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A novel by Wayland Drew, based on a screenplay by Bob Dolman, from a story by George Lucas.
A wondrous tale of a child...a prophecy...and the power of magic.
The Child
She was born with the mark on her arm. The mark of the one who would cause the downfall of Queen Bavmorda, and end her evil reign. If she survived...
The Prophecy
The legend told the Queen that a child would be born who would destroy her. That prophecy was the Queen's greatest fear...and now it was about to come true. Unless she could stop it...
The Power of Magic
Willow Ufgood had always wanted to be a magician, to be wise and respected in the community. His dreams were about to come true...but in ways he could have never imagined.
A wondrous tale of a child...a prophecy...and the power of magic.
The Child
She was born with the mark on her arm. The mark of the one who would cause the downfall of Queen Bavmorda, and end her evil reign. If she survived...
The Prophecy
The legend told the Queen that a child would be born who would destroy her. That prophecy was the Queen's greatest fear...and now it was about to come true. Unless she could stop it...
The Power of Magic
Willow Ufgood had always wanted to be a magician, to be wise and respected in the community. His dreams were about to come true...but in ways he could have never imagined.
276 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1988
30 people are currently reading
2115 people want to read
About the author
Wayland Drew
23 books33 followersWayland Drew (1932-1998) was a writer born in Oshawa, Ontario. He attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto, where he earned a BA in English Language and Literature (1957). Shortly after graduation he married Gwendolyn Parrott and together they raised four children. From 1961-1994 he was a high school teacher in Port Perry, Bracebridge, and Muskoka Lakes. He also worked for the Ontario Ministry of Education.
Drew began to write seriously in high school and published a number of short stories (to magazines such as The Tamarack Review) and non-fiction pieces throughout his career, while also selling radio and film scripts. His first novel (and sometimes stated to be his best) was The Wabeno Feast (1973). While rooted in Northern Ontario, the story indicted modern industrial civilization as an extension of the European colonization of Canada by depicting an entire society's fall into ruin. In her essay on "Canadian Monsters: Some Aspects of the Supernatural in Canadian Fiction ", Margaret Atwood noted that Drew's use of the aboriginal wabeno revealed a concern "with man's relationship to his society and to himself, as opposed to his relationship with the natural environment" and she concluded that Drew's novel combined "both concerns in a rather allegorical and very contemporary fashion".
Many readers, though, surely know him better as the author of an ecological science fiction trilogy, the Erthring Cycle (1984-1986), and of several movie novelizations (Corvette Summer, Dragonslayer, Batteries Not Included, and Willow, the last three of which were translated into French and the second in German). His non-fiction also reflected his concern for the environment and interest for Canadian landscapes, as seen in books such as Superior: The Haunted Shore and A Sea Within: the Gulf of St. Lawrence. His final novel, Halfway Man (1989), echoed themes from his first, The Wabeno Feast.
Drew began to write seriously in high school and published a number of short stories (to magazines such as The Tamarack Review) and non-fiction pieces throughout his career, while also selling radio and film scripts. His first novel (and sometimes stated to be his best) was The Wabeno Feast (1973). While rooted in Northern Ontario, the story indicted modern industrial civilization as an extension of the European colonization of Canada by depicting an entire society's fall into ruin. In her essay on "Canadian Monsters: Some Aspects of the Supernatural in Canadian Fiction ", Margaret Atwood noted that Drew's use of the aboriginal wabeno revealed a concern "with man's relationship to his society and to himself, as opposed to his relationship with the natural environment" and she concluded that Drew's novel combined "both concerns in a rather allegorical and very contemporary fashion".
Many readers, though, surely know him better as the author of an ecological science fiction trilogy, the Erthring Cycle (1984-1986), and of several movie novelizations (Corvette Summer, Dragonslayer, Batteries Not Included, and Willow, the last three of which were translated into French and the second in German). His non-fiction also reflected his concern for the environment and interest for Canadian landscapes, as seen in books such as Superior: The Haunted Shore and A Sea Within: the Gulf of St. Lawrence. His final novel, Halfway Man (1989), echoed themes from his first, The Wabeno Feast.
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December 5, 2015
Theoretically, this book by Canadian author Wayland Drew is the novelization of the 1988 movie Willow. However, it's not based directly on the movie itself, but on Bob Dolman's screenplay (which was itself developed from a guiding storyline written by George Lucas). Much of this screenplay was omitted --and some of it apparently changed, usually to condense and simplify the dialogue and action-- in filming the actual movie, and one of the stars (Val Kilmer) ad-libbed most of his dialogue. So the movie actually differs significantly from the book; the latter is much richer in world-building and character development and has a number of significant events that aren't in the former, and that help to explain some character's attitudes and choices that are only weakly explained in the film. This means that the relationship of the two is more like that of a movie adapted from a book than that of a typical novelization. It also means it's harder to identify Drew's individual modifications and contributions than it would be with most novelizations.
Regardless of the prehistory of the book's text, though, the finished novel is a fine work of epic fantasy, with well-developed characters, a stirring plot that doesn't have logical holes, and vivid prose. In general conception, it owes something to Tolkien's monumental Lord of the Rings series --but few works of post-Tolkien epic fantasy do not, and it has its own distinct premise, plot, characteristics and flavor; any literary influence is simply that, not slavish dependence. Like Sauron, Bavmorda is a power-freak magic-wielder hungry for world domination; but where Sauron is an impersonal, off-stage evil force, Bavmorda is a fully human character we see up close and personal, in all her ugly glory. Drew's short-statured Nelwyn race has some general similarities to hobbits, and perhaps more to dwarves; but in the final analysis, they're neither, a race and culture all their own. (And the basic structure of a quest narrative in fantasy goes back long before Tolkien, as do other archetypes that appear here.) But like the LOTR saga, it has a very clear conflict of good and evil, and a recurring theme of the necessity and important consequences of the moral choices we're called to make and the responsibilities we're called to shoulder, whether we see ourselves as well-qualified heroic types or not.
Lucas' influence is evident in a few places, where the Mystery of magic is presented in terms vaguely reminiscent of the Force in his Star Wars saga (the kind of thing Francis Schaeffer referred to as "contentless mysticism"), but this is a minor note that has no real significance for the storyline. A more prominent (and more positive) theme is the strong affection for the natural world that's evident, with the idea that good people care about the latter, while evil results in defilement and destruction of nature. (This is brought out much more in the book than in the movie.) The book is also grittier and more violent than the movie in places, but it has no bad language (Madmartigan's h-words in the film resulted from Kilmer's ad-libbing) and no real sexual content, beyond the implication of womanizing by Madmartigan with an innkeeper's wife at one point. (That aspect of his character isn't glorified, and is explained as a reaction to an earlier event in his past.)
In a fantasy genre that's overrun by bloated series, this one also has the advantage of being a stand-alone book with a contained storyline and a clear-cut resolution. Lucas actually intended to make sequels to the film, but never did; instead, he wrote a series of follow-up books, the Chronicles of the Shadow War. But these are set after the events here, and aren't directly related to them, or at least that's my impression --I've never read them. (That's why Goodreads labeled the book "Chronicles of the Shadow War 0," rather than giving it a number as an actual part of the sequence.) So this would be a great choice for fantasy readers who don't want to commit to a multi-volume series! But it's a solid, rewarding read for any epic fantasy fan.
Regardless of the prehistory of the book's text, though, the finished novel is a fine work of epic fantasy, with well-developed characters, a stirring plot that doesn't have logical holes, and vivid prose. In general conception, it owes something to Tolkien's monumental Lord of the Rings series --but few works of post-Tolkien epic fantasy do not, and it has its own distinct premise, plot, characteristics and flavor; any literary influence is simply that, not slavish dependence. Like Sauron, Bavmorda is a power-freak magic-wielder hungry for world domination; but where Sauron is an impersonal, off-stage evil force, Bavmorda is a fully human character we see up close and personal, in all her ugly glory. Drew's short-statured Nelwyn race has some general similarities to hobbits, and perhaps more to dwarves; but in the final analysis, they're neither, a race and culture all their own. (And the basic structure of a quest narrative in fantasy goes back long before Tolkien, as do other archetypes that appear here.) But like the LOTR saga, it has a very clear conflict of good and evil, and a recurring theme of the necessity and important consequences of the moral choices we're called to make and the responsibilities we're called to shoulder, whether we see ourselves as well-qualified heroic types or not.
Lucas' influence is evident in a few places, where the Mystery of magic is presented in terms vaguely reminiscent of the Force in his Star Wars saga (the kind of thing Francis Schaeffer referred to as "contentless mysticism"), but this is a minor note that has no real significance for the storyline. A more prominent (and more positive) theme is the strong affection for the natural world that's evident, with the idea that good people care about the latter, while evil results in defilement and destruction of nature. (This is brought out much more in the book than in the movie.) The book is also grittier and more violent than the movie in places, but it has no bad language (Madmartigan's h-words in the film resulted from Kilmer's ad-libbing) and no real sexual content, beyond the implication of womanizing by Madmartigan with an innkeeper's wife at one point. (That aspect of his character isn't glorified, and is explained as a reaction to an earlier event in his past.)
In a fantasy genre that's overrun by bloated series, this one also has the advantage of being a stand-alone book with a contained storyline and a clear-cut resolution. Lucas actually intended to make sequels to the film, but never did; instead, he wrote a series of follow-up books, the Chronicles of the Shadow War. But these are set after the events here, and aren't directly related to them, or at least that's my impression --I've never read them. (That's why Goodreads labeled the book "Chronicles of the Shadow War 0," rather than giving it a number as an actual part of the sequence.) So this would be a great choice for fantasy readers who don't want to commit to a multi-volume series! But it's a solid, rewarding read for any epic fantasy fan.
February 4, 2026
W I L L O W
A novel by Wayland Drew
Based on a screenplay by Bob Dolman
From a story by George Lucas
Well, it's better than the movie, although the Brownies are equally irritating, unfunny, and useless to the plot.
It's hard to know what George Lucas and Ron Howard were thinking, other than wanting to make a family-friendly Lord of the Rings-ish epic and possibly being jealous that Ridley Scott has a fantasy flop of his own. The story is basic and derivative, trope-stufffed, and poorly executed on the screen, but at least it gave a starring role to a deserving actor (Warwick Davis) and damn were Willow's Nelwin children adorable.
It was tough being a fantasy-loving moviegoer in those days. As a child I was undiscerning, but remember being coldly disappointed and confused by Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, Legend (1985), and Willow (1983) all. If there was a fantasy feature film that pulled it off properly prior to Peter Jackson's LoTR, I have no memory of it except that it was Beastmaster.
I read this as a bit of a lark, mostly in preparation to tackle a Shadow Moon series reread (long story), ostensibly a sequel to Willow. I never got the chance to watch the Willow rebooted series before Disney trashed it for tax reasons; I hoped to compare the two paths a sequel could take. Perhaps I'll look up some bootleg preserved copies.
Anyway, this book; let's take a look at the opening:
They share the same complexity of character and motivations, certainly.
The book expands the world and history of the movie, significantly enriching the characters' backgrounds and providing some in-world history that makes the journey more sensible. Like, why did the characters travel to this one castle exactly? The film gives little clue, but the book provides rationale and establishes the setting's importance, rather than merely presenting a series of random set pieces. Whether that material was part of the screenplay and cut for time or created by the author out of whole cloth, I'll never know. There were some tantalizing tidbits in the book, too, like the suggestion that Willow's daughter is naturally magically gifted, that unfortunately don't see any follow up. Most importantly though, during Burglekutt the Prefect's introduction in the book, he falls face-first into pigshit. In the movie he merely gets baby vomit in the face later on. These are important moments.
The book's action scenes are stilted, like the writer just copied the sequence of actions from the screenplay rather than, you know, writing engaging action. Some, like the discovery of Madmartigan in drag and the subsequent escape, play out beat for beat the same as in the movie. In other places, the action differs just enough to make me think that changes were made during the filming process. The final battle between General Kael and Madmartigan, in particular, seems like it attempted to give reason for an otherwise cockamamie maneuver that the author felt audiences would surely criticize:
There are some major plot holes, like the lost, hidden city that can only be accessed by finding your way through a labyrinth, but when that labyrinth becomes blocked apparently you can just go around the back via a path so easy to locate that two separate armies manage it. For another, of course when the prophecied baby that will take down the evil empire is identified, you as a key villain don't take the baby with you to report to your mother the evil sorceress; naturally you leave it completely unguarded while you go away and then for no clear reason don't even go to tell your mother, you then send a troll to tell her that you have something important to tell her and make her come to you, so then you can both go back to where the baby is certainly just lying there patiently waiting for you to collect her and sacrifice her evilly.
Neither the book nor the movie make sense in how Bavmorda is finally defeated; both devolve to the witch melting after getting wet. In neither case does this have anything to do with the actions of the main character. Although he was there and had just performed his dissapearing pig trick, Bavmorda did this entirely to herself by accident.
The real fantasy is, of course, the fact that this baby never cries and is perfectly fine floating down a river for days without food. The book addresses this last part at least by having a series of lactating mammals visit and suckle herthroughout her journey; apparently dear and fox milk are just fine to drink straight from the teat, and why woudn't they be?
I'm glad I read the book, because if nothing else it presents a conception of magic in this world that informs Shadow Moon and its sequels, from what little I remember from the fugue state those books sent me into when I read them long ago. The film did not replicate this at all. The framing of baby Elora Danan as a mystic figure succeeds in the book also; the film resorted merely to a series of cutaway closeup baby reaction shots as the only means of trying to keep her relevant.
Man, fuck those brownies. They are absolutely the worst in all formats.
At least I've now read a book with a character named Kael that wasn't AI-generated.
A novel by Wayland Drew
Based on a screenplay by Bob Dolman
From a story by George Lucas
Well, it's better than the movie, although the Brownies are equally irritating, unfunny, and useless to the plot.
It's hard to know what George Lucas and Ron Howard were thinking, other than wanting to make a family-friendly Lord of the Rings-ish epic and possibly being jealous that Ridley Scott has a fantasy flop of his own. The story is basic and derivative, trope-stufffed, and poorly executed on the screen, but at least it gave a starring role to a deserving actor (Warwick Davis) and damn were Willow's Nelwin children adorable.
It was tough being a fantasy-loving moviegoer in those days. As a child I was undiscerning, but remember being coldly disappointed and confused by Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, Legend (1985), and Willow (1983) all. If there was a fantasy feature film that pulled it off properly prior to Peter Jackson's LoTR, I have no memory of it except that it was Beastmaster.
I read this as a bit of a lark, mostly in preparation to tackle a Shadow Moon series reread (long story), ostensibly a sequel to Willow. I never got the chance to watch the Willow rebooted series before Disney trashed it for tax reasons; I hoped to compare the two paths a sequel could take. Perhaps I'll look up some bootleg preserved copies.
Anyway, this book; let's take a look at the opening:
The Dragon Vorltrarr let out such a loud roar that everyone in the easternmost, westernmost and southernmost kingdoms of the Land of Antigua hear him! Then the gigantic monster spit out fire right from his nostrils and then his mouth! The creature flew throught the skies like a rocket! The creature had only on thing on its mind.Hang on, oopsie! That's from Antigua: The Land of Fairies, Wizards and Heroes. Here's the actual opening of Willow: the novel by Wayland Drew based on a screenplay by Bob Dolman from a story by George Lucas:
How beautiful were the Death Dogs! How powerful their shoulders and how elegant the curve of their hairless tails! How gracefully they moved beside their handlers through the drifting mists and smoke of Nockmaar.That's ... not all that different from Antigua, is it? Bavmorda, the evil sorceress behind it all, is practically indistinguishable from The Sorceress Gwendeviere. All cackling evil for evil's sake and nonsense magical blasts.
"Why?" she demanded, flinging out her hands. Ten fireballs slammed through a window slit straight against the walls. The druids ducked. One bolt streaked through a window slit straight at the full moon in the west, as it to strike it from the sky. One grazed the leg of a cowering server, and the others hastily dragged him down the stairs, so the queen would not be troubled by his shrieks. Cleaner-trolls scrubbed up behind them, grunting. Two other bolts spawned mutant horrors—an albino toad, eyeless and legless, wriggling through shredding skin; a sac of eyes rolling in milky fluid.Actually, Bavmorda reminded me most of this other famous villain:
They share the same complexity of character and motivations, certainly.
The book expands the world and history of the movie, significantly enriching the characters' backgrounds and providing some in-world history that makes the journey more sensible. Like, why did the characters travel to this one castle exactly? The film gives little clue, but the book provides rationale and establishes the setting's importance, rather than merely presenting a series of random set pieces. Whether that material was part of the screenplay and cut for time or created by the author out of whole cloth, I'll never know. There were some tantalizing tidbits in the book, too, like the suggestion that Willow's daughter is naturally magically gifted, that unfortunately don't see any follow up. Most importantly though, during Burglekutt the Prefect's introduction in the book, he falls face-first into pigshit. In the movie he merely gets baby vomit in the face later on. These are important moments.
The book's action scenes are stilted, like the writer just copied the sequence of actions from the screenplay rather than, you know, writing engaging action. Some, like the discovery of Madmartigan in drag and the subsequent escape, play out beat for beat the same as in the movie. In other places, the action differs just enough to make me think that changes were made during the filming process. The final battle between General Kael and Madmartigan, in particular, seems like it attempted to give reason for an otherwise cockamamie maneuver that the author felt audiences would surely criticize:
The general fought with all the desperate strength left to him, but he was, finally, merely human. He was tired in body, tired in sould, tired of life—tired, perhaps, even of killing.This is not how it happened in the movie.
Perhaps (Franjean and Rool would suggest when they told this tale to admiring fairies) enough of his heart remained for him to know the wickedness of his cause, to know he should make and end. Perhaps that was why, at last, he did not strike when Madmartigan gave him an opening by lifting Airk's sword high with both hands. Next instant, it plunged down through Kael's breastplate and ripped open his heart. Kael's last sound, as he fell backward over the parapet and into the moat, was laughter.
There are some major plot holes, like the lost, hidden city that can only be accessed by finding your way through a labyrinth, but when that labyrinth becomes blocked apparently you can just go around the back via a path so easy to locate that two separate armies manage it. For another, of course when the prophecied baby that will take down the evil empire is identified, you as a key villain don't take the baby with you to report to your mother the evil sorceress; naturally you leave it completely unguarded while you go away and then for no clear reason don't even go to tell your mother, you then send a troll to tell her that you have something important to tell her and make her come to you, so then you can both go back to where the baby is certainly just lying there patiently waiting for you to collect her and sacrifice her evilly.
Neither the book nor the movie make sense in how Bavmorda is finally defeated; both devolve to the witch melting after getting wet. In neither case does this have anything to do with the actions of the main character. Although he was there and had just performed his dissapearing pig trick, Bavmorda did this entirely to herself by accident.
The real fantasy is, of course, the fact that this baby never cries and is perfectly fine floating down a river for days without food. The book addresses this last part at least by having a series of lactating mammals visit and suckle herthroughout her journey; apparently dear and fox milk are just fine to drink straight from the teat, and why woudn't they be?
I'm glad I read the book, because if nothing else it presents a conception of magic in this world that informs Shadow Moon and its sequels, from what little I remember from the fugue state those books sent me into when I read them long ago. The film did not replicate this at all. The framing of baby Elora Danan as a mystic figure succeeds in the book also; the film resorted merely to a series of cutaway closeup baby reaction shots as the only means of trying to keep her relevant.
Man, fuck those brownies. They are absolutely the worst in all formats.
At least I've now read a book with a character named Kael that wasn't AI-generated.
May 13, 2025
Four stars, but does it deserve them? No, probably not. My love for this is personal and rooted in nostalgia.
This is a novelization of the original screenplay and not the finished movie, but the changes were general and it's basically the same story. As always, novelizations are subpar to real books since they're just telling the story you see on the screen and not high quality literary works, but I love this movie and it was a load of fun to read it. If I had no prior acquaintance with the film, and were treating it as just a novel, then this would be two stars at best. There are several dorky moments, dialogue that's a bit stilted, scenes and decisions that don't make a lot of sense, etc. But it's fantasy, and that's kind of the way it's supposed to be. And since I know the movie, my mind made up for all of the shortcomings by correcting them. Being blessed with an active imagination, my brain played out all the scenes in visually stunning, full technicolor, and I loved every bit of it. After all, the models are fantastic. Take General Kael for instance.
I mean, even if he was a complete tard or something (which he isn't), this is what a villain should look like in a fantasy tale. That face mask! And even though he's an evil dick, we shouldn't judge him too harshly; he had no choice but to be bad. I mean, really, how well do you think you would've turned out if you'd been named after the foulest cabbage on God's green Earth, and then had to suffer the indignity of it being misspelled? Not very good at all, I'd wager.
And speaking of names, if I ever have a daughter, I'm going to name her Bavmorda.
Yeah, she's a vicious bitch, but she still has the coolest name in all fiction.
The biggest change in characterization for major characters came with Madmartigan, but I understand Val Kilmer was responsible for that.
Book Madmartigan is pretty awesome, but the movie version is FROCKING AWESOME -SOME-some.
So, the movie is the way to go if you're new to this story. Also, it has a kickass theme which has actually been stuck in my head on and off for the past couple of weeks, but I didn't mind... too much.
I could sing this movie's praises all day, and the story's as well. It truly is what fantasy should be: good, dorky fun that doesn't take itself too damn seriously. Recommended only for fantasy lovers who aren't wantonly cynical.
This is a novelization of the original screenplay and not the finished movie, but the changes were general and it's basically the same story. As always, novelizations are subpar to real books since they're just telling the story you see on the screen and not high quality literary works, but I love this movie and it was a load of fun to read it. If I had no prior acquaintance with the film, and were treating it as just a novel, then this would be two stars at best. There are several dorky moments, dialogue that's a bit stilted, scenes and decisions that don't make a lot of sense, etc. But it's fantasy, and that's kind of the way it's supposed to be. And since I know the movie, my mind made up for all of the shortcomings by correcting them. Being blessed with an active imagination, my brain played out all the scenes in visually stunning, full technicolor, and I loved every bit of it. After all, the models are fantastic. Take General Kael for instance.
I mean, even if he was a complete tard or something (which he isn't), this is what a villain should look like in a fantasy tale. That face mask! And even though he's an evil dick, we shouldn't judge him too harshly; he had no choice but to be bad. I mean, really, how well do you think you would've turned out if you'd been named after the foulest cabbage on God's green Earth, and then had to suffer the indignity of it being misspelled? Not very good at all, I'd wager.
And speaking of names, if I ever have a daughter, I'm going to name her Bavmorda.
Yeah, she's a vicious bitch, but she still has the coolest name in all fiction.
The biggest change in characterization for major characters came with Madmartigan, but I understand Val Kilmer was responsible for that.
Book Madmartigan is pretty awesome, but the movie version is FROCKING AWESOME -SOME-some.
So, the movie is the way to go if you're new to this story. Also, it has a kickass theme which has actually been stuck in my head on and off for the past couple of weeks, but I didn't mind... too much.
I could sing this movie's praises all day, and the story's as well. It truly is what fantasy should be: good, dorky fun that doesn't take itself too damn seriously. Recommended only for fantasy lovers who aren't wantonly cynical.
August 14, 2013
This book is the novelisation of a movie that marked my early childhood and teenage years. I developed a weird relationship with the movie, considering that, as a child, half of it gave me the creeps and I didn't understand much of the remaining half, but I still love re-watching it. One day, when in high school, I discovered the book on a shelf of one of my parent's many, many bookshelves in our house. "Wait, they wrote the book?!" I said, and my mother replied: "Why, yes! Read it, it's good." From that "read it" onwards, it was long-lasting friendship between me and that book.
The best thing about this book, in my opinion, is the way the characters have been developed, given more depth with respect to the movie, still remaining faithful every inch to its atmosphere. Willow is still one of my favourite characters ever, because he feels like a real person, though namely being a Nelwyn, thus a "fantastic" creature. I also really liked the way the book made room for the character of Bavmorda: though being unmistakeably evil and cruel in the movie, the witch queen does not speak much. Although Jean Marsh - I loved her! - does not need many words to make her Bavmorda credible, in the book one is allowed to understand the character much more, and reflect over her. There is room even for the relatioship between her and Sarsha, which one almost takes for granted in the movie. The book also adds some episodes that are not represented in the movie, but add greatly to the pleasure of the book: a touch of action here, a hint of thrill there, and the book becomes an amazing experience from the first page to the last.
To conclude, "Willow" is a pure fantasy book, with good triumphing over evil, fairies and trolls, mighty warriors and mythical beasts, everything one wants to find in a good old fantasy book. Yet, its strength, its true power, is in the fact that, notwithstanding all the "fantasy", it talks about true people, living true lives and fighting the way true people do.
The best thing about this book, in my opinion, is the way the characters have been developed, given more depth with respect to the movie, still remaining faithful every inch to its atmosphere. Willow is still one of my favourite characters ever, because he feels like a real person, though namely being a Nelwyn, thus a "fantastic" creature. I also really liked the way the book made room for the character of Bavmorda: though being unmistakeably evil and cruel in the movie, the witch queen does not speak much. Although Jean Marsh - I loved her! - does not need many words to make her Bavmorda credible, in the book one is allowed to understand the character much more, and reflect over her. There is room even for the relatioship between her and Sarsha, which one almost takes for granted in the movie. The book also adds some episodes that are not represented in the movie, but add greatly to the pleasure of the book: a touch of action here, a hint of thrill there, and the book becomes an amazing experience from the first page to the last.
To conclude, "Willow" is a pure fantasy book, with good triumphing over evil, fairies and trolls, mighty warriors and mythical beasts, everything one wants to find in a good old fantasy book. Yet, its strength, its true power, is in the fact that, notwithstanding all the "fantasy", it talks about true people, living true lives and fighting the way true people do.
July 26, 2021
“Forget all you know or think you know; abandon power and enforced decree. Inward, where the deepest rivers flow, find the currents of eternity.”
I am very aware that my opinion on this book is veery biased, but I just love it. I must have read it like 14253 times. I was on vacation in my hometown and picked my old copy up at my partents' place, my old battered italian version of this little masterpiece! I can't believe how much I still love this story... I mean the translation is kinda crude and it is the novelisation of a screenplay, but still. I am convinced that is not just the nostalgia factor at play here. This story is just a short, feel-good old-school fantasy and I just can't get enough of it.
I am very aware that my opinion on this book is veery biased, but I just love it. I must have read it like 14253 times. I was on vacation in my hometown and picked my old copy up at my partents' place, my old battered italian version of this little masterpiece! I can't believe how much I still love this story... I mean the translation is kinda crude and it is the novelisation of a screenplay, but still. I am convinced that is not just the nostalgia factor at play here. This story is just a short, feel-good old-school fantasy and I just can't get enough of it.
February 20, 2023
Puueees primero fue la película y luego el libro. Y mejor así.
**Alerta Spoiler!!
Es la película pero con las historias de los personajes un pelín más desarrolladas. El gran meh es la narración. No me gustó el estilo del autor y se me hizo más pesado que la película.
Madmartigan sigue siendo genial, sobre sus hombros recaen todas las risas y el humor.
En fin, 3 estrellas sobre 5 por los grandes recuerdos que me brindó. Me encanta la peli, siempre que la ponen en la tele la veo XD
**Popsugar 2023 categoría 42. Un libro basado en una película famosa.
**Alerta Spoiler!!
Es la película pero con las historias de los personajes un pelín más desarrolladas. El gran meh es la narración. No me gustó el estilo del autor y se me hizo más pesado que la película.
Madmartigan sigue siendo genial, sobre sus hombros recaen todas las risas y el humor.
En fin, 3 estrellas sobre 5 por los grandes recuerdos que me brindó. Me encanta la peli, siempre que la ponen en la tele la veo XD
**Popsugar 2023 categoría 42. Un libro basado en una película famosa.
July 10, 2015
It may be a cut down version of Lord of the Rings, but I still loved it
10 February 2012
While this is actually a novelisation of the film, I am giving it a higher rating than normal because I believe that Willow pretty much sets the standard for what one expects from a fantasy setting, and also follows what I consider to be the stamdard line many other fantasy novels have taken in the 80s onwards (well, actually, that accolade actually goes to The Hobbit, but it still broke ground as a cinematic release). I actually love the movie upon which this novel is based, and while I normally do not read novelisations (this is the only one that I have read, though I have read some of the glossy books relating to other films when I was a kid, but half the time it was because I never got to see the film upon which the book was based). Willow is also one of those unique films that I actually saw in the cinema three times (at most it would be two, though pretty much all movies I will only see once).
The story is a cut down version of Lord of the Rings, minus some of the more detailed themes that the Lord of the Rings covers. It also lacks many of the mythological allusions that Tolkein uses in his novel. In a sense it is a story for children and teenagers (and this is clear when at one stage the only travelling companions of Willow are two obnoxious faeries, a badger that is actually a transformed mage, and a baby). Like Lord of the Rings, this film begins and ends in a small village inhabited by little people that is cut off from the rest of the world. The main protagonist is one of the little people, and the story is about how this little person ends up punching well above his weight and in doing so saving the world.
Other elements of Lord of the Rings include the outside world intruding on this paradise (in the form of a human baby that is the centre of a prophecy) and how the arrival of this baby brings trouble to what was at one stage a peaceful village. There is the idea of friendship, as one of Willow's travelling companions is his best friend who, while not truly being cut out for adventure, sticks by Willow through thick and thin. There is also a character similar to Aragon (that being Mad Mardigan), though he seems to be a lot less honourable than Tolkien's character.
The other thing about this film is that it uses, and the entire plot evolves around, the quest narrative. This is the idea where a quest is undertaken, and through this quest the main protagonist grows as a person, in a sense matures, and then comes back greater than when he set out on the quest. It is the idea that through struggles and turmoils, one becomes stronger, and when the quest has been completed, the protagonist matures. This is not the idea of the young boy being thrust out into the world and learning what it is to be an adult, but rather the protagonist coming to a point in their life where they desire to move forward, but in doing so they must be mentally prepared for this (and in Willow's case it involves becoming a magician). It is through the quest that they become mentally prepared, and at the conclusion they are able to then confidently take the position that they have desired.
I feel that many of us misunderstand the quest narrative, and it is interesting that many of the books that follow this narrative are generally read by a younger audience. I have known numerous people who have immersed themselves into fantasy literature, but have failed to see that the quest narrative is really an allegory for their own lives. In our world we create our own quests (though sometimes they are thrust upon us) and can be anything from completing highschool, finishing university, moving forward in your career, or even something as simple as travelling overseas for the first time. Many of us find ourselves stuck in one place, and fail to see how we can move forward and onwards, and I believe that we need to look deeper at the quest narrative to see how we can apply that to ourselves.
10 February 2012
While this is actually a novelisation of the film, I am giving it a higher rating than normal because I believe that Willow pretty much sets the standard for what one expects from a fantasy setting, and also follows what I consider to be the stamdard line many other fantasy novels have taken in the 80s onwards (well, actually, that accolade actually goes to The Hobbit, but it still broke ground as a cinematic release). I actually love the movie upon which this novel is based, and while I normally do not read novelisations (this is the only one that I have read, though I have read some of the glossy books relating to other films when I was a kid, but half the time it was because I never got to see the film upon which the book was based). Willow is also one of those unique films that I actually saw in the cinema three times (at most it would be two, though pretty much all movies I will only see once).
The story is a cut down version of Lord of the Rings, minus some of the more detailed themes that the Lord of the Rings covers. It also lacks many of the mythological allusions that Tolkein uses in his novel. In a sense it is a story for children and teenagers (and this is clear when at one stage the only travelling companions of Willow are two obnoxious faeries, a badger that is actually a transformed mage, and a baby). Like Lord of the Rings, this film begins and ends in a small village inhabited by little people that is cut off from the rest of the world. The main protagonist is one of the little people, and the story is about how this little person ends up punching well above his weight and in doing so saving the world.
Other elements of Lord of the Rings include the outside world intruding on this paradise (in the form of a human baby that is the centre of a prophecy) and how the arrival of this baby brings trouble to what was at one stage a peaceful village. There is the idea of friendship, as one of Willow's travelling companions is his best friend who, while not truly being cut out for adventure, sticks by Willow through thick and thin. There is also a character similar to Aragon (that being Mad Mardigan), though he seems to be a lot less honourable than Tolkien's character.
The other thing about this film is that it uses, and the entire plot evolves around, the quest narrative. This is the idea where a quest is undertaken, and through this quest the main protagonist grows as a person, in a sense matures, and then comes back greater than when he set out on the quest. It is the idea that through struggles and turmoils, one becomes stronger, and when the quest has been completed, the protagonist matures. This is not the idea of the young boy being thrust out into the world and learning what it is to be an adult, but rather the protagonist coming to a point in their life where they desire to move forward, but in doing so they must be mentally prepared for this (and in Willow's case it involves becoming a magician). It is through the quest that they become mentally prepared, and at the conclusion they are able to then confidently take the position that they have desired.
I feel that many of us misunderstand the quest narrative, and it is interesting that many of the books that follow this narrative are generally read by a younger audience. I have known numerous people who have immersed themselves into fantasy literature, but have failed to see that the quest narrative is really an allegory for their own lives. In our world we create our own quests (though sometimes they are thrust upon us) and can be anything from completing highschool, finishing university, moving forward in your career, or even something as simple as travelling overseas for the first time. Many of us find ourselves stuck in one place, and fail to see how we can move forward and onwards, and I believe that we need to look deeper at the quest narrative to see how we can apply that to ourselves.
October 23, 2020
Адаптация по сценария на любим фентъзи филм със същото заглавие.
Не е нещо особено, но за почитателите на историята става.
Не е нещо особено, но за почитателите на историята става.
July 30, 2019
Love it.
Love it.
LOVE IT!!!
Love it.
LOVE IT!!!
December 27, 2007
The movie Willow came out on the heels of my being introduced to Narnia and The Hobbit for the first time. I fell in love immediately. There was a prophecy, fairies, little people, and a very beautiful girl who could also hold her own with a sword. Also, I trace my love for snarky, long-haired, trouble-causing swordsmen right back to this story's door.
"Yes, Corri, but what about the BOOK?" I hear you say. Well, in the summer of 1988, I was seven years old, and my parents took me on a road trip from our little town in central California, up through the Northwest, all the way to Alaska. I traveled well as long as I had something to read. When we got up to the ferry we were going to be on for a couple of days, I was out of reading material. So, my mom took me to the ferry bookshop and said, "Pick out whatever you want." Instead of heading straight for the kids' section, I found myself drawn to a display that had the Willow novelization on it. I don't think I even knew that movie novelizations EXISTED at that point, so finding out that someone had taken the story I was already madly in love with and put it in book form was a major revelation to me. And when I started reading it, I found that the author had been given the freedom to expand on character back stories and motivations that had been barely touched on in the film. I loved it. I must have read this book ten times before we got back to California. (In fact, I think that Dad once stopped at a mall with the expressed purpose of buying me something else to read because he was sick of me reading the funny bits to him every time I got to them.
I still have my original copy of this. The spine is bent, and the pages of stills from the movie are falling out, but I still love it and treat it like one of the treasured artifacts of my childhood and my imaginative life.
"Yes, Corri, but what about the BOOK?" I hear you say. Well, in the summer of 1988, I was seven years old, and my parents took me on a road trip from our little town in central California, up through the Northwest, all the way to Alaska. I traveled well as long as I had something to read. When we got up to the ferry we were going to be on for a couple of days, I was out of reading material. So, my mom took me to the ferry bookshop and said, "Pick out whatever you want." Instead of heading straight for the kids' section, I found myself drawn to a display that had the Willow novelization on it. I don't think I even knew that movie novelizations EXISTED at that point, so finding out that someone had taken the story I was already madly in love with and put it in book form was a major revelation to me. And when I started reading it, I found that the author had been given the freedom to expand on character back stories and motivations that had been barely touched on in the film. I loved it. I must have read this book ten times before we got back to California. (In fact, I think that Dad once stopped at a mall with the expressed purpose of buying me something else to read because he was sick of me reading the funny bits to him every time I got to them.
I still have my original copy of this. The spine is bent, and the pages of stills from the movie are falling out, but I still love it and treat it like one of the treasured artifacts of my childhood and my imaginative life.
January 22, 2018
Филмът толкова ме беше впечатлил, че го гледах два пъти един след друг в градското кино. А през годините съм изгубил броя на гледанията му - един от най-любимите ми на всички времена си остана. Книжната адаптация, уви, не носи нищо от онази магия, та и оценката е такава - средна :)
May 11, 2018
There's at least 25% more book than movie here. There's an entire sequence with a monster in the lake where Fin Raziel is, that would have been pretty interesting to see, though given effects at the time, probably impossible to film. Maybe Ron Howard should pull a Lucas and release a digital special edition? (Where did you get those tomatoes from, and what do you plan to do with them?)
Looking at Wikipedia: Home media[edit]
The film was released on DVD as a "special edition" in November 2001 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The release included an audio commentary by Warwick Davis and two "making of" featurettes. In the commentary, Davis confirms that there were a number of "lost scenes" previously rumored to have been deleted from it including a battle in the valley, Willow battling a boy who transforms into a shark in a lake while retrieving Fin Raziel, and an extended sorceress duel at the climax.[32] 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray Disc on March 12, 2013, with an all-new transfer supervised by George Lucas.[33]
Looking at Wikipedia: Home media[edit]
The film was released on DVD as a "special edition" in November 2001 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The release included an audio commentary by Warwick Davis and two "making of" featurettes. In the commentary, Davis confirms that there were a number of "lost scenes" previously rumored to have been deleted from it including a battle in the valley, Willow battling a boy who transforms into a shark in a lake while retrieving Fin Raziel, and an extended sorceress duel at the climax.[32] 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray Disc on March 12, 2013, with an all-new transfer supervised by George Lucas.[33]
September 7, 2018
This is the best novelization I've read so far. It has the spirit of the movie and adds so much great stuff. I especially like that Bavmorda and Sorsha get some backstory.
April 12, 2012
Let me start off by saying that I adored this movie. I loved the soundtrack. I loved the story. I loved the acting. Everything was simply amazing. Well worth watching.
Now... On to the book.
Like any book that is released after a movie, things were added, and things were taken out. The majority of the dialogue was the same, and the storyline was the same. I read this book over the course of three hours during school, the day before Spring Break, since I did essentially nothing in any of my classes.
The whole time, I was enthralled. Wayland Drew wove the story in a way that did the movie such incredible justice. I was sad and happy and tense and relaxed at every appropriate moment, and I really have no complaints about it.
It was odd to me, a few things that were slightly altered for the sake of the novel. But still, it was done so smoothly that it felt effortless. If I were to really complain about anything, it would have to be the length of the book. Yeah, it was long-ish, and maybe this has something to do with how quickly I read it, but the adventure was just there-and-gone. I blinked and all of a sudden Bavmorda went from being inexplicably evil to definitely nonexistent. I missed the story in the movie, the story that was so slightly different that it felt like a long and exhausting, fast-paced adventure, not a road-trip-in-disguise.
Despite that one little tidbit of pickiness, this book is beautiful. Perfect for anyone, whether or not you've seen the movie. Five stars! :P
Now... On to the book.
Like any book that is released after a movie, things were added, and things were taken out. The majority of the dialogue was the same, and the storyline was the same. I read this book over the course of three hours during school, the day before Spring Break, since I did essentially nothing in any of my classes.
The whole time, I was enthralled. Wayland Drew wove the story in a way that did the movie such incredible justice. I was sad and happy and tense and relaxed at every appropriate moment, and I really have no complaints about it.
It was odd to me, a few things that were slightly altered for the sake of the novel. But still, it was done so smoothly that it felt effortless. If I were to really complain about anything, it would have to be the length of the book. Yeah, it was long-ish, and maybe this has something to do with how quickly I read it, but the adventure was just there-and-gone. I blinked and all of a sudden Bavmorda went from being inexplicably evil to definitely nonexistent. I missed the story in the movie, the story that was so slightly different that it felt like a long and exhausting, fast-paced adventure, not a road-trip-in-disguise.
Despite that one little tidbit of pickiness, this book is beautiful. Perfect for anyone, whether or not you've seen the movie. Five stars! :P
June 9, 2014
To say that my opinion of this book is biased would be a gross understatement. I grew up watching this movie at my grandmas house, almost on repeat and my love of it has not diminished over the years. The characters are lovable, the plot charmingly predictable, and the magic is of course, epic. This was my first read through of the book, and I really enjoyed it. For me, this fleshed out the plot better than the movie, especially scenes like the ones where Raziel is transformed into multiple animals, or Madmartigan and Sorsha's little romance. But is it just as corny as the movie? Hell yes!perhaps that's part of the charm, but I love when good triumphs over evil. It just makes my heart swell, especially when it's common people that turn the tide. To wrap it up, this is a book that i'm going to be keeping in my collection for nostalgia, and good fun reading.
September 8, 2015
I loved this movie and I thought it would be fun to read the book. It was. No surprises, of course, but still fun to read. I'm not sure if it was to my benefit to have seen the movie first because I already had the characters in my mind.
January 30, 2023
"Willow" es una novelización de la película que lleva el mismo nombre. Ambas obras vieron la luaz en el año 1988. Wayland Drew adaptó en formato libro la historia pensada por el cineasta George Lucas. Esta novela es un mimo para todos los que crecimos fanatizados con la película en los 80s ya que relata la entrañable historia y además nos proporciona antecedentes y más detalles acerca de los personajes principales. Qué lindo es revivir una historia que no sólo es hermosa sino que trae consigo muchísimos recuerdos de la infancia.
Para los que no vieron la película también es una historia para disfrutar. Tiene todos los condimentos típicos de una historia de fantasía y aventuras: hadas, hechizos, profecías, duendes, castillos y paisajes que invitan a la aventura. A medida avanza la historia uno se encariña con los personajes y quiere acompañarlos a resolver enigmas y a ganar todas las batallas.
Willow, personaje principal, se ve obligado a alejarse de su pequeña granja y se su familia para llevar a cabo una proeza. Por suerte no tendrá que hacerlo solo, sino que estará acompañado de personajes que se irán sumando a lo largo de su viaje. Las fuerzas del bien se unen para vencer a un enemigo en común: la malvada Bavmorda. Imposible no leer en poco tiempo esta aventura corta pero con todos los matices necesarios para mantenernos alertas y ansiososos por descubrir su final.
Creo que la novela nos convoca principalmente a los fanáticos de la película, a quienes nos encariñamos con cada uno de los personajes y a quienes, como yo, les gusta profundizar en detalles que hacen que la imaginación vuele aún más.
En este caso, conseguí la copia en español, ya que es una novela difícil de conseguir y me quedo con las ganas de leerla en su idioma original.
"Willow" es magia pura, es un llamado a recordar la infancia y el disfrute de las maravillosas historias que nos hacían tan felices.
Para los que no vieron la película también es una historia para disfrutar. Tiene todos los condimentos típicos de una historia de fantasía y aventuras: hadas, hechizos, profecías, duendes, castillos y paisajes que invitan a la aventura. A medida avanza la historia uno se encariña con los personajes y quiere acompañarlos a resolver enigmas y a ganar todas las batallas.
Willow, personaje principal, se ve obligado a alejarse de su pequeña granja y se su familia para llevar a cabo una proeza. Por suerte no tendrá que hacerlo solo, sino que estará acompañado de personajes que se irán sumando a lo largo de su viaje. Las fuerzas del bien se unen para vencer a un enemigo en común: la malvada Bavmorda. Imposible no leer en poco tiempo esta aventura corta pero con todos los matices necesarios para mantenernos alertas y ansiososos por descubrir su final.
Creo que la novela nos convoca principalmente a los fanáticos de la película, a quienes nos encariñamos con cada uno de los personajes y a quienes, como yo, les gusta profundizar en detalles que hacen que la imaginación vuele aún más.
En este caso, conseguí la copia en español, ya que es una novela difícil de conseguir y me quedo con las ganas de leerla en su idioma original.
"Willow" es magia pura, es un llamado a recordar la infancia y el disfrute de las maravillosas historias que nos hacían tan felices.
September 14, 2022
¿Por qué no me enteré antes que existía esto? ¿Y por qué nadie dice que es mejor que la película? Bah, salvo del medio en adelante que es todo muy rápido, tiene más explicaciones y uno entiende mejor de dónde vienen las cosas.
Un ejemplo es la armadura que utiliza Madmartigan. Él la encuentra en Tir Asleen sí, ¿pero qué? ¿por qué parece estar encantado con ésta? El libro explica que porque no es cualquier armadura. También explica los trasfondos de los personajes, incluso aparece el padre de Sorcha, las casualidades que rodean a Elora se nota que no son tan casuales, incluso la hija de Willow demuestra ciertas aptitudes para la magia o quizá para comunicarse con la bebé, cosas por el estilo que nunca se vieron o no se explicaron.
Me sigue pareciendo increíble que este libro sea mejor que su original, la película, eso sí que es raro.
Un ejemplo es la armadura que utiliza Madmartigan. Él la encuentra en Tir Asleen sí, ¿pero qué? ¿por qué parece estar encantado con ésta? El libro explica que porque no es cualquier armadura. También explica los trasfondos de los personajes, incluso aparece el padre de Sorcha, las casualidades que rodean a Elora se nota que no son tan casuales, incluso la hija de Willow demuestra ciertas aptitudes para la magia o quizá para comunicarse con la bebé, cosas por el estilo que nunca se vieron o no se explicaron.
Me sigue pareciendo increíble que este libro sea mejor que su original, la película, eso sí que es raro.
November 23, 2022
Comme toujours, l'oeuvre originale est généralement meilleure que l'adaptation, en l’occurrence ici, le film ! Il aurait fallu que cette novélisation soit développée sur plusieurs tomes pour en faire une saga vraiment solide avec un bon background et des personnages entiers ayant du vécu. Quelques libertés fantaisistes ont été prises mais n'ont au final pas servi à grand chose...
Autant re(rererere...)voir le film qui est et restera toujours aussi génial !
Autant re(rererere...)voir le film qui est et restera toujours aussi génial !
December 18, 2022
Muy buena adaptación de la película basada en un guión de Bob Dolman de una historia de George Lucas. La película de 1988 es una épica aventura que aún a día de hoy no ha acusado el paso del tiempo gracias a un conjunto de virtudes (actores, bso, efectos especiales, etc) que la hacen digna de ver y disfrutar. El libro nos narra todo lo que es ella acontece y profundiza en el pasado y motivaciones de los principales protagonistas. Recomendable si te gusta la película.
April 14, 2017
Almost as good as the movie. However, the brownies provided less comic relief in print and there was more time to dwell on the implausibility of non-magical aspects like the strength and endurance of both soldiers and horses. Only the charm of the characters saved it.
January 11, 2018
Captures the magic of the film!
A great example of a novelization.
A great example of a novelization.
February 26, 2023
Check out the video where I review/discuss Willow on Paper Movies: A Novelization Book Club https://www.youtube.com/live/QXaX_f0p...
September 4, 2023
It's a great story. I love the film. And I'm glad to say I own and have now read this.
July 13, 2024
Малко е слаба тази адаптация, но понеже обичам филма, сърце не ми дава да дам по-малко от 3 звезди.
September 24, 2007
Keep in mind that I read this book when the movie first came out, and it was one of my introductions to hard epic fantasy (along with Conan and various books about unicorns) I have no t had a chance to reread in recent years due to my fear of losing my nostalgia-- something that's happened when I discovered well loved books I'd read in my youth no longer hold up to my reading level now.
Anyway.
While I found the 80s era movie to be quite entertaining and fun, I will be the first to admit that it wasn't exactly the highest brow movie that was ever created, in either concept or execution. Where the movie lacked, the book adaptation not only fleshed out but infused a level of seriousness that had me both immersed and shock. The story concept is pretty basic for a fantasy story. There is a baby that is destined to destroy the greatest evil in the land that happens to be this sorceress-usurper of the throne. So of course she wants to kill the baby. And the child's mother, the legitimate queen, sends her daughter out to the wilds in an attempt to save her from the hunting dogs. The baby comes into the possession of a Little Person who is now charged to leave his village and go out into the world for the very first time.
On one hand, this is a rather typical fantasy about destiny, prophecy and succession rites. On the other hand, it's a shockingly good novel about disillusionment, culture clash, and the painful process involved in expanding beyond your own mental and physical 'limitations'. It is a story about the building and rebuilding of destroyed self-confidence. It's about learning how to come into your own power. Learning to trust in someone and/or something other than yourself. Learning to believe in the intangible.
Pretty much every character in the story, the swordsman Madmartigan in particular, has their character fleshed out. Incredible amounts of detail is worked into their back stories, requiring almost appendix-like insertions that stylistically reminds me of Marrius's backstory in the unabridged version of Les Miserables. The writing is clean, without too many purple words and fancy descriptions. It gets the point across smoothly, but with just enough embellishment to really get the sense of adventure and creepiness across effectively (and with appropriate levels of dramatics).
It never ends up either cheesy or over dramatic in the way many high fantasy novels tend to fall into. This is possibly due to the very amusing level of disbelief that several of the in characters exhibit both of each other but of the very premise of the story itself. It isn't often that one sees a character go on a journey to fulfill a prophecy that he doesn't believe in. And it isn't often that you see characters spend most of the story not believing in each other. In fact, there is so much disbelief happening, that the reason they all come together isn't so much the prophecy, but their desire to keep each other from dying out there in the wilds. I find this viewpoint both refreshing and largely realistic.
Still, one has to also continue to remember that this IS a low brow hack-n-slash written in the 80s. It hasn't completely avoided that. But, for what it is, it's very excellently done and is still in some ways better than some newer books that I've gotten my hands on.
It is a pity that the sequels to this book are written, badly, by George Lucas who is a far better concept creator/director than he is a writer. But, if one pretends the sequels do not exist, then this one book is a fun read for the time period it was written in.
Anyway.
While I found the 80s era movie to be quite entertaining and fun, I will be the first to admit that it wasn't exactly the highest brow movie that was ever created, in either concept or execution. Where the movie lacked, the book adaptation not only fleshed out but infused a level of seriousness that had me both immersed and shock. The story concept is pretty basic for a fantasy story. There is a baby that is destined to destroy the greatest evil in the land that happens to be this sorceress-usurper of the throne. So of course she wants to kill the baby. And the child's mother, the legitimate queen, sends her daughter out to the wilds in an attempt to save her from the hunting dogs. The baby comes into the possession of a Little Person who is now charged to leave his village and go out into the world for the very first time.
On one hand, this is a rather typical fantasy about destiny, prophecy and succession rites. On the other hand, it's a shockingly good novel about disillusionment, culture clash, and the painful process involved in expanding beyond your own mental and physical 'limitations'. It is a story about the building and rebuilding of destroyed self-confidence. It's about learning how to come into your own power. Learning to trust in someone and/or something other than yourself. Learning to believe in the intangible.
Pretty much every character in the story, the swordsman Madmartigan in particular, has their character fleshed out. Incredible amounts of detail is worked into their back stories, requiring almost appendix-like insertions that stylistically reminds me of Marrius's backstory in the unabridged version of Les Miserables. The writing is clean, without too many purple words and fancy descriptions. It gets the point across smoothly, but with just enough embellishment to really get the sense of adventure and creepiness across effectively (and with appropriate levels of dramatics).
It never ends up either cheesy or over dramatic in the way many high fantasy novels tend to fall into. This is possibly due to the very amusing level of disbelief that several of the in characters exhibit both of each other but of the very premise of the story itself. It isn't often that one sees a character go on a journey to fulfill a prophecy that he doesn't believe in. And it isn't often that you see characters spend most of the story not believing in each other. In fact, there is so much disbelief happening, that the reason they all come together isn't so much the prophecy, but their desire to keep each other from dying out there in the wilds. I find this viewpoint both refreshing and largely realistic.
Still, one has to also continue to remember that this IS a low brow hack-n-slash written in the 80s. It hasn't completely avoided that. But, for what it is, it's very excellently done and is still in some ways better than some newer books that I've gotten my hands on.
It is a pity that the sequels to this book are written, badly, by George Lucas who is a far better concept creator/director than he is a writer. But, if one pretends the sequels do not exist, then this one book is a fun read for the time period it was written in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2015
Sobresaliente.
¡Estoy perdidamente enamorada de esta historia de aventuras! Desde niña, "Willow"es la película que marcó mi infancia y, ya de adulta, sigue siendo la más especial de todas. Para algunos será mejor, para otros será peor. Pero para mí es única e irrepetible.
Así que tenía que hacerme con este libro a toda costa. Y, como no podía ser de otro modo, nada más caer en mis manos fue devorado. Ni 24 horas le he dado a sus páginas. Y quizá debería haberle dado más tiempo para saborearlo, para disfrutar de esas partes que no aparecen en la película y nos cuentan más sobre Tir Asleen, Madmartigan, Sorsha y su padre, etc...
Es un libro breve, que relata la misma aventura que la película y además aporta detalles que ésta deja fuera. Algunos de ellos estaba previsto que apareciesen en la versión cinematográfica como la historia del padre de Sorsha, que quedó fuera en el montaje final. Dentro de lo desconocido me quedo con la historia que Cherlindrea cuenta sobre Fin Raziel, dándonosla a conocer desde pequeña (así como a Bavmorda y su llegada al trono). Y también con la historia que Franjean y Rool cuentan sobre el pasado de Madmartigan.
Todas esas pequeñas aportaciones a mayores que no conocía y que no esperaba encontrar (hace unos años leí "Dentro del laberinto" de A. C. H. Smith y el libro era exactamente lo mismo que la película y aquí pensé que sucedería lo mismo), han aumentado todavía más el gran sabor de boca que me deja esta historia.
En resumidas cuentas me he enamorado del libro como me enamoré de niña de la versión cinematográfica. Este libro es carne de relectura, y relectura, y relectura...
Porque mucho antes de que me enamorase de un hobbit llamado Sam, me ganó enterita un nelwyn llamado Willow.
¡Estoy perdidamente enamorada de esta historia de aventuras! Desde niña, "Willow"es la película que marcó mi infancia y, ya de adulta, sigue siendo la más especial de todas. Para algunos será mejor, para otros será peor. Pero para mí es única e irrepetible.
Así que tenía que hacerme con este libro a toda costa. Y, como no podía ser de otro modo, nada más caer en mis manos fue devorado. Ni 24 horas le he dado a sus páginas. Y quizá debería haberle dado más tiempo para saborearlo, para disfrutar de esas partes que no aparecen en la película y nos cuentan más sobre Tir Asleen, Madmartigan, Sorsha y su padre, etc...
Es un libro breve, que relata la misma aventura que la película y además aporta detalles que ésta deja fuera. Algunos de ellos estaba previsto que apareciesen en la versión cinematográfica como la historia del padre de Sorsha, que quedó fuera en el montaje final. Dentro de lo desconocido me quedo con la historia que Cherlindrea cuenta sobre Fin Raziel, dándonosla a conocer desde pequeña (así como a Bavmorda y su llegada al trono). Y también con la historia que Franjean y Rool cuentan sobre el pasado de Madmartigan.
Todas esas pequeñas aportaciones a mayores que no conocía y que no esperaba encontrar (hace unos años leí "Dentro del laberinto" de A. C. H. Smith y el libro era exactamente lo mismo que la película y aquí pensé que sucedería lo mismo), han aumentado todavía más el gran sabor de boca que me deja esta historia.
En resumidas cuentas me he enamorado del libro como me enamoré de niña de la versión cinematográfica. Este libro es carne de relectura, y relectura, y relectura...
Porque mucho antes de que me enamorase de un hobbit llamado Sam, me ganó enterita un nelwyn llamado Willow.
November 5, 2014
Vivid, fully realized novelization of the 1988 Ron Howard directed, George Lucas produced film. Both the movie and this book were ahead of its time and would far be more appreciated today in the post "Lord of the Rings”/”Harry Potter” era of the 2000s. Back in 1988 fantasy as a genre (especially in movies) was deader than disco.
The writing by Wayland Drew is outstanding. He does not merely write out the script in prose form, but creates an actual fantasy novel complete with detailed world building, interior dialogues, sharp points of view, and fleshed out characters. The action, suspense, heroic fantasy, and sense of wonder from the movie are all there, but Drew always adds more texture, making full use of the prose format. Wayland Drew also wrote the novelization for the 1987 film “Batteries Not Included” (which I have sitting on my shelf and will check out next).
Bottom line: one of the better novelizations I have read and highly recommended for fans of the movie or anyone who likes the “The Hobbit”.
The writing by Wayland Drew is outstanding. He does not merely write out the script in prose form, but creates an actual fantasy novel complete with detailed world building, interior dialogues, sharp points of view, and fleshed out characters. The action, suspense, heroic fantasy, and sense of wonder from the movie are all there, but Drew always adds more texture, making full use of the prose format. Wayland Drew also wrote the novelization for the 1987 film “Batteries Not Included” (which I have sitting on my shelf and will check out next).
Bottom line: one of the better novelizations I have read and highly recommended for fans of the movie or anyone who likes the “The Hobbit”.
October 1, 2010
Honestly, I got more enjoyment from the movie. The book stays true to the story, with additional scenes here and there, and gives more detail along the way but never seems quite able to capture the spirit of the film. (I mention this principally because it is a book based on a screenplay; the movie came first.) It is a good enough book for young adults, with decent helpings of humor, action, and a dash of romance against the background battle of good versus evil ... but I found it a little flat. Things seemed to happen too quickly, with too little build-up or explanation and a lack of suspense. More mature YA readers may find it stilted or even boring. That said, it's a nice easy read and would probably sit well with any tween or early teenager, though I wouldn't recommend it for children under eleven due to gore and violence.
November 2, 2015
Biased rating. I didn't think I would care for this much because I've seen the movie more times than I can count but I genuinely enjoyed this book. It was the same story but with some differences.
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