I had immediate faith that the first of the novelized trilogy would be a blast to read, but never did I expect it to be so good as to rival – at times even exceed – my love for the original movie!
Spider-Man by Peter David is everything you could ever want out of a movie novelization. Oftentimes, a novelization based off a movie tends to just regurgitate the film scene-by-scene as if it were the just the screenplay reprinted in book format, but Peter David obviously knew what he was doing when he wrote this fantastic book. Not only is this the 2002 movie you remember and love, it is also so much more. This Spider-Man film novelization provides a familiar experience, yet one laced with entirely new segments, characters, and dialogue to differentiate it from the film, making this book stand well on its own merits.
The story of Spider-Man is as well-known as superhero origins come, so retreading it here as a synopsis would be redundant. The basic structure of the movie is followed here in the book, and nothing deviates so far as to make each respective entity wholly different from the other, but not to the novelization's detriment, mind you. If you have watched Sam Rami's first Spider-Man movie, then you have, for the most part, read this book, but that does not mean that you should skip reading this novelization, for there is plenty of new content here to supplement the classic superhero film while keeping its original conception intact.
The book opens with an emotionally charged framing device – Peter Parker as Spider-Man recounting the story of the movie to Uncle Ben's grave – and already the book stands out from the movie, and it gets better from there. We also get to see many transitional moments between major scenes in the story that were absent from the film due to concerns about run-time, pacing, or other concerns. For example, we actually get to witness a young Peter Parker acclimate to his new life with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May after his parents' death, whereas in the film we are immediately shown a high school-aged Peter already living comfortably with his aunt and uncle. These new moments of character development do not only encompass our titular hero, for we also get treated to new scenes with Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. Every bit of new content surrounding these characters and their thoughts, behaviors, and interactions, serves them better and makes their time on each page that much more engaging. If you loved the characters in the movie, you will no doubt doubly love them in the novel.
Another special aspect of this book that the movie did not share was the addition of Peter Parker's journal, a heartfelt means of providing the reader with story exposition and deeper insight into Spidey's innermost thoughts and desires. Uncle Ben gifted his young nephew this journal when he first moved in and told him that Peter's mom and dad could read anything he wrote in that journal. This comforting notion helped a grieving Peter to cope with his sudden loss and get all of his bottled-up emotions out in a healthy and productive manner. Reading his entries throughout the novel as he developed into a costumed crime-fighter – and, by proxy, a man – was an especially interesting addition because it humanized Spider-Man even more than the movie was capable of doing, which is saying a lot because he was already a very well written character in the film. Also, having Richard and Mary Parker involved in the story in a more direct manner, as opposed to an implied one, was yet another reason why I believe this novelization stands on its own and excels in areas where the movie was incapable.
Writing a good movie novelization is not as easy as one would think; I would know, having read my fair share of such novelizations both great (Robocop by Ed Naha) and horrible (Mortal Kombat by Kevin Droney). It is not as simple as copying the movie line-for-line, punch-for-punch, and expecting it to be as good as the movie or better. Rather, the author needs to have a deeper understanding of the characters, the emotions, the themes, and the meanings behind each element of the film in order to write a book based on it, then they need to improve on those aspects while maintaining the original source material's essence. That is to say, the author has to balance writing a new take on the film without stepping over what has already been achieved on the big screen; not such an easy endeavor, but I can say with confidence that Peter David grasped this concept quite well. After all, who better to write the movie novelization of Spider-Man than a guy who had written some of his most memorable outings in comics? You can feel how connected the author is to Spider-Man as a franchise, and he does the whole book justice by characterizing everyone and everything exactly how they were in the movie but with more substance to it all. Needless to say, the book was extremely well written cover-to-cover.
Translating an action movie – a superhero movie, no less – into written form would appear to be an odd choice to some. One could argue that the action is sure to suffer because of a book's inherent lack of any aural or visual cues and complements; one would be correct in such assumptions, had they been referring to the average film novelization. The fact is, this is no run-of-the-mill novelization. Peter David is such a dynamic writer that he managed to capture every pulse-pounding moment of action and tension found on-screen and translated it all perfectly onto the pages of his book, never once missing a beat or failing to match its intensity. Peter David even managed to balance the bone-crushing punches with the sorrowful tears, the fast-paced web-slinging with the heartfelt embraces, retelling the story of Spider-Man with all the emotion intact, unhampered by those scenes involving more fists flying than words spoken. Once again, I have to heap praise onto Peter David for his stellar approach to writing a novel such as this.
Peter David, aside from being an excellent writer, knows how to provide readers with tons of fan service. There is nary a chapter that goes by without some sort of reference or easter egg thrown in to add some humor or expand the Sam Rami Spider-Man universe. You'll recognize names of famous comic book writers, future Spider-Man villains, fellow Marvel superheros and groups, and even rival superheros from DC, all cleverly name-dropped for the reader's entertainment! It was a blast to see these references included in a book based on the original Spider-Man movie, one which was self-contained and did not share a universe with other films. This novelization almost acts as a precursor to the shared Marvel Cinematic Universe with how often and breezily these other characters and places are mentioned, but here it is done much more enjoyably since it's not just a ploy to make more money as it is for Disney when they do it...Anyways, have fun identifying all the easter eggs strewn about!
If ever there was any instance where a film-to-novel adaptation went perfectly, then Spider-Man by Peter David is just such an example of that novelized perfection. There is almost nothing for me to seriously complain about or criticize in this novelization, such is its degree of quality. If I had to come up with one flaw – and you would really have to force me to come up with it – it would be that Peter David missed the Stan Lee cameo. I admit, I was a little bit let down when Stan The Man's scene from the film came up and there was no mention of a strangely familiar older gentleman, with a distinct mustache and pair of dark shades, helping bystanders get to safety as the Green Goblin attacked. But this is the smallest of nitpicks I can think of, and the book does not suffer from its omission. On all counts – writing, character development, action, fan service, humor, emotional gravity– the Spider-Man novelization stays true to the masterpiece superhero film, then goes above and beyond it to give mega Spidey fans like myself something new and exciting to love about a movie that came out nearly two decades ago. If you are even a casual fan of the Sam Rami Spider-Man movies, this is a must-read for you. And to those looking for a perfect conversion of film-to-book, look no further than here. Let's hope the magic continues in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3!
Spider-Man by Peter David is everything you could ever want out of a movie novelization. Oftentimes, a novelization based off a movie tends to just regurgitate the film scene-by-scene as if it were the just the screenplay reprinted in book format, but Peter David obviously knew what he was doing when he wrote this fantastic book. Not only is this the 2002 movie you remember and love, it is also so much more. This Spider-Man film novelization provides a familiar experience, yet one laced with entirely new segments, characters, and dialogue to differentiate it from the film, making this book stand well on its own merits.
The story of Spider-Man is as well-known as superhero origins come, so retreading it here as a synopsis would be redundant. The basic structure of the movie is followed here in the book, and nothing deviates so far as to make each respective entity wholly different from the other, but not to the novelization's detriment, mind you. If you have watched Sam Rami's first Spider-Man movie, then you have, for the most part, read this book, but that does not mean that you should skip reading this novelization, for there is plenty of new content here to supplement the classic superhero film while keeping its original conception intact.
The book opens with an emotionally charged framing device – Peter Parker as Spider-Man recounting the story of the movie to Uncle Ben's grave – and already the book stands out from the movie, and it gets better from there. We also get to see many transitional moments between major scenes in the story that were absent from the film due to concerns about run-time, pacing, or other concerns. For example, we actually get to witness a young Peter Parker acclimate to his new life with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May after his parents' death, whereas in the film we are immediately shown a high school-aged Peter already living comfortably with his aunt and uncle. These new moments of character development do not only encompass our titular hero, for we also get treated to new scenes with Harry Osborn, Mary Jane Watson, Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. Every bit of new content surrounding these characters and their thoughts, behaviors, and interactions, serves them better and makes their time on each page that much more engaging. If you loved the characters in the movie, you will no doubt doubly love them in the novel.
Another special aspect of this book that the movie did not share was the addition of Peter Parker's journal, a heartfelt means of providing the reader with story exposition and deeper insight into Spidey's innermost thoughts and desires. Uncle Ben gifted his young nephew this journal when he first moved in and told him that Peter's mom and dad could read anything he wrote in that journal. This comforting notion helped a grieving Peter to cope with his sudden loss and get all of his bottled-up emotions out in a healthy and productive manner. Reading his entries throughout the novel as he developed into a costumed crime-fighter – and, by proxy, a man – was an especially interesting addition because it humanized Spider-Man even more than the movie was capable of doing, which is saying a lot because he was already a very well written character in the film. Also, having Richard and Mary Parker involved in the story in a more direct manner, as opposed to an implied one, was yet another reason why I believe this novelization stands on its own and excels in areas where the movie was incapable.
Writing a good movie novelization is not as easy as one would think; I would know, having read my fair share of such novelizations both great (Robocop by Ed Naha) and horrible (Mortal Kombat by Kevin Droney). It is not as simple as copying the movie line-for-line, punch-for-punch, and expecting it to be as good as the movie or better. Rather, the author needs to have a deeper understanding of the characters, the emotions, the themes, and the meanings behind each element of the film in order to write a book based on it, then they need to improve on those aspects while maintaining the original source material's essence. That is to say, the author has to balance writing a new take on the film without stepping over what has already been achieved on the big screen; not such an easy endeavor, but I can say with confidence that Peter David grasped this concept quite well. After all, who better to write the movie novelization of Spider-Man than a guy who had written some of his most memorable outings in comics? You can feel how connected the author is to Spider-Man as a franchise, and he does the whole book justice by characterizing everyone and everything exactly how they were in the movie but with more substance to it all. Needless to say, the book was extremely well written cover-to-cover.
Translating an action movie – a superhero movie, no less – into written form would appear to be an odd choice to some. One could argue that the action is sure to suffer because of a book's inherent lack of any aural or visual cues and complements; one would be correct in such assumptions, had they been referring to the average film novelization. The fact is, this is no run-of-the-mill novelization. Peter David is such a dynamic writer that he managed to capture every pulse-pounding moment of action and tension found on-screen and translated it all perfectly onto the pages of his book, never once missing a beat or failing to match its intensity. Peter David even managed to balance the bone-crushing punches with the sorrowful tears, the fast-paced web-slinging with the heartfelt embraces, retelling the story of Spider-Man with all the emotion intact, unhampered by those scenes involving more fists flying than words spoken. Once again, I have to heap praise onto Peter David for his stellar approach to writing a novel such as this.
Peter David, aside from being an excellent writer, knows how to provide readers with tons of fan service. There is nary a chapter that goes by without some sort of reference or easter egg thrown in to add some humor or expand the Sam Rami Spider-Man universe. You'll recognize names of famous comic book writers, future Spider-Man villains, fellow Marvel superheros and groups, and even rival superheros from DC, all cleverly name-dropped for the reader's entertainment! It was a blast to see these references included in a book based on the original Spider-Man movie, one which was self-contained and did not share a universe with other films. This novelization almost acts as a precursor to the shared Marvel Cinematic Universe with how often and breezily these other characters and places are mentioned, but here it is done much more enjoyably since it's not just a ploy to make more money as it is for Disney when they do it...Anyways, have fun identifying all the easter eggs strewn about!
If ever there was any instance where a film-to-novel adaptation went perfectly, then Spider-Man by Peter David is just such an example of that novelized perfection. There is almost nothing for me to seriously complain about or criticize in this novelization, such is its degree of quality. If I had to come up with one flaw – and you would really have to force me to come up with it – it would be that Peter David missed the Stan Lee cameo. I admit, I was a little bit let down when Stan The Man's scene from the film came up and there was no mention of a strangely familiar older gentleman, with a distinct mustache and pair of dark shades, helping bystanders get to safety as the Green Goblin attacked. But this is the smallest of nitpicks I can think of, and the book does not suffer from its omission. On all counts – writing, character development, action, fan service, humor, emotional gravity– the Spider-Man novelization stays true to the masterpiece superhero film, then goes above and beyond it to give mega Spidey fans like myself something new and exciting to love about a movie that came out nearly two decades ago. If you are even a casual fan of the Sam Rami Spider-Man movies, this is a must-read for you. And to those looking for a perfect conversion of film-to-book, look no further than here. Let's hope the magic continues in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3!
Read
January 15, 2019I'm playing through the new Spider-Man PS4 game and remembered that I read the Spider-Man movie novelization before I saw the movie back in 2002. I was in middle school. I really loved the book, way more than the movie, actually (I do still like the movie; Spider-Man 2 is my all time favorite superhero movie though). After I saw the movie, I was like, eh, the book was better, and everyone was like ????
June 4, 2025
five stars for
- mary jane's trauma from being abused being evident in the way she acts
- mary jane getting to stand up to her father and disown him at the end
- mary jane watson in general <3
- harry reading interview with the vampire
- the line “Harry felt he could sympathize with the moon. After all, did it not bask in reflected glory?" making me want to die
- whatever the hell was going on between peter parker and norman osborn... because what do you mean you neglected your son for a random kid who then happens to be spider-man aka your enemy but you, in your right mind, still can't bring yourself to hurt him ??????
obsessed with the added layers this book provides as well as the character depth. is the writing beautiful? nah, but i don't even care. rip peter david i owe you a lot thank you for making my love for mary jane watson & harry osborn more understandable to people who aren't insane like me
- mary jane's trauma from being abused being evident in the way she acts
- mary jane getting to stand up to her father and disown him at the end
- mary jane watson in general <3
- harry reading interview with the vampire
- the line “Harry felt he could sympathize with the moon. After all, did it not bask in reflected glory?" making me want to die
- whatever the hell was going on between peter parker and norman osborn... because what do you mean you neglected your son for a random kid who then happens to be spider-man aka your enemy but you, in your right mind, still can't bring yourself to hurt him ??????
obsessed with the added layers this book provides as well as the character depth. is the writing beautiful? nah, but i don't even care. rip peter david i owe you a lot thank you for making my love for mary jane watson & harry osborn more understandable to people who aren't insane like me
November 12, 2010
I really like this book, i have seen the movie too. I like how the author of this book matches the book with the movie a lot. I think he should of shorten it a little. This is the first book of spider man, the book starts with a young boy who's name is Peter Parker and he's in high school. He lives with his aunt and uncle in New York. For all the people that don't know how Peter Parker became spider mam, he was in a field trip in a science lap. He was looking at animals and a spider came from the roof down to he's hand and bit him. Peter didn't feel the spider on he's hand, but he felt the bite of the spider. When he got home he was feeling weird because of the spider bite, he went upstairs to his room. He was wearing his classes but he couldn't see anything, everything was blurry. He didn't use his classes anymore. The next morning he went to school and got into a fight with MJ's boyfriend. He gave him one punch and he was out, Peter from that point on was impressed what he could do with the powers that he had. He got out of school and went behind a building, he looked at his hands and little spikes came out. He started climbing the building like a spider, he got on top of the building and he was excited. He started running and jumping from building to building. When he got in the end of all the building he thought to use his web, but he didn't know how to so he used some hand sigh. He finally figured it out. When he got home, he went upstairs to his room and thought on practicing his web shots. He was shooting web at coke bottles.
I would recommend people to read this book and watch the movie because its good. The movie might help you understand the meaning of the book better. I think the author has done a great job at writing this book. When Peter was done practicing his web shot he went done stairs to eat dinner, it got dark out and Peter was taking out the trash, at the same time MJ which she lived next door was doing the same thing, taking out the trash. Peter and MJ started talking, but MJ boyfriend came to pick her up because she was going out with him. Next morning Peters uncle wanted to drive him to school but Peter didnt want to. He drove him to school but he had a little chat with him in the car, he told him " With great power, comes great responsibility." Peter already knew that and he left the car without even saying good bye.
I would recommend people to read this book and watch the movie because its good. The movie might help you understand the meaning of the book better. I think the author has done a great job at writing this book. When Peter was done practicing his web shot he went done stairs to eat dinner, it got dark out and Peter was taking out the trash, at the same time MJ which she lived next door was doing the same thing, taking out the trash. Peter and MJ started talking, but MJ boyfriend came to pick her up because she was going out with him. Next morning Peters uncle wanted to drive him to school but Peter didnt want to. He drove him to school but he had a little chat with him in the car, he told him " With great power, comes great responsibility." Peter already knew that and he left the car without even saying good bye.
November 11, 2015
COMMENTO:
Spider-man (o italianizzando l'uomo ragno) di Peter David è un romanzo basato sulla sceneggiatura del film di Raimi del 2002 che a sua volta si ispira al fumetto di Stan Lee e Steve Ditko.
Spider-man, a differenza degli altri personaggi del mondo Marvel, è sicuramente destinato sopratutto ad un pubblico adolescenziale (ma non solo), poichè fin dall'inizio ci mostra la sua debolezza, la sua insicurezza, la sua spontaneità, la sua semplicità, la sua sensibilità e i problemi tipici di tutti gli adolescenti.
Peter, quindi, incarna benissimo l'archetipo dell'adolescente a cui ogni giorno nella normalità(come quella della scuola) è una grande sfida.
Ogni giorno è costretto a sorbirsi i soprusi dei compagni di classe, è costretto a combattere contro la solitudine, contro le ingiustizie e contro la sua debolezza che lo rende incapace persino di parlare con la ragazza che ama.
Ma proprio queste caratteristiche rendono l'Uomo Ragno un personaggio carico di fascino perché, pur essendo un supereroe, sotto la maschera è sempre l' "Uomo" con i suoi problemi e le sue sfide quotidiane e quando veste i panni del "Ragno" è sempre l'uomo che prova il dolore ed emozioni.
La trasposizione di Peter David ricalca alla perfezione la sceneggiatura del film di Raimi, inserendo scene inedite e i pensieri dei personaggi che per ovvi motivi nel film
non potevano essere presenti. David racconta la fiaba dell'Uomo ragno in modo semplice e scorrevole rendendo la lettura piacevole e passando ai raggi X le personalità di tutti i personaggi.
Insomma, questo romanzo è davvero un ottimo prodotto che si mostra semplice e onesto fin dall'inizio, riuscendo a dare quel senso di completezza al film.
DETTAGLI TECNICI VERSIONE ITALIANA
Titolo Originale: Spider-man
Titolo Italiano: Spider-man l'uomo ragno
Autore: Peter David
Nazionalità: David nasce il 23 settembre 1956(scrittore e fumettista statunitense).
Art Director: Giacomo Callo
Graphic Designer: Heric Abramo
Traduttore: Fabrizio Pezzoli
Lingua Originale: Inglese
Traduzione in: Italiano
Genere: Fantascienza, Azione, Drammatico, Supereroi
ISBN-10: 8804507772
ISBN-13: 978-8804507772
Tipologia del prodotto: Brossura
Categoria commerciale: Tascabile
Dimensioni: altezza(21cm) x larghezza(15cm) x profondità(2,5cm)
Peso: 458 g
Copertina: cartoncino sottile liscio e lucido non rigido.
Caratteri: dimensioni medie
Errori di stampa: riscontrati (pochi)
Stampato in: Italia
Editore: Mondadori
Collana: Massimi della fantascienza
Anno stampa: Maggio 2002
Prima Pubblicazione: 2002
Prezzo di Copertina: 10€
Film tratti da romanzo: Nessuno, il romanzo è ispirato al film:
2002 - Spider-Man, regia di Sam Raimi, sulla sceneggiatura di David Koepp
1962 - Fumetto Marvel di Stan Lee e Steve Ditko
Numero totale di pagine: 348
Numero di pagine del romanzo: 342
Capitoli: 26 (Numerici e titolati)
Prologo, 7
1 - L'arrivo, 14
2 - La Partenza, 26
3 - Il Caso, 54
4 - La Riunione, 67
5 - Gli Effetti Collaterali, 75
6 - Il Primo Scontro, 90
7 - La Curva d'Apprendimento, 101
8 - L' Esperimento, 117
9 - Il Passaggio in Città, 129
10 - Il Secondo Scontro, 135
11 - L' Assassino, 153
12 - Lo Spiritello Dispettoso, 168
13 - I Cambiamenti, 174
14 - L' Uomo Ragno, 184
15 - La Ragazza Misteriosa, 201
16 - Il Fotografo, 214
17 - Il Festival, 225
18 - Uno Scontro Titanico, 239
19 - Le Conseguenze, 248
20 - La Pura Verità, 258
21 - Il Cacciatore in Agguato, 266
22 - Una Falena Attirata dalla Fiamma, 274
23 - L' Ultima Cena, 281
24 - Gli Occhi Gialli, 299
25 - La Scelta, 317
26 - I Commiati, 335
Parti: Assente
Indice: Assente
Introduzione: Assente
Postfazione: Assente
Premessa: Assente
Prologo: Presente
Appendici: Assente
Note: Assente
Pagine Prologo: 7
Immagini: Assenti
Prima di copertina: Titolo, nome autore, nome editore, sceneggiatura film e fumetto da cui è tratto. Sfondo: dal film di Sam Raimi "Spider-man" del 2002
Quarta di copertina: Titolo, Trama, copyright, loghi marvel, spiderman e columbia picture, sito web spider-man, art director, graphic designer e prezzo.
Fascietta: Assente
Segnalibro: Assente
Sovraccoperta: Assente
Biografia Autore: Assente
SINOSSI:
Peter Parker è solo uno studente liceale, simpatico e studioso, quando la sua vita cambia radicalmente: un ragno geneticamente modificato lo ha morsicato, regalandogli fantastici poteri e la possibilità di arrampicarsi sui muri. La tentazione di utilizzare la sua nuova condizione per arricchirsi è forte, ma Peter decide di trasformarsi in un giustiziere mascherato in lotta contro il crimine: Spider-Man, l'Uomo Ragno. Il romanzo è ispirato al film "Spider-Man" di Sam Raimi, a sua volta ispirato al fumetto Marvel di Stan Lee e Steve Ditko.
RECENSIONE EDIZIONE ITALIANA: Il libro si presenta troppo largo in proporzione all'altezza e in confronto ad altri libri. La copertina sottile tende a rimanere leggermente alzata.
Inoltre, nel libro sono presenti (rari) errori di stampa ma è possibile sorvolare su questo dato che pare essere la prima edizione.
Il prezzo(pieno) mi sembra eccessivo per una edizione di medio livello, ma per gli appassionati è un libro imperdibile anche a quel prezzo.
Spider-man (o italianizzando l'uomo ragno) di Peter David è un romanzo basato sulla sceneggiatura del film di Raimi del 2002 che a sua volta si ispira al fumetto di Stan Lee e Steve Ditko.
Spider-man, a differenza degli altri personaggi del mondo Marvel, è sicuramente destinato sopratutto ad un pubblico adolescenziale (ma non solo), poichè fin dall'inizio ci mostra la sua debolezza, la sua insicurezza, la sua spontaneità, la sua semplicità, la sua sensibilità e i problemi tipici di tutti gli adolescenti.
Peter, quindi, incarna benissimo l'archetipo dell'adolescente a cui ogni giorno nella normalità(come quella della scuola) è una grande sfida.
Ogni giorno è costretto a sorbirsi i soprusi dei compagni di classe, è costretto a combattere contro la solitudine, contro le ingiustizie e contro la sua debolezza che lo rende incapace persino di parlare con la ragazza che ama.
Ma proprio queste caratteristiche rendono l'Uomo Ragno un personaggio carico di fascino perché, pur essendo un supereroe, sotto la maschera è sempre l' "Uomo" con i suoi problemi e le sue sfide quotidiane e quando veste i panni del "Ragno" è sempre l'uomo che prova il dolore ed emozioni.
La trasposizione di Peter David ricalca alla perfezione la sceneggiatura del film di Raimi, inserendo scene inedite e i pensieri dei personaggi che per ovvi motivi nel film
non potevano essere presenti. David racconta la fiaba dell'Uomo ragno in modo semplice e scorrevole rendendo la lettura piacevole e passando ai raggi X le personalità di tutti i personaggi.
Insomma, questo romanzo è davvero un ottimo prodotto che si mostra semplice e onesto fin dall'inizio, riuscendo a dare quel senso di completezza al film.
DETTAGLI TECNICI VERSIONE ITALIANA
Titolo Originale: Spider-man
Titolo Italiano: Spider-man l'uomo ragno
Autore: Peter David
Nazionalità: David nasce il 23 settembre 1956(scrittore e fumettista statunitense).
Art Director: Giacomo Callo
Graphic Designer: Heric Abramo
Traduttore: Fabrizio Pezzoli
Lingua Originale: Inglese
Traduzione in: Italiano
Genere: Fantascienza, Azione, Drammatico, Supereroi
ISBN-10: 8804507772
ISBN-13: 978-8804507772
Tipologia del prodotto: Brossura
Categoria commerciale: Tascabile
Dimensioni: altezza(21cm) x larghezza(15cm) x profondità(2,5cm)
Peso: 458 g
Copertina: cartoncino sottile liscio e lucido non rigido.
Caratteri: dimensioni medie
Errori di stampa: riscontrati (pochi)
Stampato in: Italia
Editore: Mondadori
Collana: Massimi della fantascienza
Anno stampa: Maggio 2002
Prima Pubblicazione: 2002
Prezzo di Copertina: 10€
Film tratti da romanzo: Nessuno, il romanzo è ispirato al film:
2002 - Spider-Man, regia di Sam Raimi, sulla sceneggiatura di David Koepp
1962 - Fumetto Marvel di Stan Lee e Steve Ditko
Numero totale di pagine: 348
Numero di pagine del romanzo: 342
Capitoli: 26 (Numerici e titolati)
Prologo, 7
1 - L'arrivo, 14
2 - La Partenza, 26
3 - Il Caso, 54
4 - La Riunione, 67
5 - Gli Effetti Collaterali, 75
6 - Il Primo Scontro, 90
7 - La Curva d'Apprendimento, 101
8 - L' Esperimento, 117
9 - Il Passaggio in Città, 129
10 - Il Secondo Scontro, 135
11 - L' Assassino, 153
12 - Lo Spiritello Dispettoso, 168
13 - I Cambiamenti, 174
14 - L' Uomo Ragno, 184
15 - La Ragazza Misteriosa, 201
16 - Il Fotografo, 214
17 - Il Festival, 225
18 - Uno Scontro Titanico, 239
19 - Le Conseguenze, 248
20 - La Pura Verità, 258
21 - Il Cacciatore in Agguato, 266
22 - Una Falena Attirata dalla Fiamma, 274
23 - L' Ultima Cena, 281
24 - Gli Occhi Gialli, 299
25 - La Scelta, 317
26 - I Commiati, 335
Parti: Assente
Indice: Assente
Introduzione: Assente
Postfazione: Assente
Premessa: Assente
Prologo: Presente
Appendici: Assente
Note: Assente
Pagine Prologo: 7
Immagini: Assenti
Prima di copertina: Titolo, nome autore, nome editore, sceneggiatura film e fumetto da cui è tratto. Sfondo: dal film di Sam Raimi "Spider-man" del 2002
Quarta di copertina: Titolo, Trama, copyright, loghi marvel, spiderman e columbia picture, sito web spider-man, art director, graphic designer e prezzo.
Fascietta: Assente
Segnalibro: Assente
Sovraccoperta: Assente
Biografia Autore: Assente
SINOSSI:
Peter Parker è solo uno studente liceale, simpatico e studioso, quando la sua vita cambia radicalmente: un ragno geneticamente modificato lo ha morsicato, regalandogli fantastici poteri e la possibilità di arrampicarsi sui muri. La tentazione di utilizzare la sua nuova condizione per arricchirsi è forte, ma Peter decide di trasformarsi in un giustiziere mascherato in lotta contro il crimine: Spider-Man, l'Uomo Ragno. Il romanzo è ispirato al film "Spider-Man" di Sam Raimi, a sua volta ispirato al fumetto Marvel di Stan Lee e Steve Ditko.
RECENSIONE EDIZIONE ITALIANA: Il libro si presenta troppo largo in proporzione all'altezza e in confronto ad altri libri. La copertina sottile tende a rimanere leggermente alzata.
Inoltre, nel libro sono presenti (rari) errori di stampa ma è possibile sorvolare su questo dato che pare essere la prima edizione.
Il prezzo(pieno) mi sembra eccessivo per una edizione di medio livello, ma per gli appassionati è un libro imperdibile anche a quel prezzo.
October 24, 2018
Are novelizations literature?...well, who cares. This wasn't too bad - a few additions to and detractions from the film and it's all predictable and entertaining. A nice distraction from reading heavier "lit'rature", sniff, sniff.
August 27, 2011
A close match to the movie, so if you've seen it you will already have some idea of whether or not you will like this book. David stays close to the events of the movie, but really goes to town on expanding things by way of the characters' thoughts. Reading this will give you a whole new understanding of the motivations behind the action and new insight into these excellent characters. Not being a fan of the comics, I can't say whether David's interpretation of the characters is in line with them, but he does make them very human with desires, fears, moments of selfishness and other things that make them much more real.
June 24, 2015
I think this book is good because it has a lot of action in it. I like this book because my mum give it to me to read. It is a cool book and that a boy became a hero and has saved lives but his grandfather died of heart failure. He has a enemy that is venom a.k.a evil spider man that kills people for fun. When he saves his girlfriend from venom ,when he was about to eat her. I recommend this book to people that like action romance.
December 14, 2016
Is a good book of an excellent film, is one of my favorite superheroes for his power to climb walls and swing with his web all over the city.
December 16, 2025
Now this is a character that needs no introduction. Just say his name, and people would be like, "Ah, the superhero!" But that's only in today's world. Back in 2002, nobody really knew much of this character except for those who read the comics and watched the shows, animated and live-action. Does anyone remember those? Man, time flies. Everything changed when Sony and Marvel released the first-ever theatrical Spider-Man movie. Directed by Sam Raimi, known for the Evil Dead Trilogy (1981-1992), he was actually a huge Spider-Man fan before taking on this project, which was already a promising sign.
With any movie release, a novelization is often published alongside it. This serves primarily for marketing purposes, building hype, and allowing fans to experience the story again in written form. Novelizations are often hit or misses. My biggest pet peeve is when a novelization just copies a screenplay without adding anything. Thankfully, this novelization of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man was one of those I actually felt I was getting a different experience.
The late author Peter David, a known comic book writer who wrote issues for Marvel in the past, was brought in to write the novelization. David was someone who understood characters like Spider-Man. It's evident in his writing style, as he chose to dive into Peter's inner thoughts and speak through a first-person perspective. One clever thing I applauded David for was how he wrote Peter's uncle, Ben Parker. Ben plays more of a fatherly role, especially in the beginning when a young Peter first arrives with a social worker. Ben tries to comfort Peter and make him feel at home, even enlightening him about Richard (Peter's dad). But the thing I liked most about Ben was that he told Peter he could talk to his parents if he wrote to them. They wouldn't be able to respond, but they'd see it. This was Ben's way of teaching Peter to keep a diary.
In those "letters," Peter tells his folks about the girl next door, Mary Jane Watson. A girl he's had a crush on since she first moved in. She's a character who I felt lacked something in the films. From what I understood, she comes from a troubled household. Her father is an abusive, cold, and harsh man, which reflects the way she turned out to be, and that's all. However, in the novelization, David took the liberty of exploring her character more and explaining why she acts the way she does, why she thinks the way she does, and why she even fell for Peter in the first place while she was still with Flash Thompson and later Harry Osborn. This allows readers to feel some sort of sympathy toward MJ, even if she's not perfect. Additionally, the movie glossed over an explanation of why MJ was even dating Flash in the first place. Apparently, her father pushed her into dating Flash, all because of his money. Because of course he does. After all, money seems to be seen as a solution to many problems, doesn't it?
Speaking of MJ and Peter, they aren't awkward like they are in the film. Initially, Peter was shy, but he gradually became more confident. He offers her a shoulder to cry on, which I don't understand why that wasn't in the film. I love the scene after that Thanksgiving disaster where Peter comforts MJ. It allows the relationship to feel a lot more natural, rather than forced. However, we still get the awkward line of Peter making up for what he said to Spider-Man about MJ. But I guess I can forgive that if Peter had to come up with something on the spot without sounding like a total fool.
Now that I think about it, Peter acted like the better boyfriend than Harry, even though Peter and MJ weren't dating. Harry, in this novelization just exists. All to his character is that he lives in his father's shadow and wishes to get his approval. To say he's a boring guy is an understatement; I've seen Valentine's Day cards provide more emotion than Harry.
Comparing him to the movie, Norman comes across as far colder in the novelization. While Willem Dafoe’s performance hints at some humanity, the written version strips away these nuances. This portrayal of Norman lacks any redeeming qualities or warmth, giving no indication that there's anything left to save. If you found him terrifying in the film, the novelization intensifies that discomfort, transforming him into more of a pure psychological threat than a tragic villain. Peter David does not exaggerate Norman’s cruelty; instead, he clarifies it, making it painfully evident just how dangerous he truly is.
Despite all the praises I've given, I don't think this is the best Spider-Man story. On the contrary, I did find this to be a remarkable origin story. Peter Parker carries the story more so than he does in the movie. Peter David adds more humanity to his character, giving us the impression that this is a character we've known for a while, but we're just reading his diary. This in no way is better than the movie; this only complements the story and enhances the experience.
Rating: 3.5/4 stars.
With any movie release, a novelization is often published alongside it. This serves primarily for marketing purposes, building hype, and allowing fans to experience the story again in written form. Novelizations are often hit or misses. My biggest pet peeve is when a novelization just copies a screenplay without adding anything. Thankfully, this novelization of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man was one of those I actually felt I was getting a different experience.
The late author Peter David, a known comic book writer who wrote issues for Marvel in the past, was brought in to write the novelization. David was someone who understood characters like Spider-Man. It's evident in his writing style, as he chose to dive into Peter's inner thoughts and speak through a first-person perspective. One clever thing I applauded David for was how he wrote Peter's uncle, Ben Parker. Ben plays more of a fatherly role, especially in the beginning when a young Peter first arrives with a social worker. Ben tries to comfort Peter and make him feel at home, even enlightening him about Richard (Peter's dad). But the thing I liked most about Ben was that he told Peter he could talk to his parents if he wrote to them. They wouldn't be able to respond, but they'd see it. This was Ben's way of teaching Peter to keep a diary.
In those "letters," Peter tells his folks about the girl next door, Mary Jane Watson. A girl he's had a crush on since she first moved in. She's a character who I felt lacked something in the films. From what I understood, she comes from a troubled household. Her father is an abusive, cold, and harsh man, which reflects the way she turned out to be, and that's all. However, in the novelization, David took the liberty of exploring her character more and explaining why she acts the way she does, why she thinks the way she does, and why she even fell for Peter in the first place while she was still with Flash Thompson and later Harry Osborn. This allows readers to feel some sort of sympathy toward MJ, even if she's not perfect. Additionally, the movie glossed over an explanation of why MJ was even dating Flash in the first place. Apparently, her father pushed her into dating Flash, all because of his money. Because of course he does. After all, money seems to be seen as a solution to many problems, doesn't it?
Speaking of MJ and Peter, they aren't awkward like they are in the film. Initially, Peter was shy, but he gradually became more confident. He offers her a shoulder to cry on, which I don't understand why that wasn't in the film. I love the scene after that Thanksgiving disaster where Peter comforts MJ. It allows the relationship to feel a lot more natural, rather than forced. However, we still get the awkward line of Peter making up for what he said to Spider-Man about MJ. But I guess I can forgive that if Peter had to come up with something on the spot without sounding like a total fool.
Now that I think about it, Peter acted like the better boyfriend than Harry, even though Peter and MJ weren't dating. Harry, in this novelization just exists. All to his character is that he lives in his father's shadow and wishes to get his approval. To say he's a boring guy is an understatement; I've seen Valentine's Day cards provide more emotion than Harry.
Comparing him to the movie, Norman comes across as far colder in the novelization. While Willem Dafoe’s performance hints at some humanity, the written version strips away these nuances. This portrayal of Norman lacks any redeeming qualities or warmth, giving no indication that there's anything left to save. If you found him terrifying in the film, the novelization intensifies that discomfort, transforming him into more of a pure psychological threat than a tragic villain. Peter David does not exaggerate Norman’s cruelty; instead, he clarifies it, making it painfully evident just how dangerous he truly is.
Despite all the praises I've given, I don't think this is the best Spider-Man story. On the contrary, I did find this to be a remarkable origin story. Peter Parker carries the story more so than he does in the movie. Peter David adds more humanity to his character, giving us the impression that this is a character we've known for a while, but we're just reading his diary. This in no way is better than the movie; this only complements the story and enhances the experience.
Rating: 3.5/4 stars.
July 14, 2020
It's a novelization of a movie from 2002, and you feel it. As the author worked off of the movie script, some things from the final film are different. Peter writing letters to his dead parents was a strange addition, and the author takes the liberty of adding in a bunch of "easter egg" names like Ditko and Owsley. These references to real-world people and real-world things that the movie's actors have done takes the reader out of the story and takes away from the sort of Spider-Man-only isolated bubble that the movie has. I don't want to see Battlin' Jack Murdock two times, and I don't want to see him call his son about a "daredevil" who saved him. That's tacky. I can't speak for 2002, but I imagine it was tacky then, as well.
March 10, 2022
2.5 but rounding up because I love the movie so much.
In the beginning it felt like Peter cared way more about having a beautiful girlfriend and the status that would give him than he actually cared about M.J. and who she was as a person but I liked the development of their relationship as the novel went on.
Didn't really care for some of the added scenes/content (especially the opening scene in the graveyard, came off as cheesy and silly more than intriguing).
I liked the nods and winks to other Marvel characters (Pym, Murdock, etc.) but it was laid on a little too thick. Sticking to just a few references would have been better.
Overall, a fun and sentimental read.
In the beginning it felt like Peter cared way more about having a beautiful girlfriend and the status that would give him than he actually cared about M.J. and who she was as a person but I liked the development of their relationship as the novel went on.
Didn't really care for some of the added scenes/content (especially the opening scene in the graveyard, came off as cheesy and silly more than intriguing).
I liked the nods and winks to other Marvel characters (Pym, Murdock, etc.) but it was laid on a little too thick. Sticking to just a few references would have been better.
Overall, a fun and sentimental read.
August 11, 2021
Even though I saw the movie several times, the book was more than I expected, the way the author described the characters is mind-blowing. But I was bored with the long explanations; I was expecting it to be a little mysterious. It also gives an important lesson in life: no matter how much the newspaper speaks negative things about spiderman and counts him as one of the villains, he still prefers to be a hero risking his life for others. Although you have seen the movie, I personally recommend the book to be read.
January 27, 2022
An entertaining novelization of the Spider-Man to captivate the imagination of any Marvel fan. While the novel does follow the film's plot pretty well (at times word for word), I was pleased to see some expansion on events to give fans a unique insight. It was fascinating getting to see Norman's transition into the Green Goblin with the new perspective. I was also pleasantly surprised by how many other Marvel character names were dropped throughout the text that never made an appearance in the film. Overall, an enjoyable read and would recommend it to any Spider-Man and/or Marvel fan.
August 17, 2017
I think the concept of spider-man is really great. But the story is all about how Peter went the wrong path for money and not listen to his uncle before he left . Sadly , his uncle was murdered by a thief who was freed by Peter. So the rest of the story was for revenging and living a sad life. I don't really like the ending so much as Peter was never happy.
May 23, 2018
This book was amazing! Unlike the movie, this book actually made me feel like I was spider-man saving the people of New York. It was written well and followed the plot of the movie enough to be similar but also went off in a different direction at some points which gave it a unique feel. I really liked this book and I hope to read more books by this Author in the future.
October 29, 2022
I’ve seen the film countless times but reading the novelisation was great fun as there were lots of extra details added in that added to the characters and the plot line.
There’s also references to other comic book characters too which brings the Marvel universe into the storyline too.
I really enjoyed it.
5/5 stars.
There’s also references to other comic book characters too which brings the Marvel universe into the storyline too.
I really enjoyed it.
5/5 stars.
February 20, 2018
Good novelisation of one of my favourite superhero films. First time I've read anything from Peter David outside the 'Star Trek' world and I was impressed. He's very true to the characters as they were presented on-screen.
February 22, 2022
Honestly, I thought it was going to be lame. It was actually way better than I expected. I don't if it was just because I love Spider-Man or not but I liked it. It was written better than I thought it was going to be and it did follow the movie.
December 20, 2017
Higly reccomend this especially if your a fan of Sam Raimi's take on Spider-man!
October 11, 2019
Spider Man is my favourite super hero
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2020
Good film, good book. No drama banana.
February 12, 2020
Just like the movie
November 15, 2021
love reading this and imagining tobey maguire with his pouty lower lip
Read
January 8, 2024Saw the movie and read the book
July 6, 2024
This was a really great take on the movie. Looking into the minds of all the characters, even new scenes that weren’t in the movie.
July 7, 2024
Good novelization - reads a lot like the movie watches. He left out a couple important details (lines) at the end, though. Fun, light, spiderman
7/10
7/10
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