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Labyrinth: A Novel Based on the Jim Henson Film
What happens when you wish for something terrible ... and your wish comes true? Young Sarah is about to find out. Left at home to mind her baby brother, Toby, she finds herself trying to comfort a screaming infant as a wild storm rages about the house. In a fit of temper, she wishes that the goblins would come and take the child away. Unfortunately, they do.
Sarah then plunges into a whirlwind adventure. If she cannot reach the center of the mysterious Labyrinth within thirteen hours, Jareth -- King of the Goblins -- will keep Toby forever. In the twists and turns of her dangerous journey to Jareth's castle, she meets an extraordinary variety of strange characters, some more friendly than others. But none of them will be able to help her unless she musters the courage to challenge Jareth -- no matter what the odds.
Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets and directory of Labyrinth, has joined with executive producer George Lucas to take us once again on a fascinating journey into a fantastic world. Labyrinth has been produced by Eric Rattray; the executive supervising producer is David Lazer, illustrator Brian Froud is the conceptual designer, and the screenplay by Terry Jones is based on a story by Jim Henson and Dennis Lee. A Henson Associates Inc. / Lucasfilm Ltd. production, the movie is distributed by Tri-Star pictures.
A.C.H. Smith, who is also author of The Dark Crystal and Lady Jane, has captured all the excitement and poetry of a brilliant film in this riveting novel.
Sarah then plunges into a whirlwind adventure. If she cannot reach the center of the mysterious Labyrinth within thirteen hours, Jareth -- King of the Goblins -- will keep Toby forever. In the twists and turns of her dangerous journey to Jareth's castle, she meets an extraordinary variety of strange characters, some more friendly than others. But none of them will be able to help her unless she musters the courage to challenge Jareth -- no matter what the odds.
Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets and directory of Labyrinth, has joined with executive producer George Lucas to take us once again on a fascinating journey into a fantastic world. Labyrinth has been produced by Eric Rattray; the executive supervising producer is David Lazer, illustrator Brian Froud is the conceptual designer, and the screenplay by Terry Jones is based on a story by Jim Henson and Dennis Lee. A Henson Associates Inc. / Lucasfilm Ltd. production, the movie is distributed by Tri-Star pictures.
A.C.H. Smith, who is also author of The Dark Crystal and Lady Jane, has captured all the excitement and poetry of a brilliant film in this riveting novel.
183 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
253 people are currently reading
6200 people want to read
About the author
A.C.H. Smith
26 books55 followersAnthony Charles Hockley Smith (born Anthony Charles Smith) is a British novelist and playwright.
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February 8, 2018
Movie novelizations rarely interest me, but Labyrinth was such an odd, offbeat little film that it ought to have been based on a novel. No screenwriter in Hollywood is this good at tapping into the dusky eeriness at the heart of every good myth. Turns out there is no original book, but this novelization does, in some ways, serve the same function.
The book can be read independently of the movie - I don't recommend that, but it's possible. So for those of you who haven't watched the film:
Sarah Williams is an eccentric, angsty teenager who can’t relate to her stepmother and resents her baby half-brother, Toby. She has goblins on the brain, having read a play about them, and wishes sarcastically for them to take the baby away. Unfortunately for her, some real goblins hear and obey her request. To reclaim her brother, the chastened girl has to solve the Labyrinth they live in and square off with Jareth, their enigmatic King. But Sarah discovers that Jareth’s plans for her are…not what she expected. Trippy images, unique side characters, and mythological symbolism abound.
The 1986 film was directed by Jim Henson, who designed its special effects and creatures; George Lucas served as executive producer and Terry Jones (of Monty Python) wrote the first draft of the script. It starred David Bowie as Jareth and Jennifer Connelly as Sarah. Contemporary critics and audiences didn't know what to make of it--too edgy for a family film but too whimsical for teens reared on MTV and John Hughes movies. It was a box office flop but has since become a staple of geek culture.
A.C.H. Smith captured the pseudo-Victorian vibe of the film in his prose, which some here have called “purple” or “clunky”, but which I find delightfully old-fashioned. Apparently teenagers could still tackle big words, long paragraphs, and excerpts from Keats and Yeats in 1986.
In the movie, Sarah’s eccentricities are mostly implied, since she also has to serve as an audience surrogate in the bizarre world of the Underground. Here we see them in action, particularly her obsessive-compulsive arrangement of her stuffed animals, and her complete lack of common ground with her stepmother. She’s lonely, she has a bad temper, she has a love-hate relationship with babies, and she entertains herself by wearing flowers in her hair and reciting poetry in the park—basically Anne Shirley with black hair and upper-class parents.
Her opposite number is Jareth, who is called the Goblin King but is not himself a goblin. We never find out what he is—man or some kind of fae—or how he became King of the Maze. He has enormous power, but he is deeply lonely, with no one to talk to save the goblins, who have a collective IQ of about six. At first he’s excited to take little Toby, thinking that the child might become a brighter-than-average goblin, and later seems to entertain the notion of raising him as his heir. But his true desire, implied more than told, is for Sarah. He has very different plans for her, though his methods of achieving this end are a bit off-kilter.
Despite his Victorian language, Smith skips the most Victorian writing tic of all, the detailed description of the main characters’ physiognomy. This is a real shame, because both leads would be so well-suited to that kind of description. Connelly, with her big eyes and long black hair hanging in her face, looked the quintessential Victorian heroine (see also Margaret Hale, Dorothea Brooke, Emily Starr...). And Bowie is done a real disservice by the bland description of Jareth: “his hair was shoulder-length and blond…He was certainly handsome.” Really, Mr. Smith? The guy looks like a Burne-Jones painting sprung to life and that’s the best you could do? No mention of his cheekbones, his regal nose, his pointy canines, his apparent heterochromia? “Blond and handsome” could describe anyone from William Moseley to Kurt Cobain. That is not helpful.
I mean, this is how I'd describe them if I were writing it:
See, novelization writers? It's not hard.
This is the main flaw of the book: the relationship between our two main characters is barely developed at all. Read the scene in the catacombs where he has disguised himself as a beggar and compare it to the same scene in the film. Smith's writing is strangely bloodless here. There's no movement or notable body language in the written scene, while the filmed one is dynamic--Jareth intimidates Hoggle, then leans on the wall to look down at Sarah and turns "How are you enjoying my Labyrinth?" into a pickup line. One wonders if Smith had actually seen the film when he wrote this, or was just looking over a draft of the script.
The dialogue in the ballroom scene is oddly casual, given the swoon-inducing song that plays during that scene in the film. When he confronts her in the Escher room in the book, they mostly argue over the custody of Toby--in the movie, he sings to her of his love and frustration while she tries desperately to ignore him. Even their first meeting in the film carries the odd tension of two people whose perceptions do not mesh. She looks at him with understandable terror, he returns her gaze with a Mona Lisa smirk. She think's he's her enemy; he thinks he's courting her. NONE OF THIS COMES ACROSS IN THE NOVEL. His final line, "Just fear me, love me..." comes out of the blue here, while in the film it's obvious that everything was building up to that point.
In fairness to Smith, he clearly enjoys writing about the odd fauna and flora of the Labyrinth. Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and the rest are so tangible that you'll love them even if you haven't seen the film. The expanded battle sequence in the Goblin City is hilarious, and the bromance between Ludo and Didymus will melt your heart. There's also a handful of scenes of weird creatures being weird in weird places that didn't make it into the movie that are very fun. One gets in the impression that the Underground, like Middle-earth and Narnia, is a place stuffed with too many potential adventures for just one story. There's something interesting around every corner.
The Narnia comparison has often been used, as has that to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass . But Labyrinth is a different beast. The Chronicles also involve a lot of mythological symbols and a richly realized world, but the characters are much more straightforward. Alice also features surrealism and a lack of apparent peril--but Labyrinth is much closer to a far older story where a girl falls down a hole and finds a strange, hostile world underground.
Jareth, like Hades, is a powerful but lonely man, not old but no spring chicken, who rules a desolate kingdom “underground.” He forms a passion for a girl—a girl isolated from society and barely nubile, who has no idea of his existence—and plants things in her way—a giant narcissus or a book about goblins—because that is the only way he can contact her. He then kidnaps someone—Hades seizes Persephone herself, while Jareth takes Sarah’s baby brother at her sarcastic request, secure that her guilt over this incident will drive her to the Labyrinth. Once she’s on his turf, he gives her a fruit to eat.
Jareth’s guises as a barn owl and a plague doctor are death symbols. There's also a body of water that everyone fears, a guard canine, and a group of feathery creatures who frequent deserted woodlands and rip people to shreds--"Fireys" even sounds like "Furies." The masquerade dancers suggest that Jareth's people are out there somewhere, but he reigns exiled here, in a land of perpetual autumn. The Minoans gave Persephone the epithet Potnia, "Mistress of the Labyrinth."
Even the opening/closing credits song, Bowie's "Underground" features these lyrics that seem likelier from Sarah's POV than Jareth's: "Daddy, Daddy, get me out of here...I'm underground." Sarah never cries for her father, but someone else did: "Then [Persephone] cried out shrilly with her voice, calling upon her father, the Son of Cronos...But no one, either of the deathless gods or of mortal men, heard her voice..." (Homeric Hymn to Demeter).
I could go about the many connections and mythemes in this movie, but that would bore you all. Most of you like the movie anyway. We came here to talk about the book. So, is it worth the read?
Yes - if you're already familiar with the story. Smith excels at the supporting characters, his prose is agreeable (especially the casual poetry quotations throughout!), and occasionally the divergences from the movie improve on it. Sarah's friends don't reappear at the end here. She sees them in the mirror but ultimately has to face her dad and stepmother at the end of the long night.
However, the main characters are curiously flat and blank in the novelization. The book emphasizes the adventure and the developing friendship among Sarah's three amigos. The movie is driven by the strong personalities of the man and the girl and the tension between them. I wonder if maybe Smith had to finish this before the leads were cast: he had the puppets ready to base the supporting cast off of, but needed to leave Jareth and Sarah vague to make room for their not-yet-cast actors.
I recommend the movie itself to anyone with a high tolerance for eeriness. This is not some Tim Burton project where spooky visuals conceal dull characters and pedestrian concepts. We really have wandered into a strange new world here: it combines the spookiness of Victorian/Edwardian kid lit with an Inkling's sense of mystery and, barely concealed beneath, the passion and unbalanced power dynamic of Gothic romance. If you like Peter Pan (the book), you'll like this. If you like Narnia, you'll like this. If you like Jane Eyre or The Phantom Of The Opera or Wuthering Heights , you'll like this.
Finally, to everyone complaining about the ending:
You might also like:
- The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux
- Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- The Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle de Villeneuve
- Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
- Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
- The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
- East by Edith Pattou
- The Secret Country trilogy by Pamela Dean
- The Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce
The book can be read independently of the movie - I don't recommend that, but it's possible. So for those of you who haven't watched the film:
Sarah Williams is an eccentric, angsty teenager who can’t relate to her stepmother and resents her baby half-brother, Toby. She has goblins on the brain, having read a play about them, and wishes sarcastically for them to take the baby away. Unfortunately for her, some real goblins hear and obey her request. To reclaim her brother, the chastened girl has to solve the Labyrinth they live in and square off with Jareth, their enigmatic King. But Sarah discovers that Jareth’s plans for her are…not what she expected. Trippy images, unique side characters, and mythological symbolism abound.
The 1986 film was directed by Jim Henson, who designed its special effects and creatures; George Lucas served as executive producer and Terry Jones (of Monty Python) wrote the first draft of the script. It starred David Bowie as Jareth and Jennifer Connelly as Sarah. Contemporary critics and audiences didn't know what to make of it--too edgy for a family film but too whimsical for teens reared on MTV and John Hughes movies. It was a box office flop but has since become a staple of geek culture.
A.C.H. Smith captured the pseudo-Victorian vibe of the film in his prose, which some here have called “purple” or “clunky”, but which I find delightfully old-fashioned. Apparently teenagers could still tackle big words, long paragraphs, and excerpts from Keats and Yeats in 1986.
In the movie, Sarah’s eccentricities are mostly implied, since she also has to serve as an audience surrogate in the bizarre world of the Underground. Here we see them in action, particularly her obsessive-compulsive arrangement of her stuffed animals, and her complete lack of common ground with her stepmother. She’s lonely, she has a bad temper, she has a love-hate relationship with babies, and she entertains herself by wearing flowers in her hair and reciting poetry in the park—basically Anne Shirley with black hair and upper-class parents.
Her opposite number is Jareth, who is called the Goblin King but is not himself a goblin. We never find out what he is—man or some kind of fae—or how he became King of the Maze. He has enormous power, but he is deeply lonely, with no one to talk to save the goblins, who have a collective IQ of about six. At first he’s excited to take little Toby, thinking that the child might become a brighter-than-average goblin, and later seems to entertain the notion of raising him as his heir. But his true desire, implied more than told, is for Sarah. He has very different plans for her, though his methods of achieving this end are a bit off-kilter.
Despite his Victorian language, Smith skips the most Victorian writing tic of all, the detailed description of the main characters’ physiognomy. This is a real shame, because both leads would be so well-suited to that kind of description. Connelly, with her big eyes and long black hair hanging in her face, looked the quintessential Victorian heroine (see also Margaret Hale, Dorothea Brooke, Emily Starr...). And Bowie is done a real disservice by the bland description of Jareth: “his hair was shoulder-length and blond…He was certainly handsome.” Really, Mr. Smith? The guy looks like a Burne-Jones painting sprung to life and that’s the best you could do? No mention of his cheekbones, his regal nose, his pointy canines, his apparent heterochromia? “Blond and handsome” could describe anyone from William Moseley to Kurt Cobain. That is not helpful.
I mean, this is how I'd describe them if I were writing it:
Sarah had almost no physical traits in common with her father, taking almost entirely after the absent mother in the newspaper clippings. She had Linda’s long, thick, straight brown-black hair, which the girl usually wore down and pinned out of her face with a barrette. Sarah’s eyes were olive-green, fringed in smoky lashes; she had a few freckles across her long nose, and got flushed easily. A tall lass, she still sometimes tripped on her own long legs. Jareth thought she looked like a dryad and couldn’t wait for the opportunity to tell her so.
The man calling himself the Goblin King could have sprung from a Walter Crane or Edmund Dulac illustration. He was tall and graceful, lithe and strong but far from bulky, with ivory skin, sharp cheekbones, and a thin, aristocratic nose. From across the room, he had appeared to have mismatched eyes beneath the dramatic kohl wings, one blue and one brown; now she could see that the “brown” eye was really blue, but had a perpetually dilated pupil that made it look dark. His upper lip was thin and his lower lip full, twisted in a luxuriant smirk. His face was framed in thick reddish-blond hair, long and jaggedly cut. It was a strange face, not handsome in the traditional sense, but she couldn’t stop staring at him, and she fought the fascination growing inside her. He might look like every fictional hero she had daydreamed of, but he was still an enemy.
See, novelization writers? It's not hard.
This is the main flaw of the book: the relationship between our two main characters is barely developed at all. Read the scene in the catacombs where he has disguised himself as a beggar and compare it to the same scene in the film. Smith's writing is strangely bloodless here. There's no movement or notable body language in the written scene, while the filmed one is dynamic--Jareth intimidates Hoggle, then leans on the wall to look down at Sarah and turns "How are you enjoying my Labyrinth?" into a pickup line. One wonders if Smith had actually seen the film when he wrote this, or was just looking over a draft of the script.
The dialogue in the ballroom scene is oddly casual, given the swoon-inducing song that plays during that scene in the film. When he confronts her in the Escher room in the book, they mostly argue over the custody of Toby--in the movie, he sings to her of his love and frustration while she tries desperately to ignore him. Even their first meeting in the film carries the odd tension of two people whose perceptions do not mesh. She looks at him with understandable terror, he returns her gaze with a Mona Lisa smirk. She think's he's her enemy; he thinks he's courting her. NONE OF THIS COMES ACROSS IN THE NOVEL. His final line, "Just fear me, love me..." comes out of the blue here, while in the film it's obvious that everything was building up to that point.
In fairness to Smith, he clearly enjoys writing about the odd fauna and flora of the Labyrinth. Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus and the rest are so tangible that you'll love them even if you haven't seen the film. The expanded battle sequence in the Goblin City is hilarious, and the bromance between Ludo and Didymus will melt your heart. There's also a handful of scenes of weird creatures being weird in weird places that didn't make it into the movie that are very fun. One gets in the impression that the Underground, like Middle-earth and Narnia, is a place stuffed with too many potential adventures for just one story. There's something interesting around every corner.
The Narnia comparison has often been used, as has that to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass . But Labyrinth is a different beast. The Chronicles also involve a lot of mythological symbols and a richly realized world, but the characters are much more straightforward. Alice also features surrealism and a lack of apparent peril--but Labyrinth is much closer to a far older story where a girl falls down a hole and finds a strange, hostile world underground.
Jareth, like Hades, is a powerful but lonely man, not old but no spring chicken, who rules a desolate kingdom “underground.” He forms a passion for a girl—a girl isolated from society and barely nubile, who has no idea of his existence—and plants things in her way—a giant narcissus or a book about goblins—because that is the only way he can contact her. He then kidnaps someone—Hades seizes Persephone herself, while Jareth takes Sarah’s baby brother at her sarcastic request, secure that her guilt over this incident will drive her to the Labyrinth. Once she’s on his turf, he gives her a fruit to eat.
Jareth’s guises as a barn owl and a plague doctor are death symbols. There's also a body of water that everyone fears, a guard canine, and a group of feathery creatures who frequent deserted woodlands and rip people to shreds--"Fireys" even sounds like "Furies." The masquerade dancers suggest that Jareth's people are out there somewhere, but he reigns exiled here, in a land of perpetual autumn. The Minoans gave Persephone the epithet Potnia, "Mistress of the Labyrinth."
Even the opening/closing credits song, Bowie's "Underground" features these lyrics that seem likelier from Sarah's POV than Jareth's: "Daddy, Daddy, get me out of here...I'm underground." Sarah never cries for her father, but someone else did: "Then [Persephone] cried out shrilly with her voice, calling upon her father, the Son of Cronos...But no one, either of the deathless gods or of mortal men, heard her voice..." (Homeric Hymn to Demeter).
I could go about the many connections and mythemes in this movie, but that would bore you all. Most of you like the movie anyway. We came here to talk about the book. So, is it worth the read?
Yes - if you're already familiar with the story. Smith excels at the supporting characters, his prose is agreeable (especially the casual poetry quotations throughout!), and occasionally the divergences from the movie improve on it. Sarah's friends don't reappear at the end here. She sees them in the mirror but ultimately has to face her dad and stepmother at the end of the long night.
However, the main characters are curiously flat and blank in the novelization. The book emphasizes the adventure and the developing friendship among Sarah's three amigos. The movie is driven by the strong personalities of the man and the girl and the tension between them. I wonder if maybe Smith had to finish this before the leads were cast: he had the puppets ready to base the supporting cast off of, but needed to leave Jareth and Sarah vague to make room for their not-yet-cast actors.
I recommend the movie itself to anyone with a high tolerance for eeriness. This is not some Tim Burton project where spooky visuals conceal dull characters and pedestrian concepts. We really have wandered into a strange new world here: it combines the spookiness of Victorian/Edwardian kid lit with an Inkling's sense of mystery and, barely concealed beneath, the passion and unbalanced power dynamic of Gothic romance. If you like Peter Pan (the book), you'll like this. If you like Narnia, you'll like this. If you like Jane Eyre or The Phantom Of The Opera or Wuthering Heights , you'll like this.
Finally, to everyone complaining about the ending:
You might also like:
- The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux
- Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- The Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle de Villeneuve
- Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
- Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
- The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
- East by Edith Pattou
- The Secret Country trilogy by Pamela Dean
- The Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce
October 12, 2018
So a GoodReads friend told me a few months ago they were re-releasing The Labyrinth. I couldn't believe it. After finding out years ago it was out of print, searching, finding it for hundreds of dollars I had given up the hope of reading it.
I finally got it and I was flying high on new book happies for days
Excuse my gushing but here we go.
David Bowe is the Labyrinth to me
I lived on the songs from the movie for months and still adore them today.
Happy times.
Now the book.
With the extras included in this new edition I learned that the movie was not based on the book, but the book was written as a companion to the movie. It is so beautifully similar to the movie. The characters are the same and you get a wonderful peek into their heads as they go about the adventure. For those of you sadly unfamiliar here is a little into to them:
David Bowie um Goblin King
He has taken her baby brother (lesson one: be careful what you wish for). 'Forget about the baby' he tells her but when she insists she must have him back, Jareth generously gives her 13 hours to find the castle beyond the Goblin city. This is of course at the center of a Labyrinth.
Hoggle
Our first character met on our journey. She hasn't even gotten into the Labyrinth and she is learning lesson two: Not everything is as it seems. I love the added dialogue and getting to know Hoggle a little better.
Ludo
After getting lost some more and meeting a few more challenges Sarah is lucky enough to meet sweet Ludo. With a heart as big and fluffy as himself he is so easy to fall in love with. Ludo....friend.
Sir Didymus
In the Bog of Eternal Stench she meets an unlikely ally. A knight (self proclaimed? probably) with a keen sense of....smell? Well that is questionable but he is brave and fast and well..a bit single minded. He is eager to prove himself and eagerly (after some quick moves) jumps in with her band of travelers.
The Fireys
I throw the Fireys in, not because they are important characters, but because they are so much fun. I still listen to their song when I am feeling down.
Don't judge.
Full of Life lessons:
Sarah's favorite thing to say
"Its not fair!"
I adore when Jereth cooly states
This is such an amazing coming of age story disguised as a simple fun (delightfully dark) movie/book. I really got lost with Sarah when she found the goblins with the 'junk' on their backs.
She felt everything that used to be so very important to her weighing her down. She began to realize that it was all just junk, that the room that she treasured had become her jail and that she was missing out on the things that truly mattered in life.
But she starts to grow up. It sounds so Disney but she truly begins to understand life it not fair, you have to watch what you say to people, DON'T take things for granted and sometimes the way forward is the way back.
So she makes friends. She learns lessons and has the best line of all time:
I really could go on but you must watch the movie and read the book or read the book and watch the movie.
______________________Side note
I have seen this posted several times. I just adore it. I am keeping it for myself here. Hope you enjoy as much as I do.
Someone has just attempted to answer the age-old Labyrinth question, "Why did David Bowie kidnap a child from Jennifer Connelly?" This incredibly well thought-out hypothesis is so compelling that we have no choice but to commit it to our minds, as Jim Henson canon.
Penned by the TUMBLR writer Glamdamnit, here is a detailed guess about what happened to the Goblin King that made him want to steal a little girl.
Once upon a time, long ago there was a sorcerer named Jareth.
He fell in love with a human girl named Sarah, and she with him.
But Sarah's father and step-mother would not allow them to marry.
For then they would lose the servant and nanny for their beloved new baby.
In a fit of rage, Jareth kidnapped the infant and spirited it away to the fairy realm.
In this other world, Jareth turned the spoiled baby into a goblin in retribution.
Jareth also crated a beautiful place for his Sarah, one where she'd be treated like the Queen she was.
Sadly, time moved differently in the fairy world than the mortal one. By the time Jareth believed his new realm worthy of his love, his Sarah was long since dead.
Overcome by grief, Jareth descended into madness.
Grief gave way to denial. His Sarah could not be dead, but was in fact being hidden by her wicked step-mother! He must rescue her.
A common name, it doesn't take Jareth long to find another Sarah. Over and over again.
Ones with unfair step-mother and unwanted younger sibling. Unable to reason, Jareth kidnaps the babies and the cycle repeats. Only this time, the Sarahs follow.
Some of the Sarah's complete their quest and win back their baby siblings.
Some of them die in the attempt. Completely unhinged Jareth turns children not recovered in time into goblins to join the ranks of his Sarah's little brother.
Eventually becoming their God and King.
Only then does he build the Labyrinth.
He cannot fathom why his Sarah Keeps choosing the spoiled baby over his undying love but if he can only keep her with tricks, so be it. As the Sarahs solve the Labyrinth faster and faster, new distractions are added. The junk yard of useless treasure, the Bog of Eternal Stench. If his Sarah is determined to stay long enough to regain the child. Jareth will delay her as long as possible in the hopes one day, she will choose to stay.
But how does the story of Jareth become so garbled in the mortal world?
At least one lucky Sarah must have escaped but not with the whole story - and over time her (or their) stories were turned into the fairy tail the most recent Sarah obsesses over with such devotion.
This is why when the most recent Sarah introduces herself to Hoggle, his response is the cryptic "That's what I thought."
Because of course she's Sarah. They are all Sarah.
-Donna Dickens
While I see a few holes in this history of Jereth I think is has some merit. Loving the thought of a back story being written one day in its entirety, it does have some big shoes to fill though.
I finally got it and I was flying high on new book happies for days
Excuse my gushing but here we go.
David Bowe is the Labyrinth to me
I lived on the songs from the movie for months and still adore them today.
Happy times.
Now the book.
With the extras included in this new edition I learned that the movie was not based on the book, but the book was written as a companion to the movie. It is so beautifully similar to the movie. The characters are the same and you get a wonderful peek into their heads as they go about the adventure. For those of you sadly unfamiliar here is a little into to them:
He has taken her baby brother (lesson one: be careful what you wish for). 'Forget about the baby' he tells her but when she insists she must have him back, Jareth generously gives her 13 hours to find the castle beyond the Goblin city. This is of course at the center of a Labyrinth.
Hoggle
Our first character met on our journey. She hasn't even gotten into the Labyrinth and she is learning lesson two: Not everything is as it seems. I love the added dialogue and getting to know Hoggle a little better.
Ludo
After getting lost some more and meeting a few more challenges Sarah is lucky enough to meet sweet Ludo. With a heart as big and fluffy as himself he is so easy to fall in love with. Ludo....friend.
Sir Didymus
In the Bog of Eternal Stench she meets an unlikely ally. A knight (self proclaimed? probably) with a keen sense of....smell? Well that is questionable but he is brave and fast and well..a bit single minded. He is eager to prove himself and eagerly (after some quick moves) jumps in with her band of travelers.
The Fireys
I throw the Fireys in, not because they are important characters, but because they are so much fun. I still listen to their song when I am feeling down.
Don't judge.
Full of Life lessons:
Sarah's favorite thing to say
"Its not fair!"
I adore when Jereth cooly states
This is such an amazing coming of age story disguised as a simple fun (delightfully dark) movie/book. I really got lost with Sarah when she found the goblins with the 'junk' on their backs.
She felt everything that used to be so very important to her weighing her down. She began to realize that it was all just junk, that the room that she treasured had become her jail and that she was missing out on the things that truly mattered in life.
But she starts to grow up. It sounds so Disney but she truly begins to understand life it not fair, you have to watch what you say to people, DON'T take things for granted and sometimes the way forward is the way back.
So she makes friends. She learns lessons and has the best line of all time:
I really could go on but you must watch the movie and read the book or read the book and watch the movie.
______________________Side note
I have seen this posted several times. I just adore it. I am keeping it for myself here. Hope you enjoy as much as I do.
Someone has just attempted to answer the age-old Labyrinth question, "Why did David Bowie kidnap a child from Jennifer Connelly?" This incredibly well thought-out hypothesis is so compelling that we have no choice but to commit it to our minds, as Jim Henson canon.
Penned by the TUMBLR writer Glamdamnit, here is a detailed guess about what happened to the Goblin King that made him want to steal a little girl.
Once upon a time, long ago there was a sorcerer named Jareth.
He fell in love with a human girl named Sarah, and she with him.
But Sarah's father and step-mother would not allow them to marry.
For then they would lose the servant and nanny for their beloved new baby.
In a fit of rage, Jareth kidnapped the infant and spirited it away to the fairy realm.
In this other world, Jareth turned the spoiled baby into a goblin in retribution.
Jareth also crated a beautiful place for his Sarah, one where she'd be treated like the Queen she was.
Sadly, time moved differently in the fairy world than the mortal one. By the time Jareth believed his new realm worthy of his love, his Sarah was long since dead.
Overcome by grief, Jareth descended into madness.
Grief gave way to denial. His Sarah could not be dead, but was in fact being hidden by her wicked step-mother! He must rescue her.
A common name, it doesn't take Jareth long to find another Sarah. Over and over again.
Ones with unfair step-mother and unwanted younger sibling. Unable to reason, Jareth kidnaps the babies and the cycle repeats. Only this time, the Sarahs follow.
Some of the Sarah's complete their quest and win back their baby siblings.
Some of them die in the attempt. Completely unhinged Jareth turns children not recovered in time into goblins to join the ranks of his Sarah's little brother.
Eventually becoming their God and King.
Only then does he build the Labyrinth.
He cannot fathom why his Sarah Keeps choosing the spoiled baby over his undying love but if he can only keep her with tricks, so be it. As the Sarahs solve the Labyrinth faster and faster, new distractions are added. The junk yard of useless treasure, the Bog of Eternal Stench. If his Sarah is determined to stay long enough to regain the child. Jareth will delay her as long as possible in the hopes one day, she will choose to stay.
But how does the story of Jareth become so garbled in the mortal world?
At least one lucky Sarah must have escaped but not with the whole story - and over time her (or their) stories were turned into the fairy tail the most recent Sarah obsesses over with such devotion.
This is why when the most recent Sarah introduces herself to Hoggle, his response is the cryptic "That's what I thought."
Because of course she's Sarah. They are all Sarah.
-Donna Dickens
While I see a few holes in this history of Jereth I think is has some merit. Loving the thought of a back story being written one day in its entirety, it does have some big shoes to fill though.
January 19, 2015
First I just want to say that the copy I have doesn't have that cover since I have the UK version of the book but I couldn't find that particular one. *sigh* Substitutes. I'll live.
Anyway, as Hollywood is wont to do now, because, apparently, they've smoked their creativity away, and adapt movies from books, it used to be heavily the other way around. I'm not sure how many movie novelizations have been made recently but they used to be very common. Labyrinth was one of them. The person writing the novelization really didn't have too much creative license with what they were given but if they were given enough information, and had the talent, they could write an amazing adaptation of a movie.
I have The Lost Boys movie novelization and it's one of the most skeletal, sterile books I own and the only reason I own it is because it's Lost Boys. The author claims that he was basically given the script and told to turn it into a book. He didn't have any insight into the characters, nothing, so he had to work with what he was given. I haven't read any of his other books but, really, that writing doesn't make me want to, either.
ACH Smith on the other hand wrote an amazing novelization that's so rich in language that it would have fared just fine had the movie never existed. Not that I'm saying I don't want the movie to exist. God, why would I do such a stupid thing? I'm just saying, the novelization's really good.
Usually movie novelizations offer some "deleted scenes" that we don't get to see in the movie. Labyrinth, however, stuck really closely to the final cut of the film with only minor deviations and much more internal workings. We're able to get deeper into Sarah's, Jareth's and Hoggle's heads than the movie could provide. Not to mention Smith didn't hide from the subtext of sexual tension in the film in the book. It was right there for all to see on the pages, never mind Sarah was just 15 and the Goblin King, well, wasn't. The book never does say how old Jareth is but David Bowie wasn't even in the realm of legal to a 15 year old. Not that that stops the fanfiction writers any.
What I like about the book that the movie doesn't touch on as much is the aspect of growing up. Sarah very much lives in a fantasy land and at 15, it can be argued that, maturity-wise, she's a little behind because of it. But as the story goes on and her quest becomes more and more solid in her head and she carries that burden of responsibility, Sarah grows up. At the end of the movie, Sarah calls all her Labyrinth friends back to her and they come and they have a grand old time. In the book, one of the characters tells her, "Sometimes to need is to let go." You can't walk around with that security blanket for the rest of your life, right? Sure, you need it but, eventually, you have to let it go. She tells them she needs them, but they don't come. She has to stand on her own now. It's a much more adult ending. Or mature, I should say.
The book is just as rich and vibrant as the movie and Smith does an amazing job of recreating Jim Henson's and Brian Froud's world into words. Smith's a very talented writer and his way around a character's emotions is just astounding. The way he was able to get into their heads and make them three-dimensional even on the page makes me envious. Sure, it helps that I picture everything as clear as day as it is in the movie, and I'm slightly biased, but it's a really good read regardless.
If you can find a copy of this book, hold onto it for dear life. It's out of print and the copies available in various places are not by any means cheap. I was lucky enough to get my copy on eBay back before the website was anywhere near as popular as it is now so the competition was much lower. I don't remember how much I paid for it but rest assured, I will cut you if you come near it.
Anyway, as Hollywood is wont to do now, because, apparently, they've smoked their creativity away, and adapt movies from books, it used to be heavily the other way around. I'm not sure how many movie novelizations have been made recently but they used to be very common. Labyrinth was one of them. The person writing the novelization really didn't have too much creative license with what they were given but if they were given enough information, and had the talent, they could write an amazing adaptation of a movie.
I have The Lost Boys movie novelization and it's one of the most skeletal, sterile books I own and the only reason I own it is because it's Lost Boys. The author claims that he was basically given the script and told to turn it into a book. He didn't have any insight into the characters, nothing, so he had to work with what he was given. I haven't read any of his other books but, really, that writing doesn't make me want to, either.
ACH Smith on the other hand wrote an amazing novelization that's so rich in language that it would have fared just fine had the movie never existed. Not that I'm saying I don't want the movie to exist. God, why would I do such a stupid thing? I'm just saying, the novelization's really good.
Usually movie novelizations offer some "deleted scenes" that we don't get to see in the movie. Labyrinth, however, stuck really closely to the final cut of the film with only minor deviations and much more internal workings. We're able to get deeper into Sarah's, Jareth's and Hoggle's heads than the movie could provide. Not to mention Smith didn't hide from the subtext of sexual tension in the film in the book. It was right there for all to see on the pages, never mind Sarah was just 15 and the Goblin King, well, wasn't. The book never does say how old Jareth is but David Bowie wasn't even in the realm of legal to a 15 year old. Not that that stops the fanfiction writers any.
What I like about the book that the movie doesn't touch on as much is the aspect of growing up. Sarah very much lives in a fantasy land and at 15, it can be argued that, maturity-wise, she's a little behind because of it. But as the story goes on and her quest becomes more and more solid in her head and she carries that burden of responsibility, Sarah grows up. At the end of the movie, Sarah calls all her Labyrinth friends back to her and they come and they have a grand old time. In the book, one of the characters tells her, "Sometimes to need is to let go." You can't walk around with that security blanket for the rest of your life, right? Sure, you need it but, eventually, you have to let it go. She tells them she needs them, but they don't come. She has to stand on her own now. It's a much more adult ending. Or mature, I should say.
The book is just as rich and vibrant as the movie and Smith does an amazing job of recreating Jim Henson's and Brian Froud's world into words. Smith's a very talented writer and his way around a character's emotions is just astounding. The way he was able to get into their heads and make them three-dimensional even on the page makes me envious. Sure, it helps that I picture everything as clear as day as it is in the movie, and I'm slightly biased, but it's a really good read regardless.
If you can find a copy of this book, hold onto it for dear life. It's out of print and the copies available in various places are not by any means cheap. I was lucky enough to get my copy on eBay back before the website was anywhere near as popular as it is now so the competition was much lower. I don't remember how much I paid for it but rest assured, I will cut you if you come near it.
March 24, 2025
16/ 2025
DENTRO DEL LABERINTO
Cuando me enteré, hace un año, de que existía libro de la emblemática película ochentera, no me lo podía creer. Lo compré al instante, sin dudarlo, con el extra de estar reeditado por Nocturna, una editorial que me gusta mucho por sus obras, pero también por sus traducciones.
La novela es breve, apenas 200 pág, y la maquetación es muy bonita, sin alardes pero con muy buen gusto.
La experiencia ha sido muy positiva: me lo he pasado genial leyendo la historia, he descubierto que la peli es bastante fiel al libro y me he quedado loquísima con un descubrimiento que había pasado por alto en la obra cinematográfica. Y es que el libro tiene ecos constantes de otras obras o personajes, como nuestro Quijote de la Mancha reencarnado en ese caballero loco y su corcel, y, sobre todo, de ALICIA EN EL PAÍS DE LAS MARAVILLAS. No es que beba de sus fuentes, es que parece vivir solo gracias a ellas. Todo en este relato resuena a Alicia: orden de los acontecimientos, personajes estrambóticos, diálogos y situaciones surrealistas, expresiones, ... Claro que los personajes, la trama y la ambientación son otros, que hay creación aquí, temas como el del valor de la amistad, pero, aun así, Alicia sigue estando ahí.
Para finalizar, hablando de ecos e influencias, no descarto que Martin se inspirara en Ludo para crear a Hodor ☺️.
En resumen, me lo he pasado muy bien, pero aún sigo en shock ante las evidentes semejanzas con Alicia.
DENTRO DEL LABERINTO
Cuando me enteré, hace un año, de que existía libro de la emblemática película ochentera, no me lo podía creer. Lo compré al instante, sin dudarlo, con el extra de estar reeditado por Nocturna, una editorial que me gusta mucho por sus obras, pero también por sus traducciones.
La novela es breve, apenas 200 pág, y la maquetación es muy bonita, sin alardes pero con muy buen gusto.
La experiencia ha sido muy positiva: me lo he pasado genial leyendo la historia, he descubierto que la peli es bastante fiel al libro y me he quedado loquísima con un descubrimiento que había pasado por alto en la obra cinematográfica. Y es que el libro tiene ecos constantes de otras obras o personajes, como nuestro Quijote de la Mancha reencarnado en ese caballero loco y su corcel, y, sobre todo, de ALICIA EN EL PAÍS DE LAS MARAVILLAS. No es que beba de sus fuentes, es que parece vivir solo gracias a ellas. Todo en este relato resuena a Alicia: orden de los acontecimientos, personajes estrambóticos, diálogos y situaciones surrealistas, expresiones, ... Claro que los personajes, la trama y la ambientación son otros, que hay creación aquí, temas como el del valor de la amistad, pero, aun así, Alicia sigue estando ahí.
Para finalizar, hablando de ecos e influencias, no descarto que Martin se inspirara en Ludo para crear a Hodor ☺️.
En resumen, me lo he pasado muy bien, pero aún sigo en shock ante las evidentes semejanzas con Alicia.
December 29, 2015
RESEÑA COMPLETA, COMPARATIVA DE LIBRO Y PELI POR ACÁ :D
Muy entretenido, por momentos me daba sensaciones similares a Alicia en el País de las Maravillas.
Esta noche miro la peli, a ver qué tal.
Muy entretenido, por momentos me daba sensaciones similares a Alicia en el País de las Maravillas.
Esta noche miro la peli, a ver qué tal.
September 13, 2017
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child that you have stolen."
Sarah is an imaginative girl with hopes of becoming an actress like her mother. She feels her stepmother constantly interferes with her goals – especially when she is made to look after her younger stepbrother, Toby. Life is not fair and Sarah knows to complain about it; one night she decides to give into her frustration and to give her baby brother a fright by calling upon her fantasies to save her. Much to her surprise, the Goblin King does appear and takes Toby away. Nothing Sarah says can sway the King to return the baby – not unless she solves his Labyrinth within thirteen hours.
Although these are my thoughts on the book, let me say that this is one of the most wonderful movies I have ever seen. It always seems to me that The Labyrinth is not as well known as it should be. Those who know it love it, and those who do not are missing out!
Both the movie and novel version are such a wonderful and fantastical tale. Sarah is a great character. She has so much character development within those 200 pages of the book; I do not think many other fictional characters can say that for themselves. She is headstrong and truly loves to complain about how unfair everything is – all the world is set against her. But her strange adventure in the Labyrinth helps her to see that life simply isn't always fair and she learns to deal with it. She has compassion for others and can be very brave.
Jareth, the Goblin King, is one of the best villains I have ever come across. I think a well-written villain also makes you feel for them. Jareth is certainly not evil through and through. He has fears and longings and is willing to do whatever it takes for it. Of course, it is a nice bonus that he is charismatic and handsome.
While not quite as crazy, many of the creatures in the Labyrinth are as contrary and nonsensical as those in the style of Alice in Wonderland. There are many traps and trials which the characters must face. A lot of the creatures are actually rather loveable despite their often evil and simple nature. It also seems as though the ultimate fear within the Labyrinth is that of the Bog of Eternal Stench; a stench so bad that none can put it into words and where people would rather endure physical pain than come too close to it.
This is the first movie novelization I have ever read. I was hesitant as the movie is one of my biggest childhood favourites and I was unsure as to how a book could improve that. This book covers every scene the movie has to offer and a few extras. I would say I love both equally much but they have their differences – or should I call them advantages?
What I loved in the movie, and what does not come across as well in the book, is that the whole Labyrinth was based on Sarah’s life. The creatures are based on her toys and possessions at home and a lot reflects her attitude towards life (It’s not fair!). But the most vital difference that speaks for the movie is without a doubt the music. The music is magical and the lyrics are so beautiful, fun and memorable that I sometimes recite them at complete random. The majority of the songs are sung by David Bowie who also portrays Jareth. To me, David Bowie represents the Goblin King and the whole fantastic movie. And Jennifer Connelly makes such a beautiful Sarah that it makes me feel jealous, haha.
The book offers additional scenes and, most notably, gives insight into the characters thoughts. We get to understand Jareth’s motives so much better as well as Sarah’s. In fact, having only known the movie, I always assumed that Sarah’s mother had died rather than left. If you have seen the movie and loved it – you are safe to pick this up as it can only enrich the enjoyment of the movie. It really adds, even more, depth to the characters.
There is one more notable thing in regards to this tale – although it is more of a personal one. Like many, I am someone who would have loved to have seen Sarah and Jareth together. This book is by no means a romance, and yet it is one of my favourites in that regard. Their scenes together are limited but there is so much chemistry and witty dialogue between them. I have a soft spot for ball and dance scenes and I am certain it was triggered by this film. For this specific scene, the novel has the tension between Sarah and Jareth going for it and the movie the beautiful costumes and music. Now I hardly ever like pure romance stories but I do enjoy it being a part of the story. Give me a beautifully told ballroom dance scene and I will prize it the best romance story out there – regardless of what other things take place around it.
Just look at it!
If you are one of the people who have not seen the movie – you most certainly have to give it a try. And if you have and loved it as much as I do, read this book as well!
September 17, 2013
It's perfectly fine to like problematic things, as long as you realise they are problematic, and this is the case.
See, Jareth is my favourite male character but I wouldn't date him - I know better than that. His behaviour was sketchy to say the least, there is the bright point, however, of Sarah realising this and not letting herself fall for him or any of his tricks (oops! spoilers! for anyone who hasn't watched Labyrinth, but if you haven't stop whatever you're doing and go watch it and read it). Sarah's tale is one of growth, she leaves childhood behind and accepts she must become a young lady (though it's mentioned that childish things have a place in grown up life, as well). Jareth's role is pretty much that of the big bad wolf - he's there to tempt, to represent the awakening sexuality, running away from responsibility, and other very important things which I won't discuss because I want to focus on other things.
No, not the bulge.
...it speaks for itself.
I mean Jareth, the character. Sarah is annoyed at having to babysit her brother and wishes him away, wishes he'd be taken by the Goblin King. And Jareth just shows up all sparkly and fabulous, like
And tells her she has to beat his labyrinth if she wants her baby brother back. The thing is, Jareth is always cruel. He never hides this. And he mocks Sarah - mostly with reason. And he's creepy. But he's right about many things. And he always shows Sarah she should be better, that she's not exactly the heroine because, as he mentioned:
"Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time. I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. Isn't that generous?"
But just because a guy is super powerful, and hot, and offers to place the sky within your eyes, the moon within your heart, paint you mornings of gold, and promises he'll be there for you as the world falls down... doesn't mean you should take him up on it if he's a creep.
I mean this...
This isn't healthy.
And Sarah was totally right when she told him:
And left.
So YAY for girl power and ladies saying no and meaning NO!
But even realising all this I still go... Man, I would have left that baby behind for him. And that's problematic. But I realise it and accept it only in fiction, so it's okay.
November 21, 2016
Now with all the interest in Bowie and the film Labyrinth I thought it was time to dig out my hardback copy and give it a read, which I can tell you was rather informative.
The book is pretty straight forward, now in situations like this I would say that the book follows the film or visa versa - either way the story would be so mingled (or mangled) that I would not be able to separate them and it would feel one was interfering with the other (missing scenes, differing descriptions and the such like)
But not here. Now let me explain I have seen the film several times in fact but not recently which has led me to an interesting place. You see I remember it but only fragmented and obscured. But reading this book has brought it all back. Suddenly I can read a scene and I can see the film playing out in my head. I read another and yep there that one is too - its as if the book is acting as a memory jog for the film and now suddenly I have them working in tandem.
Now I am under no illusion that if I were to see the film again it would all fall apart but for now the book and the film play out perfectly together and its brilliant. I am sure we have read something and you hear that voice in your head repeating the dialogue - well here for me with this book I have the full Jim Henson Creature shop playing out for me. The question is what else can I get to work like this.
The book is pretty straight forward, now in situations like this I would say that the book follows the film or visa versa - either way the story would be so mingled (or mangled) that I would not be able to separate them and it would feel one was interfering with the other (missing scenes, differing descriptions and the such like)
But not here. Now let me explain I have seen the film several times in fact but not recently which has led me to an interesting place. You see I remember it but only fragmented and obscured. But reading this book has brought it all back. Suddenly I can read a scene and I can see the film playing out in my head. I read another and yep there that one is too - its as if the book is acting as a memory jog for the film and now suddenly I have them working in tandem.
Now I am under no illusion that if I were to see the film again it would all fall apart but for now the book and the film play out perfectly together and its brilliant. I am sure we have read something and you hear that voice in your head repeating the dialogue - well here for me with this book I have the full Jim Henson Creature shop playing out for me. The question is what else can I get to work like this.
December 3, 2017
Di solito i libri adattamento di film sono a dir poco pessimi, questo di Labyrinth fortunatamente è abbastanza decente (adoro talmente il film che non mi va di fargli troppo le pulci...) e le bellissime illustrazioni inedite del grande Brian Froud e le note di produzione di Jim Henson (autore del film ed inventore dell'indimenticabile Muppet Show) ne fanno un'edizione da collezione imperdibile per gli appassionati.
September 5, 2019
Good complement to the film, which I prefer to this novelisation, weird plastic puppets and all, if only for the dance scene, which is hard to translate into the page. I'm not that much into goblin/girl stories and, when I encounter this premise in retellings, this is my least favourite Beauty & Beast type of pairing, but I liked this one very much because it follows the redemption arc B&B has, with Sarah going from bratty to courageous and risking it to undo the problem she'd caused.
June 27, 2007
I think I got this simply to satisfy my obsession with the movie and with David Bowie as Jareth. I will admit that the book has one line at the end that isn't in the movie and woudl have been much better in the movie. It also expounds on Jareth more.
Not bad for a novelization.
Not bad for a novelization.
January 2, 2024
He visto la película mil veces y en cuanto supe que nocturna reeditaba este libro me volví loca. La edición es preciosa y me ha encantado disfrutar de esta historia y descubrir cosas que me habían pasado desapercibidas en la película.
December 2, 2024
Yo me hubiera quedado con Jareth.
April 29, 2020
3.5 stars
June 25, 2017
Know what? This wasn't great. But know what else? I don't care, because
LABYRINTH.
•I adore Labyrinth•
I bought this because I heard that it elaborated the story behind Sarah's mom. Umm... not really. Just a little bit. With that elaboration, I thought the ending would address that 'mommy issue' again, maybe tie up loose ends, but no. Oh well.
I also bought this, knowing there was a lot of extras at the end. Yes, there was several pages from Jim Henson's notebook, but I didn't find them interesting at all. It did make me glad that most of his ideas for the movie were dropped, because they were pretty weird; I like weird, but his initial ideas for this movie were too surreal for my liking. Anyone see MirrorMask? I tried. Oh, how I tried to watch and love that movie. I made it about half way. Just. too. weird. And if the movie would have followed the ideas in Jim Henson's notebook, I know Labyrinth wouldn't have been the movie that I love. So, thank goodness for that!
So why 4 stars? Because I'm a nostalgic nerd. (It wasn't bad, probably a 3 star, for realsies.) ;-)
•I adore Labyrinth•
I bought this because I heard that it elaborated the story behind Sarah's mom. Umm... not really. Just a little bit. With that elaboration, I thought the ending would address that 'mommy issue' again, maybe tie up loose ends, but no. Oh well.
I also bought this, knowing there was a lot of extras at the end. Yes, there was several pages from Jim Henson's notebook, but I didn't find them interesting at all. It did make me glad that most of his ideas for the movie were dropped, because they were pretty weird; I like weird, but his initial ideas for this movie were too surreal for my liking. Anyone see MirrorMask? I tried. Oh, how I tried to watch and love that movie. I made it about half way. Just. too. weird. And if the movie would have followed the ideas in Jim Henson's notebook, I know Labyrinth wouldn't have been the movie that I love. So, thank goodness for that!
So why 4 stars? Because I'm a nostalgic nerd. (It wasn't bad, probably a 3 star, for realsies.) ;-)
June 22, 2018
I've been Labyrinth obsessed since I was a little kid, David Bowie obsessed even longer, and a Jim Henson obsessed since birth, basically.
Underground with David Bowie as the Goblin King is one of the fantasy worlds I would leave this reality for in a heartbeat. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their immortality with this guy?
[image error]
YES, SIGN ME UP!!
Anyway, I had no way to shell out up to $100 when this book was being sold on Amazon 10 to 15 years ago. Last year, Dragon Con celebrated the film's 30th anniversary and had multiple panels about Jim Henson and the movie, so I was thrilled to find this book in the publisher's booth for a more reasonable price.
Let me tell you, after 15 years of reading Labyrinth fan fiction written with canon created entirely by the fans, it was something of a relief to finally know for myself how Sarah perceived her home life (she's actually much more of a brat in the book than in the movie), her relationship with her bio mother, where she got some of her bedroom trinkets, and how she really felt about Jareth during her time in the Labyrinth. Hint: she really wanted him to kiss her (but we knew that already).
I mean, guuurl.
Now I wish the publishers would release a red copy like the one Sarah has in the movie.
Underground with David Bowie as the Goblin King is one of the fantasy worlds I would leave this reality for in a heartbeat. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their immortality with this guy?
[image error]
YES, SIGN ME UP!!
Anyway, I had no way to shell out up to $100 when this book was being sold on Amazon 10 to 15 years ago. Last year, Dragon Con celebrated the film's 30th anniversary and had multiple panels about Jim Henson and the movie, so I was thrilled to find this book in the publisher's booth for a more reasonable price.
Let me tell you, after 15 years of reading Labyrinth fan fiction written with canon created entirely by the fans, it was something of a relief to finally know for myself how Sarah perceived her home life (she's actually much more of a brat in the book than in the movie), her relationship with her bio mother, where she got some of her bedroom trinkets, and how she really felt about Jareth during her time in the Labyrinth. Hint: she really wanted him to kiss her (but we knew that already).
I mean, guuurl.
Now I wish the publishers would release a red copy like the one Sarah has in the movie.
August 14, 2025
3,5/5
Entretenida novela de fantasía juvenil, la cual está basada en la película del mismo título protagonizada por David Bowie y una jovencísima Jennifer Connelly.
La novela comienza cuando Sarah una joven de 15 años se tiene que quedar a vigilar a su hermanastro Toby, mientras sus padres salen, cuando el bebé se pone a berrear, Sarah le pide al rey de los Gobblins que se lleve al niño, pero enseguida se arrepiente, entonces Jareth, le concede 13 horas para llegar a su castillo atravesando el laberinto, si llega en ese tiempo le devolverá al niño, pero si no.....
Cuidado con lo que deseas....pues puede convertirse en realidad
Seguiremos a Sarah en sus aventuras por llegar al castillo de Jareth, en un universo divertido de fantasía y personajes únicos, a las aventuras de Sarah por el camino se unirán Hoggle, Ludo y sir Dydimus.
Entretenida novela de fantasía juvenil, la cual está basada en la película del mismo título protagonizada por David Bowie y una jovencísima Jennifer Connelly.
La novela comienza cuando Sarah una joven de 15 años se tiene que quedar a vigilar a su hermanastro Toby, mientras sus padres salen, cuando el bebé se pone a berrear, Sarah le pide al rey de los Gobblins que se lleve al niño, pero enseguida se arrepiente, entonces Jareth, le concede 13 horas para llegar a su castillo atravesando el laberinto, si llega en ese tiempo le devolverá al niño, pero si no.....
Cuidado con lo que deseas....pues puede convertirse en realidad
Seguiremos a Sarah en sus aventuras por llegar al castillo de Jareth, en un universo divertido de fantasía y personajes únicos, a las aventuras de Sarah por el camino se unirán Hoggle, Ludo y sir Dydimus.
November 6, 2024
"Just fear me and love me,” he told her in a gentle voice, “and do as I say, and I. . . I will be your slave.”
i mean....🫣🫣🫣
i mean....🫣🫣🫣
January 1, 2022
This book is basically like the movie, except we get to read about the thoughts of the characters from the film. Because of this book, I finally understood what the junk scene in the film meant.
Labyrinth is essentially a coming of age story. Sarah learns her lesson and realizes what she must be doing. Looking back at the first few chapters, I thought that Sarah looked up to her mother: How her mother is an actress with a costar named Jeremy. Her mother would take Sarah with her and she loved it. Sarah wanted the glamour of adult life and she was pleased to be a part of it even just for one night. I guess THIS explains the masquerade ball. Remember when Jareth mentions how "it" will show her 'her dreams'?
I enjoyed reading Jareth's thoughts especially since they're usually about Sarah.
Then we get to my favorite part. 2 words: MASQUERADE. BALL.
I have so much to say, but I'll keep it short (don't worry). One thing I didn't get from the movie is that Jareth wanted Sarah to look for him (and she doesn't know why). In the movie, I thought Sarah was looking for Jareth because she was in unfamiliar territory (ADULT WORLD) and then she saw him.
She likes this, you guys! Adulthood, yet she doesn't seem like she's ready for it.
While the book did clear up some things, there still seems to be something missing from this novelization. I think the songs from the film made so much of an impression on me, so this book didn't completely pull me in the story. Every time I read this book, I couldn't help but wait for the scenes between Jareth and Sarah. I'm basically Sareth trash. IT FEELS SO WRONG YET SO RIGHT.
It was junk like everything else there, the litter of a time of her life that she now passionately wanted to leave behind. She knew what the gray despair had been. This room was a prison, and she was her own jailer. And so she had the key to release herself, to go and do the thing that mattered.
Labyrinth is essentially a coming of age story. Sarah learns her lesson and realizes what she must be doing. Looking back at the first few chapters, I thought that Sarah looked up to her mother: How her mother is an actress with a costar named Jeremy. Her mother would take Sarah with her and she loved it. Sarah wanted the glamour of adult life and she was pleased to be a part of it even just for one night. I guess THIS explains the masquerade ball. Remember when Jareth mentions how "it" will show her 'her dreams'?
I enjoyed reading Jareth's thoughts especially since they're usually about Sarah.
“It pleased him to think of his Labyrinth as a board game; if you got too close to the winning square, you might find a snake taking you back to the start. No one had, and very few had gotten as far as this disturbing girl, who was too old to be turned into a goblin. Jareth examined her face in his crystal. Too old to be a goblin, but too young to be kept by him.”
Then we get to my favorite part. 2 words: MASQUERADE. BALL.
I have so much to say, but I'll keep it short (don't worry). One thing I didn't get from the movie is that Jareth wanted Sarah to look for him (and she doesn't know why). In the movie, I thought Sarah was looking for Jareth because she was in unfamiliar territory (ADULT WORLD) and then she saw him.
Her dizziness ceased when she went spinning around the ballroom in Jareth’s arms. She was the loveliest woman at the ball. She knew it, from the way in which Jareth was smiling down at her. All his attention was on her. The touch of his hands on her body was thrilling. To dance with him seemed the easiest and most natural motion. When he told her that she was beautiful, she felt confused.
“I feel. . . I feel like. . . I—don’t know what I feel.”
He was amused. “Don’t you?”
“I feel like. . . I’m in a dream, but I don’t remember ever dreaming anything like this!”
She likes this, you guys! Adulthood, yet she doesn't seem like she's ready for it.
“She smiled up at him. She thought how handsome he was, but one didn’t tell a man such things, did one? ”
While the book did clear up some things, there still seems to be something missing from this novelization. I think the songs from the film made so much of an impression on me, so this book didn't completely pull me in the story. Every time I read this book, I couldn't help but wait for the scenes between Jareth and Sarah. I'm basically Sareth trash. IT FEELS SO WRONG YET SO RIGHT.
“You are frightened, Jareth.”
“So are you.”
“Yes.”
For a few seconds, they were watching each other’s eyes.
Then Jareth began to move, all over the seven perspectives, and Sarah watched him as he moved. He seemed to walk along ceilings and climb descending stairs. He danced on high walls. And as he moved he called to her. “You are cruel, Sarah. We are well matched, you and I. I need your cruelty, just as you need mine.”
May 15, 2022
UPDATE: just thought of this meme :)
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“Quite often, young lady, it seems we're not getting anywhere, when in fact we are.”
Labyrinth is such a guilty pleasure, but the story and characters are actually quite fantastic. It was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and at the beginning of this year, I kind of went down a spiral of all content related to it. We're talking fanart. We're talking documentaries. We're talking FANFICTION. Emily, I sincerely thank you for letting me rant during that one WhatsApp call.
So, of course, I had to read this novelization. It's a pretty standard one, but I enjoy the world of Labyrinth so intensely, that I don't really care. However, I commend how greatly Sarah's emotional arc has been improved. The exploration of her backstory adds much more depth to her character, and the story's climax is made all the more satisfying because of it.
Plus, I forgot how funny the dialogue is between Sarah and the various creatures she encounters. I found myself chuckling at various moments, even when I've seen the movie like thousand times over. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus are all so likable and charming, and I love them to death.
That being said, there was one character who did not translate as well into written fiction. Unfortunately, that character was Jareth, who I think is virtually everyone's favorite character in the film.
David Bowie IS Jareth, no questions about that. The suaveness, the flirty line delivery, the effortless eyeshadow; all those features just don't come out as clear in the novelization. I mean, look at that hair!! I want to be him. Bruh, I aspire to achieve this level of fabulousness so badly. Not many people can pull off that look.
Plus, the songs in the movie???? UNBEATABLE. The songs are more than half the reason I rewatch the film. "Magic Dance" was my childhood, "As the World Falls Down" is just plain gorgeous, and "Within You" makes me want to scream and cry every time I listen to it. The absence of Bowie's music, as well as Trevor Jones' score, is strongly felt.
So while I quite enjoyed this book, it just made me want to watch the movie again lol. I'm off to go watch the "Within You" scene again, wahoooooooo! Ugh, that scene is so trippy and cool.
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“Quite often, young lady, it seems we're not getting anywhere, when in fact we are.”
Labyrinth is such a guilty pleasure, but the story and characters are actually quite fantastic. It was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and at the beginning of this year, I kind of went down a spiral of all content related to it. We're talking fanart. We're talking documentaries. We're talking FANFICTION. Emily, I sincerely thank you for letting me rant during that one WhatsApp call.
So, of course, I had to read this novelization. It's a pretty standard one, but I enjoy the world of Labyrinth so intensely, that I don't really care. However, I commend how greatly Sarah's emotional arc has been improved. The exploration of her backstory adds much more depth to her character, and the story's climax is made all the more satisfying because of it.
Plus, I forgot how funny the dialogue is between Sarah and the various creatures she encounters. I found myself chuckling at various moments, even when I've seen the movie like thousand times over. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus are all so likable and charming, and I love them to death.
That being said, there was one character who did not translate as well into written fiction. Unfortunately, that character was Jareth, who I think is virtually everyone's favorite character in the film.
David Bowie IS Jareth, no questions about that. The suaveness, the flirty line delivery, the effortless eyeshadow; all those features just don't come out as clear in the novelization. I mean, look at that hair!! I want to be him. Bruh, I aspire to achieve this level of fabulousness so badly. Not many people can pull off that look.
Plus, the songs in the movie???? UNBEATABLE. The songs are more than half the reason I rewatch the film. "Magic Dance" was my childhood, "As the World Falls Down" is just plain gorgeous, and "Within You" makes me want to scream and cry every time I listen to it. The absence of Bowie's music, as well as Trevor Jones' score, is strongly felt.
So while I quite enjoyed this book, it just made me want to watch the movie again lol. I'm off to go watch the "Within You" scene again, wahoooooooo! Ugh, that scene is so trippy and cool.
October 26, 2012
It's sad, but the first time I saw The Labyrinth , I was sixteen. Seems wrong, doesn't it? My parents had never seen it, so when I first watched it, I made them and my younger sisters watch it with me.
I was the only one who feel in love.
For four years, I've held it close to my heart. It's my second favorite (the first being The Goonies ) movie of all time - and then I found out about this book.
Now, I don't own this book; I've looked and looked and looked and nothing. So, I did what any other King Jareth obsessed fan would do:
I went to the internet, using my wonderful laptop, Ace (It's an Acer. Ace, Acer , get it? Haha, I is funny).
Finding it (pure happiness running off of me in waves), I settled into my bed, mindful of my sleeping nephew, and read.
And feel in love all over again (The ballroom scene. Jareth.)
Now all I need to do is wait for the Archaia comic of Jareth - a prequel to The Labyrinth about how Jareth came to be Goblin King (And Hoggle and the Worm ; I want that too).
I was the only one who feel in love.
For four years, I've held it close to my heart. It's my second favorite (the first being The Goonies ) movie of all time - and then I found out about this book.
Now, I don't own this book; I've looked and looked and looked and nothing. So, I did what any other King Jareth obsessed fan would do:
I went to the internet, using my wonderful laptop, Ace (It's an Acer. Ace, Acer , get it? Haha, I is funny).
Finding it (pure happiness running off of me in waves), I settled into my bed, mindful of my sleeping nephew, and read.
And feel in love all over again (The ballroom scene. Jareth.)
Now all I need to do is wait for the Archaia comic of Jareth - a prequel to The Labyrinth about how Jareth came to be Goblin King (And Hoggle and the Worm ; I want that too).
July 7, 2020
The Labyrinth é um filme de culto de 1986 (Ano fantástico! Boa colheita :D) que tem nos papéis principais David Bowie e Jennifer Connelly. Um daqueles filmes cheios de efeitos especiais de anos 80 que uma pessoa não consegue descolar os olhos do ecrã, porque é tão mau que é bom! Ok, não são assim tão maus, uma vez que tem o dedo do George Lucas. Portanto, um filme do Jim Henson, criador dos Marretas, com a ajuda do George Lucas e com o David Bowie num dos papéis principais e ainda por cima saído num ano fantástico! Preciso de dizer quão fã deste filme sou? Nem sei quantas vezes o vi, para ser sincera. Já vi sozinha mais vezes do que as que consigo contar e já vi com outras pessoas, porque o que é bom é para se partilhar.
Portanto, quando descobri que tinham feito uma adaptação do filme para livro (sim, está na ordem correcta), tive mesmo de lhe meter as mãos em cima. E só isso já dava uma história! Foi difícil não dar um rim pelo livro! Mas ainda tenho os dois :D
The Labyrinth é a história da Sarah, filha de pais divorciados, que não está a saber lidar muito bem com as mudanças da vida dela depois de o pai voltar a casar e ter um irmão bebé. Do alto da frustração de adolescente de sentir que tudo é injusto, acaba por dizer que desejava que o Goblin King viesse e levasse a criança. O problema é que assim que a criança desaparece, ela arrepende-se e quer que lhe seja devolvida. É-lhe então dada a oportunidade de tentar chegar ao castelo do Rei dos Goblins e salvar o meio-irmão, mas para isso tem apenas 13h para conseguir decifrar o labirinto no centro do qual está o castelo, depois disso o Toby transformar-se-á num goblin.
O livro segue exactamente a história do filme, com alguns pensamentos das personagens mais aprofundados, com pelo menos uma cena acrescentada e algumas pequenas diferenças. Para quem conhece o filme, é impossível não estar a ver as cenas a decorrerem na nossa mente. Torna-se muito mais fácil no livro perceber quão mimada a personagem da Sarah é e definitivamente um bocadinho bully, porque reconhece quando está a levar alguém ao limite, mas a seguir volta a fazer o mesmo.
No entanto, para quem não conhece o filme, tenho a sensação que talvez se sinta um pouco perdido no meio de tantas coisas estranhas que acontecem, porque a história foi criada para ser uma espécie de reprodução de um quadro de Escher (há mesmo uma cena que é inspirada nas escadas que sobem. Ou descem.) e lembra um pouco o non-sense da Alice no País das Maravilhas.
Aconselho o livro a fãs do filme, porque tem os esboços originais dos muppets usados no filme e notas retiradas do caderno em que o Jim Henson foi escrevendo as ideias para o filme, mas para quem não conhece a história, definitivamente aconselho o filme! Deixem-se envolver em purpurinas (no bom sentido!) e descubram uma história de descoberta e crescimento!
Fangirl out!
Portanto, quando descobri que tinham feito uma adaptação do filme para livro (sim, está na ordem correcta), tive mesmo de lhe meter as mãos em cima. E só isso já dava uma história! Foi difícil não dar um rim pelo livro! Mas ainda tenho os dois :D
The Labyrinth é a história da Sarah, filha de pais divorciados, que não está a saber lidar muito bem com as mudanças da vida dela depois de o pai voltar a casar e ter um irmão bebé. Do alto da frustração de adolescente de sentir que tudo é injusto, acaba por dizer que desejava que o Goblin King viesse e levasse a criança. O problema é que assim que a criança desaparece, ela arrepende-se e quer que lhe seja devolvida. É-lhe então dada a oportunidade de tentar chegar ao castelo do Rei dos Goblins e salvar o meio-irmão, mas para isso tem apenas 13h para conseguir decifrar o labirinto no centro do qual está o castelo, depois disso o Toby transformar-se-á num goblin.
O livro segue exactamente a história do filme, com alguns pensamentos das personagens mais aprofundados, com pelo menos uma cena acrescentada e algumas pequenas diferenças. Para quem conhece o filme, é impossível não estar a ver as cenas a decorrerem na nossa mente. Torna-se muito mais fácil no livro perceber quão mimada a personagem da Sarah é e definitivamente um bocadinho bully, porque reconhece quando está a levar alguém ao limite, mas a seguir volta a fazer o mesmo.
No entanto, para quem não conhece o filme, tenho a sensação que talvez se sinta um pouco perdido no meio de tantas coisas estranhas que acontecem, porque a história foi criada para ser uma espécie de reprodução de um quadro de Escher (há mesmo uma cena que é inspirada nas escadas que sobem. Ou descem.) e lembra um pouco o non-sense da Alice no País das Maravilhas.
Aconselho o livro a fãs do filme, porque tem os esboços originais dos muppets usados no filme e notas retiradas do caderno em que o Jim Henson foi escrevendo as ideias para o filme, mas para quem não conhece a história, definitivamente aconselho o filme! Deixem-se envolver em purpurinas (no bom sentido!) e descubram uma história de descoberta e crescimento!
Fangirl out!
May 2, 2022
This book is a must-have for Labyrinth fans. There's backstory we don't see in the movie, Jim Henson's handwritten notes and 10 double-sided pages with Brian Froud's illustrations, also a part about the inspiration and concept development of the movie.
The book quality is quite good, with thick covers and pages, and the font size is perfect, not straining on the eyes. The movie is recreated scene by scene (though there are some slight changes), by an omniscient narratоr, revealing the characters' motivations and thoughts.
One of my favourite reads of all time.
The book quality is quite good, with thick covers and pages, and the font size is perfect, not straining on the eyes. The movie is recreated scene by scene (though there are some slight changes), by an omniscient narratоr, revealing the characters' motivations and thoughts.
One of my favourite reads of all time.
August 16, 2023
Un libro muy fiel a la película, pero pese a que me encanta la historia, me hizo falta la presencia de Bowie y los escenarios fantásticos qué se ven en ella. En este caso me quedo definición con la película, ya que no aporta más.
August 11, 2014
First up - I have an aversion to 'movie novelizations.' I tend to think that a story is either best told on screen or on page and in general the best way to go is to make movies based on books. (while this is TV, I think 'Bones' the books of the TV series takes the cake as a book based on a TV series based on a book/author)
Anyway, just explaining why I was hesitant to read this one. The person who recommended it promised a proper novel, not just a written description of what happened in the movie.
It was.
I loved the film, which made this book enjoyable, the archived artwork was also a bonus. I didn't much care for the notes at the end as they were A. unreadable and B. clearly someone's personal notes which perhaps interesting one would need to be Henderson himself to fully understand what he was saying.
In essence though this book adds little to the film, aside from cutting out the songs and the surrealist scenes working quite well on page, I essentially felt like I was reading a summary of the movie. I guess there is an awkward pressure not to change anything, yet the book served as evidence that much of the brilliance of the film was in the visual effects.
It's a relatively quick read and I don't regret it, but I figure this piece is mostly valuable for those wanting a nostalgia trip, rather than anyone unfamiliar with the film.
Anyway, just explaining why I was hesitant to read this one. The person who recommended it promised a proper novel, not just a written description of what happened in the movie.
It was.
I loved the film, which made this book enjoyable, the archived artwork was also a bonus. I didn't much care for the notes at the end as they were A. unreadable and B. clearly someone's personal notes which perhaps interesting one would need to be Henderson himself to fully understand what he was saying.
In essence though this book adds little to the film, aside from cutting out the songs and the surrealist scenes working quite well on page, I essentially felt like I was reading a summary of the movie. I guess there is an awkward pressure not to change anything, yet the book served as evidence that much of the brilliance of the film was in the visual effects.
It's a relatively quick read and I don't regret it, but I figure this piece is mostly valuable for those wanting a nostalgia trip, rather than anyone unfamiliar with the film.
June 10, 2017
4.5
Ya la sinopsis dice mucho. Sarah es una niña de 15 años, muy infantil todavía, que adora leer, jugar con sus juguetes y admirar las fotos de su madre actriz. Una noche se enoja muchísimo cuando su madrastra la regaña al llegar tarde a casa, deja a su perro Merlín en el garaje en plena tormenta, y para acabar le pide que cuide a su medio hermano Toby. Cuando Sarah nota que uno de sus peluche favorito ha desaparecido de su alcoba y descubre que lo tiene el niño en su habitación, se pone furiosa y va a rescatarlo. Pero a costas de la rabia que la inunda, comete la peor imprudencia del mundo: Pide a los goblins que esfumen a su hermanito. Tiene que rescatarlo, no puede quedarse tan tranquila. ¿Qué le dirá a sus padres? Y para colmo, el atractivo e hipnotizante rey de los goblins, Jareth está tratando que desista de ir al laberinto a buscar al niño con sus espectaculares encantos. Sarah se arrepiente y deberá atravesará el laberinto a pesar de los peligros, y amigos como Ludo, Hoggle y Sir Didymus la ayudarán a llegar hasta su hermanito. Mucho cuidado, el laberinto esconde muchos peligros y sólo hay trece horas. ¿Podrá lograrlo?
Reseña completa: http://rapsodia-literaria.blogspot.co...
Ya la sinopsis dice mucho. Sarah es una niña de 15 años, muy infantil todavía, que adora leer, jugar con sus juguetes y admirar las fotos de su madre actriz. Una noche se enoja muchísimo cuando su madrastra la regaña al llegar tarde a casa, deja a su perro Merlín en el garaje en plena tormenta, y para acabar le pide que cuide a su medio hermano Toby. Cuando Sarah nota que uno de sus peluche favorito ha desaparecido de su alcoba y descubre que lo tiene el niño en su habitación, se pone furiosa y va a rescatarlo. Pero a costas de la rabia que la inunda, comete la peor imprudencia del mundo: Pide a los goblins que esfumen a su hermanito. Tiene que rescatarlo, no puede quedarse tan tranquila. ¿Qué le dirá a sus padres? Y para colmo, el atractivo e hipnotizante rey de los goblins, Jareth está tratando que desista de ir al laberinto a buscar al niño con sus espectaculares encantos. Sarah se arrepiente y deberá atravesará el laberinto a pesar de los peligros, y amigos como Ludo, Hoggle y Sir Didymus la ayudarán a llegar hasta su hermanito. Mucho cuidado, el laberinto esconde muchos peligros y sólo hay trece horas. ¿Podrá lograrlo?
Reseña completa: http://rapsodia-literaria.blogspot.co...
March 16, 2017
As a child, Labyrinth was a movie shown to me by my older brother. It was my first introduction to an actual fantasy story, even before LotR and Harry Potter. The story was SO original and an immediate classic that is still popular in this modern day, as it was back in 1986. When I saw that there was a novelization of it, I just had to have it.
While I was reading, and after finishing the book even, I wanted to withhold my nostalgia from giving this book an automatic five stars because some adaptations don't really capture the world and experience as the original format; with the traditional book-to-movie adaptation, this is a movie-to-book adaptation.
It was spot on. I like how A.C.H. Smith went the extra mile and included dialogue in scenes where it's David Bowie singing(for those who don't know, David Bowie is in the movie. If you didn't know...well...where were you?). We even learn a little bit more about Sarah's mother, where the movie didn't touch on.
If you're a fan of the movie and want another way of having the story be told to you, pick this book up. How Smith writes and describes made me feel like I was watching the movie again. Or if you're a fan of old school fantasy.
While I was reading, and after finishing the book even, I wanted to withhold my nostalgia from giving this book an automatic five stars because some adaptations don't really capture the world and experience as the original format; with the traditional book-to-movie adaptation, this is a movie-to-book adaptation.
It was spot on. I like how A.C.H. Smith went the extra mile and included dialogue in scenes where it's David Bowie singing(for those who don't know, David Bowie is in the movie. If you didn't know...well...where were you?). We even learn a little bit more about Sarah's mother, where the movie didn't touch on.
If you're a fan of the movie and want another way of having the story be told to you, pick this book up. How Smith writes and describes made me feel like I was watching the movie again. Or if you're a fan of old school fantasy.
May 5, 2020
4.5 stars!
Of course, being someone that has grown up adoring the film which inspired this novelization, my opinion is biased. The book itself follows the sequence of events in the movie pretty much exactly, though there were many instances of changed dialogue or background/in-depth thoughts of the characters which were amazing to see unfold. The writing itself wasn’t bad, in fact there were a few times it was quite beautiful.
There were certain things, however, that put me off a bit, such as the unnecessary sexualization of Sarah from a handsy guy in the ballroom scene. Also, the “forced kiss” was another addition which i felt was unnecessary along with Sarah blaming herself for the events afterwards.
I could dissect and analyze this book, but ultimately it is a companion to the superior movie. I mean, come on, it’s David Bowie singing in tight pants! But seriously, though, there is so much nostalgia wrapped in this story for me that I couldn’t not fall in love with it. Despite my issues with it, I really did love it and most definitely had “As the world falls down” playing as I read the ballroom scene.
Of course, being someone that has grown up adoring the film which inspired this novelization, my opinion is biased. The book itself follows the sequence of events in the movie pretty much exactly, though there were many instances of changed dialogue or background/in-depth thoughts of the characters which were amazing to see unfold. The writing itself wasn’t bad, in fact there were a few times it was quite beautiful.
There were certain things, however, that put me off a bit, such as the unnecessary sexualization of Sarah from a handsy guy in the ballroom scene. Also, the “forced kiss” was another addition which i felt was unnecessary along with Sarah blaming herself for the events afterwards.
I could dissect and analyze this book, but ultimately it is a companion to the superior movie. I mean, come on, it’s David Bowie singing in tight pants! But seriously, though, there is so much nostalgia wrapped in this story for me that I couldn’t not fall in love with it. Despite my issues with it, I really did love it and most definitely had “As the world falls down” playing as I read the ballroom scene.
March 13, 2017
This wasn't a bad book, it was just... okay? There were additional scenes and dialogue changes, and while I liked some of them -more info about Sarah's mother, passages from Jareth's perspective- others were just bad. I already complained about it in a status update, but the ballroom scene and the aftermath of the ballroom scene? A mess. I liked that the ending was a little sadder, that party-dance scene always felt kind of strange to me as a kid. The writing style felt stilted and choppy at times, but it was easy enough to follow overall.
I feel like a huge chunk of Labyrinth's charm is in the music and the visuals, so maybe that's why this book was just 'okay'. The artwork and notes at the end of the book were lovely, though; I love going over concept art for films and games.
I feel like a huge chunk of Labyrinth's charm is in the music and the visuals, so maybe that's why this book was just 'okay'. The artwork and notes at the end of the book were lovely, though; I love going over concept art for films and games.
November 16, 2020
Strictly for fans. This edition includes notes from Jim Henson's journal as the film was being conceived, as well as illustrations by the legendary Brian Froud.
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