What do you think?
Rate this book
The Shadow
Criminal mastermind-turned-crime fighter Lamont Cranston uses his uncanny psychic powers and his disguise as the enigmatic Shadow to battle crime in 1930s New York and faces his ultimate challenge in the powerful and evil Shiwan Khan
216 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1994
118 people want to read
About the author
James Luceno
118 books1,063 followersJames Luceno is a New York Times bestselling author, best known for his novels and reference books connected with the Star Wars franchise and the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and novelisations of the Robotech animated television series. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife and youngest child.
He has co-written many books with Brian Daley as Jack McKinney.
He has co-written many books with Brian Daley as Jack McKinney.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 22, 2011
Can the Shadow, aka playboy Lamont Cranston, stop Shiwan Khan, last decendant of Ghengis Khan, from destroying New York with an atomic bomb?
Way back in the bygone age of the early 90's, going to the movie theater was a twice a year occurance. So instead of being lured to the movie theater by the previews on TV, I had to be satisfied with movie adaptations of middling quality. That being said, I didn't hate this book.
The Shadow movie was cheesy fun and the novellization is more of the same. I'm not going to talk about the plot very much. The summary pretty much says it all. One thing that wasn't in the movie that showed up in this book was that The Shadow wasn't actually Lamont Cranston. He was actually Kent Allard, a man who usurped Cranston's identity.
Not a bad book but I'm glad I'm able to go to the movies whenever I please in my adulthood.
Way back in the bygone age of the early 90's, going to the movie theater was a twice a year occurance. So instead of being lured to the movie theater by the previews on TV, I had to be satisfied with movie adaptations of middling quality. That being said, I didn't hate this book.
The Shadow movie was cheesy fun and the novellization is more of the same. I'm not going to talk about the plot very much. The summary pretty much says it all. One thing that wasn't in the movie that showed up in this book was that The Shadow wasn't actually Lamont Cranston. He was actually Kent Allard, a man who usurped Cranston's identity.
Not a bad book but I'm glad I'm able to go to the movies whenever I please in my adulthood.
November 18, 2023
A fairly straight adaptation of the movie. You can see where they went right, and where they went wrong.
April 17, 2012
There's something inherently cowardly about a 'novelization'. The author recycles the screenplay, and the movie screens inside the reader's head. The book is never going to be anything more than the original movie, which almost by definition isn't going to be high art.
That said: I loves me this movie something fierce, and wasn't able to resist the novelization. The movie is enormous pulp fun, a hero, swaggering villain, sultry love interest, over-the-top premise, neat gadgetry, and comic relief that for once isn't especially odious.
The realization while reading the book is that this has very little to do with the original source material. In the early Shadow novels (the ones I've read, at least), the Shadow himself is a background figure, a puppeteer for his semi-competent minions as they blunder through the nefarious schemes of the mustache-twirling villains. You certainly don't get into the Shadow's head. There certainly isn't any comic relief.
From the small embellishments that tie the novelization to the original material, I got the impression that Luceno was writing as an enthusiast, and probably felt confined by the necessary limits of writing the book of the movie. He unfortunately doesn't add much to the movie playing out in the reader's head: obscure references to other Shadow adventures and adversaries and characters (all offscene), and the notable but unnecessary revelation that the Shadow isn't actually Lamont Cranston, but Kent Allard posing as Lamont Cranston (a fact mentioned in passing, without any lasting effect on the narrative).
So I'm left with the original premise: if you like the original Shadow material, read that, not this. If you like the movie, watch that, because this won't add anything. I haven't read any of the later Shadow novels, so maybe this and the movie are representative of that or the radio plays.
That said: I loves me this movie something fierce, and wasn't able to resist the novelization. The movie is enormous pulp fun, a hero, swaggering villain, sultry love interest, over-the-top premise, neat gadgetry, and comic relief that for once isn't especially odious.
The realization while reading the book is that this has very little to do with the original source material. In the early Shadow novels (the ones I've read, at least), the Shadow himself is a background figure, a puppeteer for his semi-competent minions as they blunder through the nefarious schemes of the mustache-twirling villains. You certainly don't get into the Shadow's head. There certainly isn't any comic relief.
From the small embellishments that tie the novelization to the original material, I got the impression that Luceno was writing as an enthusiast, and probably felt confined by the necessary limits of writing the book of the movie. He unfortunately doesn't add much to the movie playing out in the reader's head: obscure references to other Shadow adventures and adversaries and characters (all offscene), and the notable but unnecessary revelation that the Shadow isn't actually Lamont Cranston, but Kent Allard posing as Lamont Cranston (a fact mentioned in passing, without any lasting effect on the narrative).
So I'm left with the original premise: if you like the original Shadow material, read that, not this. If you like the movie, watch that, because this won't add anything. I haven't read any of the later Shadow novels, so maybe this and the movie are representative of that or the radio plays.
August 19, 2022
Igual que la peli. Podría haberse aprovechado más el recurso narrativo, pero es igual que ver la película.
December 31, 2021
Recommended by my husband who remembered enjoying it when he was 11. I do not recommend this for 11 year olds - very violent, some sexual stuff. But as an adult I was relatively impressed with the writing and vocabulary used. I was not expecting much from a book based on a screen play based on a comic book, but it raised my eyebrows a couple times.
The fantastical elements were also a nice surprise since I was only expecting a noir-style detective book. Telepathy, mind control, eastern mysticism, knives that comes to life and bite people with the face on their handle... it was pretty fun.
There were also some totally outdated and racist descriptions and stereotypes (the bad guy is a Mongolian descendant of Ghengis Khan and the good guy is a rich white dude), so reader beware.
I don't know who I would recommend this book to... but there's also a movie with Alec Baldwin, so, maybe watch that instead?
The fantastical elements were also a nice surprise since I was only expecting a noir-style detective book. Telepathy, mind control, eastern mysticism, knives that comes to life and bite people with the face on their handle... it was pretty fun.
There were also some totally outdated and racist descriptions and stereotypes (the bad guy is a Mongolian descendant of Ghengis Khan and the good guy is a rich white dude), so reader beware.
I don't know who I would recommend this book to... but there's also a movie with Alec Baldwin, so, maybe watch that instead?
May 23, 2018
One of my current abiding interests (abetted by my behind-the-scenes work in the theatre and on adaptations) is in movies that never quite came together- movies where what you saw on screen is not the grand vision the screenwriters and directors had attempted to create. "The Shadow" is one of those what-could-have-been films, its grandiose philosophical-superhero plot intended to bridge Buddhist philosophy, Christian spiritualism and 1940s pulp. Unfortunately, the movie suffered budgetary setbacks and the ending was rendered mostly incoherent.
Having read the novel... it would have been incoherent anyway. The central concept is too abstract and heavy to be rendered in a simple pulpy manner; it's half "Dune" and half "Batman but as a raging sociopathic killer." More a curiosity and a trivia question than a success.
Having read the novel... it would have been incoherent anyway. The central concept is too abstract and heavy to be rendered in a simple pulpy manner; it's half "Dune" and half "Batman but as a raging sociopathic killer." More a curiosity and a trivia question than a success.
November 27, 2022
The Shdow is a novel based on the screenplay for the Universal movie, of the radio character created in 1930 for the "Street and Smith's Detective Story Hour." Walter B. Gibson, writing as Maxwell Grant, wrote 283 novels about the shadow, first appearing in 1931. From 1937 to 1954, Orson Welles voiced the character for another radio series. The Shadow has also appeared in comic books.
This novel is my only exposure to the Shadow, so please realize this review is only about this one book, not about the other forms of the character.
I give this book a 3 out of 5, not because of the writing (which is fine), but because I found the main characters and story line to be rather out-dated and unappealing. Partly this may be my dislike for stories with "bad guy" protagonists. But the characters are definitely out-dated and a reboot unnecessary.
This novel is my only exposure to the Shadow, so please realize this review is only about this one book, not about the other forms of the character.
I give this book a 3 out of 5, not because of the writing (which is fine), but because I found the main characters and story line to be rather out-dated and unappealing. Partly this may be my dislike for stories with "bad guy" protagonists. But the characters are definitely out-dated and a reboot unnecessary.
November 25, 2018
Una entretenida adaptación del guion cinematográfico,a ratos más llevadera que la irregular película. Para curiosos y fans desprejuiciados en busca de una lectura distractiva, sin comparación con los pulps originales o sus adaptaciones a historieta.
April 3, 2021
Like motion movie novelizations, this is based off of in earlier script so you have deleted scene. They tried to integrate the pulp version of the Shadow with the radio version of the Shadow and the movie version Shadow.
June 22, 2020
Fun, but the film is superior. I love the film in fact and this tie-in offers very little in terms of additional info or plot. Worth a read for fans of The Shadow character.
Read
May 6, 2023I remember reading this... but not enough to rate it, maybe I'll reread it sometime!
June 25, 2024
Excellent adaptation of the movie. Actually drops a lot of names from the radio plays and stories throughout the history of the Shadow. Lots of fun, I really enjoyed it.
April 29, 2014
I've always been a fan of the movie, and the book brings back fond memories. The Shadow is an interesting character, and Luceno covers that well. Overall, this is an entertaining read throughout, but it really picks up in the last 3rd.
The only faults I find are few. One, I just don't like long sections of description (several paragraphs or pages worth); but that doesn't happen too often. Two, a certain plot point doesn't quite make sense--Shiwan Khan's goal/purpose with the coffin. And a plot point doesn't feel fully developed--part of the story is that Lamont Cranston/The Shadow confronts his dark side, but what is the result of that? Three, I don't like the fact that Margo doesn't know who Lamont Cranston really is. I'm not talking about his identity as The Shadow; I'm talking about the fact he's not Lamont Cranston. How can you have a relationship with his "regular side" when she doesn't know his real name?
Anyway, these problems didn't hinder the entertainment value of the book. I liked the mystical side, the setting, the battles, the humor. It was a good read.
The only faults I find are few. One, I just don't like long sections of description (several paragraphs or pages worth); but that doesn't happen too often. Two, a certain plot point doesn't quite make sense--Shiwan Khan's goal/purpose with the coffin. And a plot point doesn't feel fully developed--part of the story is that Lamont Cranston/The Shadow confronts his dark side, but what is the result of that? Three, I don't like the fact that Margo doesn't know who Lamont Cranston really is. I'm not talking about his identity as The Shadow; I'm talking about the fact he's not Lamont Cranston. How can you have a relationship with his "regular side" when she doesn't know his real name?
Anyway, these problems didn't hinder the entertainment value of the book. I liked the mystical side, the setting, the battles, the humor. It was a good read.
October 19, 2012
I'll admit to having never seen the 1994 movie "The Shadow" so the story based upon the screenplay doesn't really do a lot for me. Lamont Cranston puts himself into the role of the superhero "The Shadow" in order to protect 1930s New York City from crime at any cost - crime that includes a nuclear bomb. With his round of super powers & a love interest to save, Cranston faces off against Shiwan Khan an Asian man bent on revenge. The story is quick moving & easy to follow with the action sequences done with relative easy. It's not a bad tale, but was probably a better film than this adaption is.
February 28, 2019
Basic Plot: A missing scientist and his research lead the Shadow to discover a threat from ancient Mongolia and the Shadow's past.
Ah, the Shadow, old school radio superhero, how do I love thee?
This novelization of the movie covers the Shadow's heroic rescue of the city from the world's first nuclear bomb. Cheesy, wonderfully cheesy, with all of the pulp flair of the old radio show. Shadow purists may have problems with some small inconsistencies from canon (Margot has ESP), but it's a decent enough read. I've read much worse.
Ah, the Shadow, old school radio superhero, how do I love thee?
This novelization of the movie covers the Shadow's heroic rescue of the city from the world's first nuclear bomb. Cheesy, wonderfully cheesy, with all of the pulp flair of the old radio show. Shadow purists may have problems with some small inconsistencies from canon (Margot has ESP), but it's a decent enough read. I've read much worse.
November 9, 2014
Not a bad adaptation, but I think the writer wanted to bring all if not the most of the original Shadow story line by referring to this man's identity as something different.
Also the story kind of drags with far less suspense than if you were to watch the movie. C+
Also the story kind of drags with far less suspense than if you were to watch the movie. C+
August 31, 2016
I finished the book! And I loved it. It was so much better than the film.
James Luceno is fantastic, he captured the flavor and nuances of the time.
He expanded on the film and made the book come to life.
I recommend this book
James Luceno is fantastic, he captured the flavor and nuances of the time.
He expanded on the film and made the book come to life.
I recommend this book
January 3, 2011
Fun quick read!
January 6, 2015
An unimpressive film matched by an unimpressive novelisation. I only read this book as a distraction whilst studying for my HSC. It served its purpose but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.
July 13, 2015
Does not hold a candle to the old books.
April 29, 2015
A good novelisation of the movie. Reading the real Shadow stories by Maxwell Grant are much better
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews