Star Wars Trilogy: A New Hope

Star Wars Junior Novelizations #4

by Ryder Windham

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

A young Jedi is discovered.
A rebellion grows.
A deadly weapon unleashes its power.
A master confronts his old apprentice.
The journey begins a new chapter.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens, Media Tie In, Adventure

215 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Ryder Windham is an American sci-fi author who has written over sixty Star Wars books, including novels, comics, reference books, and so on. He has also written junior novelizations for Indiana Jones movies. Since 1993, he has been working on Star Wars projects either by himself or with other authors. His reference book Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide had been on the New York Times Best Seller list for three weeks in 2005. Although he has written lots of books, accepted interviews, and appeared at several fan-conventions, little is known about his personal life.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before Disney and J.J. Abrams got their grubby paws on it, Star Wars was a force to be reckoned with! To this day, it stands as one of the most successful and influential franchises of all time. Who hasn't heard of Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Princess Leia? Though there's been more to the saga than just the movies for quite a while--seriously, the Thrawn trilogy, which jumpstarted the Expanded Universe, came out nearly three decades ago--the movie we now know as A New Hope was the one that started it all.

This novelization tries to capture the magic of the forty-three-year-old flick, and does it quite well. More than just a mere retelling, Mr. Windham gives us extra details that you won't know from watching the film. I still say they should give the original trilogy an adult novelization, like they did with the other movies; still, for what it was, this was great.

[Elyse Hdez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me parece un buen libro, además de tener todos los elementos y descripciones de la película, logra involucrar los pensamientos de los personajes. A momentos era como si estuviera leyendo el guión original ( del cual está basado) pero en otros momentos era como si estuviera leyendo una novela.

[Una pila de llibres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estic així 💔😍💫🤪

[Erin Milham · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks Elizabeth for giving me something easy to read! They're so much better as movies though

[Daniel Chevalier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read most of this book during rehearsals with the professional orchestra. Whenever there were pieces I didn't play, I took a seat in the third row and read it. Besides of enjoying the book, it felt as if I had the whole theater for myself, enjoying beautiful music and reading.

Amazing book, enjoyed it more than the movie!

[Katherine Loyacano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New Hope by Ryder Windham is a junior novelization and the first book in the Star Wars trilogy. Luke Skywalker lives on the desert planet Tatooine with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. After Uncle Owen purchases two droids, C-3PO and R2-D2, danger comes to Tatooine. Shortly afterwards, Luke experiences a tragedy that leads him off his home planet with the two droids and Ben Kenobi. He finds himself heading to Alderaan with a motley crew of characters, but instead ends up fighting in a rebellion against an evil force.

A New Hope was a fun read for me. I grew up watching Star Wars as a kid and as an adult. This first book is all about world building, introducing the main characters, and establishing the conflict these characters will encounter throughout the trilogy. The characters are amazing! I love the friendship between the droids, the relationship between Luke and Ben Kenobi, the bantering between Han Solo and Princess Leia, Chewbacca aka the “big walking carpet,” as well as the villain Darth Vader. A New Hope is an action-packed story with good versus evil at the center of it. This novelization included color photos from the movie. Enjoyable read!

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I imagined and probably far more than I would a rewatch of the film these days. Go figure.

[fatema ! · Rating 2 out of 5]

[2.5] it takes genuine talent to make STAR WARS sound boring 😭😭 keep ur talent hidden next time ryder 😭😭🙏

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok luke skywalker

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best part of the book is obviously when Luke and Han and everyone else destroyed the death star. BOOM BOOOM.

[Zachary Viola27973 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but there were some dislikes I had. The wording was a tiny difficult at times. There were some proper nouns with weird names like Mos Eisley and Tantive IV. I really liked the occasional action and suspenseful moments. Such as the events taken place in the death star. I think that the strengths are that it had a well thought story that introduced some pretty cool futuristic devices and tools. I think that the weaknesses are that some of the wording can be a little strange and confusing, that can be hard to catch on to. I think this book is part of a series. I think that there are five other books in the series. I will read the rest of the series if I can. People who like Science fiction books or are Star Wars fans would surely like this book. If you like star wars or have a taste for science fiction, then I recommend this book to you.

[Alexandra Freire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sin duda alguna mi última lectura del año. Para concluir un año de lectura como el 2015 que mejor que un libro de Star Wars.
Como bien indica el título, este libro es el Episodio IV de la saga. Aquí vemos los inicios de un joven Luke Skywalker, el secuestro de la princesa Leia por el Imperio y a "Ben" Kenobi, quien llevará a Luke a la mayor aventura de su vida.
Este libro es una adaptación del guión original de la película, por lo que es como si leyeras el film, pero aparte de eso y como un plus me gustó, fue el hecho de que el autor agregara ciertos pensamientos de los personajes a lo largo de la obra, para así comprenderlos más.
Aunado a todo esto, me sorprendió gratamente las fotografías al final, que incluían partes relevantes de la película.
Espero que el 2016, venga con las mismas o más ganas por seguir leyendo.

[Jake]

It is exactly like the movie!!!!!! Yeah, the whole book is just like the movie! the least Ryder Windham could do is add something new in the book that was not in the movie. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!!! IT IS JUST THE MOVIE IN BOOK FORM!!!!!!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose this is a decent rendition of the movie, but all in all, it's not a great book. So much expression and many minute things have been left out; it's really just a very childish version. I can't stand how the author spells out Artoo Detoo. It's R2D2 for Jesus' sake. Same for C-3PO. It's spelled out like we can't figure out how to pronounce it. Also, Leia doesn't seem very distraught by the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan. I also don't understand why three fighters had to fly down into the trench, especially if they couldn't fight Vader off. What was the point? Shouldn't they stay back and cover to shoot at Vader and his wingmen? Han is also kind of annoying. I mean, shooting at everything without thinking? I know he's a beloved character from the Star Wars franchise, but I really hope he's portrayed a bit better in the actual movies.

[Whale Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good example of how to write a good book to be a good movie and vise versa!

"..Now I feel nothing. That world means as much to me as a speck of dust, and all its inhabitants might as well be dust too"
Dart Vader thinks of his homeland when watching through to star destroyer windows.

บทสนทนาระหว่าง R2-D2 (ฉลาด) กับ C-3PO (ซื่อๆ) สนุกมาก
: ))

Trying to remember the last time he'd had an oil bath

Mindless philosopher

หุ่นยนต์เดินในทะเลทราย
เหนื่อย จากการที่น็อตหลุด+ ทรายเข้า

การพบกันของ luke และ R2D2 C-3PO

นักบินเพื่อนลุค ชื่อ bigg และ wedge เหมือน FF7!!

อ่านจบแล้วพึ่งรู้ว่าเป็น ฉบับ junior แต่คำศัพย์ยากกำลังดี

ฉากดาร์ธ เวเดอร์ ขับเครื่องบินไล่ยิงกลุ่มต่อต้านนี่ surreal มากๆ
แสดงให้เห็นว่า luke ใช้ The force ในตอนไหนก็ได้
ไม่ใช่แค่ตอนเป็นเจได

[Sam P · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because I am a very big fan of star wars and was interested to see how it was in a written form. I was honestly surprised at how well this book was, I was expecting a book that was so so with how it related to the movie and although sometimes it wasn't 100% accurate it was enough to fulfill my liking. I feel that Windham did a great job keeping the reader focused on who was talking and trying to keep it as simple as possible while still doing Star Wars justice. I personally think that readers of many ages can like this book. As people get older it will obviously become an easier book to read but, still very enjoyable and allows the reader to view Star Wars from a books perspective.

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book (just like watching the movie) was pure fun and I found myself smiling so much at the end and I was reminded why I love Star Wars so much.

The action scenes were really well-written, especially the Battle of Yavin (though maybe it's mostly because I just see the movie in my head while reading through it) -- the book really maintained the action, suspense, and excitement.

But the best part in this book (in my opinion) was Darth Vader, especially when we got to read his thoughts: we get flashbacks to his past life as Anakin, whether his thoughts dwelt on Tatooine, Obi-Wan, and podracing/flying. It helped humanize the greatest villain in the galaxy -- that maybe he's not a complete monster after all, that maybe a little bit of Anakin Skywalker does remain somewhere in him. I just really appreciate the author choosing to include that bit of humanity in Vader; we're already building up to his redemption.

[Hope Elias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I typically like novelizations so I had a feeling I'd enjoy this one. I have seen Star Wars IV a couple of times the last few years but I hadn't realized how much I have been watching it from the perspective I had as a kid when I first watched it. Reading it here made me notice a lot more of the actual story so that was cool.
My only complaint is that the inner thoughts of the characters didn't feel true to the characters. I know this is a middle grade book which could account for the inner thoughts seeming inaccurate but I would rather have had the inner dialogue removed.
Also this is the first Star Wars book I've ever read!

[Grace Marcroft · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't deliver the goods for me. It was the star wars story as a blow by blow account of the film. The only thing missing was the camera angles panning in and out of a shot. It could have been told so much more eloquently and captured the imagination. I'm sure there is much in the star wars universe that could have been included but really you are better off to watch the film. Characters felt flat and uninteresting. Fight scenes were tedious. I'm interested to know more about the broader star wars universe but not if the writing is anything like this book.

[Isabel Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really easy read, you could finish this in one sitting but I only read about a chapter or two a day as I already knew what happened

Having watched all the star wars movies , luke a leia is of course questionable but I'll let it slide.

Just as the description states , an exact copy of what happens in the movie , although it would've been better if there was more detail, as in the movie the background and scenes do all the description for you , but you have to imagine while reading this book as the description ( or lack thereof) are brief and not exactly.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the one hand, this is a great novelization, but on the other that made it feel almost pointless to read. It reads like a literal prose version of the script - every line of dialogue is directly from the movie, and they're all included, down to every single time a stormtroopers says "what was that?" Every establishing shot is detailed, too. But there's really almost no new insight into the story, which is what makes a novelization worth reading for me.

[Mars G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize that this was a direct adaption which is written for young teens. Ah, well! As I'm not the intended audience, it's hard to give a good review, but I think that the target audience would enjoy it more than adults would. This adaption doesn't add any new information, though it does a decent job of adding some details that have been added with the expanded universe.

Altogether, enjoyable.

[Kevin Bracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some 40+ years after seeing the movie, I read the book with my son. I'm very impressed with how closely the movies follow the story. Not sure if George Lucas wrote the books with the movies in line, but he definitely kept the movies in the spirit of the books.

It was fun to visit an old friend and hear the tales again. May the Force be with you. And for those that have never seen or read the stories, dive in, you'll enjoy it.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dieser Teil ist zwar nicht so tiefschürfend und aufschlussreich wie der letzte, den ich gelesen hatte (Episode III), war aber dennoch gutes Lesefutter. Ausserdem hat mir das Buch grosse Lust gemacht, das Original noch einmal zu schauen, was dann auch umgesetzt wurde. Ziel erreicht, würde ich sagen.

Dieser Titel hält sich sehr stark an den Film, geht an einigen Stellen etwas in die Tiefe und erklärt einige Dinge, die im Film nicht zur Sprache kommen. Diese Episode liest sich leicht und flüssig und ist somit perfekt als Einstiegslektüre geeignet. Vor allem auch für jüngere Fans.

Und natürlich kommt auch hier die volle Portion Nostalgie zum Tragen. Irgendwie auch schön so.

[rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I only read it so I wouldn’t have any adaptations of original trilogy that I haven’t read left. Hyperfixations are funky like that.
It wasn’t a bad book, but it was just very blank. Just explaining the actions they were doing without any feelings or any glimpse of mindsets. (Other than the scene of destruction of Alderaan)

[Pablo Mrtn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sentí la obligación, como fan de Star wars, de leer este libro. El puntaje se debe porque es identico al guión de la película sin agregar nada, sin ninguna sorpresa develada. Es como si yo me hubiese puesto frente a la televisión y descrito lo que veía.
Seguiré leyendo el siguiente episodio ,no por la sorpresa que pueda generarme sino por la obligación como fiel a la saga de George Lucas.

[Davidd · Rating 1 out of 5]

pretty crap ngl, i mean its probably good for kids i guess but ngl I was 13 when i read this and i only finished it bc i couldn't be bothered to tell the librarian that I didn't like it and she would make me find smth else to read

like i dont really remember why it was so bad but I remember just finding the wording so lazily and poorly written, like you can reaalllly tell its a novellisation of a film ifykwim

[Dhalia Juarez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunque Una nueva esperanza es mi película menos favorita debo admitir que el libro me gustó, un poco lenta al principio y muy introductoria al universo de star wars pero las narraciones, los personajes y los planetas hacen que no los sientas tan pesado.

[Kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! It was just like watching the movie! I had hesitation before I read this book thinking that it was for younger kids, hint Junior Novelization, but it ended up being fantastic! Ioved how at times it said what they were thinking in their heads when they were silent during the film! If you want to go more in depth of Star Wars, this is your book!
I wouldn't knock them down a star for this reason but I personally don't think that it is suited for 8-12 year olds. I would say because of the moderate violence and swearing I would say grade 6+. Other than that, great book! Definitely will be reading the rest!

[DOUGLAS J BERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

The classic tale.

Disney basically went with the original story. Some material from later stories was added. But it was done skillfully. I mainly noticed that everyone and everything seemed to have a proper name.