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Rocky #2
Rocky II
Vintage movie tie-in paperback
- GenresFiction
180 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1979
1 person is currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Sylvester Stallone
54 books136 followersSylvester Gardenzio Stallone is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. One of the biggest box office draws in the world from the '70s to the '90s, international megastar Sylvester Stallone is a global icon. He has played two characters who have become a part of the American cultural lexicon: Rocky Balboa, the boxer who overcame all odds to fight for love and glory, and John Rambo, a courageous soldier who specialized in violent rescue and revenge missions.
During the 1980s, he enjoyed phenomenal popularity and was one of the biggest movie stars in the world with the Rocky and Rambo franchises. Stallone's culturally influential films changed pop culture history and he has largely enjoyed a career on the Hollywood A list for over 30 years.
He is considered by many (including the mayor of Philadelphia) as the one who made the city of Philadelphia an international tourist attraction with the Rocky Steps. His immense popularity there has led to a statue of his Rocky character being placed permanently near the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a cultural landmark. In August 2007, a statue of Rocky was also erected in the Serbian village of Žitište. Stallone's film Rocky has also been inducted into the National Film Registry as well as having its film props placed in the Smithsonian Museum as a national treasure.
During the 1980s, he enjoyed phenomenal popularity and was one of the biggest movie stars in the world with the Rocky and Rambo franchises. Stallone's culturally influential films changed pop culture history and he has largely enjoyed a career on the Hollywood A list for over 30 years.
He is considered by many (including the mayor of Philadelphia) as the one who made the city of Philadelphia an international tourist attraction with the Rocky Steps. His immense popularity there has led to a statue of his Rocky character being placed permanently near the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a cultural landmark. In August 2007, a statue of Rocky was also erected in the Serbian village of Žitište. Stallone's film Rocky has also been inducted into the National Film Registry as well as having its film props placed in the Smithsonian Museum as a national treasure.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 14, 2020
The desire for Apollo to draw First Blood
Rocky 2 always felt like a more downbeat film for me, and the novelization is no different. It’s told almost completely from Rocky’s point of view, in his “voice”, and since the author is credited as Stallone, this must have been quite easy to write, adapted from his screenplay. (I believe that the other novelizations have been written by Stallone too, despite the different author’s names on the covers.)
It’s a really introspective novelization, as you really get into Rocky’s head, during all the pain after the fight is over, his wonderment at Adrian and his frustration and exasperation as he tries to find another job apart from boxing. I thought I might struggle with the way it was told, as it was a departure from the first novelization, however this was not the case, as it was still as wonderfully descriptive seeing the world through Rocky’s battered and swollen eyes.
The one issue I had with the film, was the completely reversal in Apollo’a personality from the first to the second. I didn’t like his sheer nastiness towards Rocky. While this doesn’t come across as much in the novelization, as his scenes are limited, you do see Rocky’s almost pain, at seeing someone he thought of as a “friend”, treat him so. Especially when Apollo was against a rematch in the first place.
The other short portrayals that aren’t told from Rocky’s point of view, are mostly from his surrounding cast, mostly from Adrian and Paulie (who hilariously gets referred to as Pauline near the beginning of the book.)
Most of the book is kept pretty close to the film, apart from a couple of scenes that are changed around or where the dialogue is transplanted into different scenes. For example, they lose the house, after Rocky throws money at everything, whereas they never lost the house in the film. There’s also the “condominium” joke that was used in both the film and the novelization, that I needed explained to me. D’oh!
It is 180 pages so it is 42 pages longer than the first novelization but because of the way it is told, it reads a lot quicker than the first. The chapters are short and snappy, someone little more than 1-2 pages.
Although the way this novelization is told is a departure from the first, it’s still definitely worth getting if you enjoyed the first novelization, and the films too. Try and get it a reasonable price though - my copy is pretty well battered around the spine/edges and the edges of the pages are quite yellowed and I paid £7.95 for it! The price has significantly increased so you’re best to keep an eye on it and nab if you see a reasonable price.
Rocky 2 always felt like a more downbeat film for me, and the novelization is no different. It’s told almost completely from Rocky’s point of view, in his “voice”, and since the author is credited as Stallone, this must have been quite easy to write, adapted from his screenplay. (I believe that the other novelizations have been written by Stallone too, despite the different author’s names on the covers.)
It’s a really introspective novelization, as you really get into Rocky’s head, during all the pain after the fight is over, his wonderment at Adrian and his frustration and exasperation as he tries to find another job apart from boxing. I thought I might struggle with the way it was told, as it was a departure from the first novelization, however this was not the case, as it was still as wonderfully descriptive seeing the world through Rocky’s battered and swollen eyes.
The one issue I had with the film, was the completely reversal in Apollo’a personality from the first to the second. I didn’t like his sheer nastiness towards Rocky. While this doesn’t come across as much in the novelization, as his scenes are limited, you do see Rocky’s almost pain, at seeing someone he thought of as a “friend”, treat him so. Especially when Apollo was against a rematch in the first place.
The other short portrayals that aren’t told from Rocky’s point of view, are mostly from his surrounding cast, mostly from Adrian and Paulie (who hilariously gets referred to as Pauline near the beginning of the book.)
Most of the book is kept pretty close to the film, apart from a couple of scenes that are changed around or where the dialogue is transplanted into different scenes. For example, they lose the house, after Rocky throws money at everything, whereas they never lost the house in the film. There’s also the “condominium” joke that was used in both the film and the novelization, that I needed explained to me. D’oh!
It is 180 pages so it is 42 pages longer than the first novelization but because of the way it is told, it reads a lot quicker than the first. The chapters are short and snappy, someone little more than 1-2 pages.
Although the way this novelization is told is a departure from the first, it’s still definitely worth getting if you enjoyed the first novelization, and the films too. Try and get it a reasonable price though - my copy is pretty well battered around the spine/edges and the edges of the pages are quite yellowed and I paid £7.95 for it! The price has significantly increased so you’re best to keep an eye on it and nab if you see a reasonable price.
December 14, 2014
I give up. I bought this because someone online posted passages from the book. It looked amusing and actually well written in a hardboiled way. So I started reading it and at first, sure, wow. But the stupidity of it eventually got to me.
It's dumb. It is written dumbly. The attempt to write it in vernacular gets tiring.
"...I was headin' home, and I seen Adrian workin' in the Pet Shop..."
Stop it. Just stop. After chapters of this, you want to throw the book in the garbage. Even as a campy read of some trashy fun, it fails.
This is crap. Don't waste your time thinking you've found some kitsch oddity off the beaten path. This is just garbage.
It's dumb. It is written dumbly. The attempt to write it in vernacular gets tiring.
"...I was headin' home, and I seen Adrian workin' in the Pet Shop..."
Stop it. Just stop. After chapters of this, you want to throw the book in the garbage. Even as a campy read of some trashy fun, it fails.
This is crap. Don't waste your time thinking you've found some kitsch oddity off the beaten path. This is just garbage.
July 25, 2021
Yes the writing is terrible but it's the feeling that the story conveys which is the main point here. With Rocky trying to adjust to a normal life without fighting, he knows deep down that he is and will always be a fighter and he has to return to the ring against Apollo. Always humble his mental drive and never give up attitude takes him to the top of the world.
August 17, 2009
Loved the movie, loved the book. Surprised Sly was the author.
July 8, 2016
The entire book is written in first person, from Rocky's perspective, using Rocky's terrible broken English.
It is the sort of horrific mistake, only an auteur could make.
It is the sort of horrific mistake, only an auteur could make.
April 27, 2023
I read this boxing story back in high school, not as required reading, but because I love the Rocky story. Stallone is a very good writer. As well as an actor.
Read
May 21, 2018My book is rocky II by sylvester stallone. The book is based in philadelphia and is about the fighter Rocky Balboa. I found this book because i thought it would have been interesting because it was a book about fighting.
The book is about his second fight with apollo creed. After the fist fight he had to go into surgery to fix something that would destroy his vision. He went into surgery and got the problem fixed and while apollo was recovering he challenged rocky to another fight because the last one wasn't good enough for the public saying it was luck that rock lasted that long. Adrian wasn’t okay with the fight being pregnant, and neither was micky his trainer. Adrian was confronted by her brother and fainted. She was sent to the hospital and went into labor. Being premature the baby was healthy. Rocky didn't leave her side, after she had the baby she went into a coma, he didn't leave her until she woke up. When she woke up she gave the okay for him to go with the fight. He trained with mickey and the fight came. He fought with his right hand, because he was a lefty, to protect his eye. He went through nine rounds they were both exhausted creed was leading in points. With little time left he switched back to his dominant hand and won the round with a knockout.
The book had a great ending. The book ended with his win against apollo. they were fighting because of the previous fight that they had that ended with a win with apollo but wasn't good enough for the public.
The book was great it was interesting all the way through it. The setting was good and the fight was interesting. I wanted to read it continuously until I finished. If you like the fighting type books you will most likely like this book. In it very interesting.
The book is about his second fight with apollo creed. After the fist fight he had to go into surgery to fix something that would destroy his vision. He went into surgery and got the problem fixed and while apollo was recovering he challenged rocky to another fight because the last one wasn't good enough for the public saying it was luck that rock lasted that long. Adrian wasn’t okay with the fight being pregnant, and neither was micky his trainer. Adrian was confronted by her brother and fainted. She was sent to the hospital and went into labor. Being premature the baby was healthy. Rocky didn't leave her side, after she had the baby she went into a coma, he didn't leave her until she woke up. When she woke up she gave the okay for him to go with the fight. He trained with mickey and the fight came. He fought with his right hand, because he was a lefty, to protect his eye. He went through nine rounds they were both exhausted creed was leading in points. With little time left he switched back to his dominant hand and won the round with a knockout.
The book had a great ending. The book ended with his win against apollo. they were fighting because of the previous fight that they had that ended with a win with apollo but wasn't good enough for the public.
The book was great it was interesting all the way through it. The setting was good and the fight was interesting. I wanted to read it continuously until I finished. If you like the fighting type books you will most likely like this book. In it very interesting.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews