Cocoon: Der Roman Zum Phantastischen Filmabenteuer

by Unknown Author

edicion 1985, 289 paginas, tapa dura con sobrecubierta

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Aliens, Collections, Media Tie In

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

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Reviews

[Montes Ortiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decidí leer este libro con el recuerdo dulce de la película en mente. Esos entrañables ancianitos que recuperaban la vitalidad de la juventud y ayudaban a unos amables extraterrestres a recuperar a sus compañeros. Bueno, pues me he llevado un poco de chasco. En esencia la historia está, pero ahí terminan las similitudes, pese a que el autor colaboró en el guion de la película. En el libro los ancianitos no son tan entrañables, tienen sus luces y sus sombras (algunos más sombras que luces) y su comportamiento, sobre todo al principio, cuando empiezan a sentirse mejor, no es el mejor que podrían tener, sobre todo con respecto a sus esposas, a quien dejan conscientemente al margen. Y una vez que dejan de ser pobres viejos el libro perdió para mi su interés y solo esperaba que acabara pronto. No puedo decir que esté mal, pero tampoco estoy segura de que sea una lectura para recomendar.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the premise is like the movie with this same name, nothing else really is. The location is in a high rise retirement type home and yes, you will find some alien intervention. I liked the book, and at first expecting it to be the same of the movie I found I like this version as well.

[Andrew Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun science fiction novel upon which the film of the same name was based. Although sharing the same premise, the novel is different enough from the film to keep it entertaining even after seeing the motion picture. The characters and mystery of the Antareans are likeable and well written. I only wish that more detail was given to the ending which felt a little rushed. Overall, a fun and enjoyable read.

[Mikayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet, sentimental, maybe a bit fun however the story all in all fell flat. I barely made it through this one I will admit. If you know me, you'll know that sc-fi isn't my favorite, however the movie was interesting enough that I got the book to read. Disappointed. The emotional aspect was probably the only thing I really liked about it.

[Petrina Binney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story follows a small group of older men, and later their wives, in an old folks’ apartment complex in Florida. Feeling the full effects of retirement, disease, and age, the old boys can’t believe their luck when they happen upon what appears to be a health club in the unfinished building next-door.

Having sneaked in, and with no idea what the equipment actually does, the men can’t help but notice how, after using the unusual pod-like cubicles, and basking in the strange lights, they find their diseases healed, their sex drives returned, and their hair growing back.

But this technology is not of this world and those who created it need it to revive their dormant compatriots. But if the Antarean army can’t be woken, will the old people be able to take their place on a trip across the galaxy? And will they be able to recruit enough old people… in Florida?

I’m not much for sci-fi (much of the tech talk goes over my head and I fail to distinguish between what is real/possible and what is imagined), but I liked this book. The characters are well-drawn, with intriguing back stories and relationships. The dialogue is snappy and the ending satisfying.

I did get quite annoyed with the old chaps - once they realised what effect the machines were having on them, I wanted them to tell their wives immediately. That probably sounds very ‘hausfrau' of me to say. Let me qualify then: the fellas weren’t backwards in coming forwards when they rediscovered their libidos and it might have been more thoughtful if they’d mentioned that they were feeling healthy and why, rather than intruding on their women, some of whom were horrified, especially when one of the wives’ sisters had had a stroke. For this reader, if you’ve discovered a miracle cure for everything, get your hands off the underwear and call your sister-in-law. All that aside, it’s worth bearing in mind the chaps are fictional, and only human, so you have to let them off. A bit.

The attention to detail impressed me:

“… Bess Perlman turned her blue Olds on to the One hundred sixty-third Street causeway. She drove slowly and ignored the horns and shouts of other drivers. No one could accuse her of reckless driving. No one could accuse her of reckless anything.
“Her life had been careful and quiet. Before Arthur Perlman there was the good life in Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn. Her father was a judge of the State Court of Appeals. He was an honourable man with political connections. He was also second generation and totally Americanized and assimilated. Her mother was a gentile and considerably younger than Judge Bernstein. Bess had her mother’s looks and her father’s intelligence. She was a beautiful girl. She met Arthur Perlman at a New Year’s Eve Party at a friend’s house. The Bernstein sisters, Bess and Betty, were the talk of Manhattan Beach and extremely popular girls.
“After Art had revealed his business to her, Bess understood why her father had avoided them after their marriage.”
p137, Chapter 27, Cocoon by David Saperstein

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was...just fine. There's really not much to say about this book (I might have had more to say if I had seen the film, but I haven't yet), other than that it's sweet, it's sentimental, and you don't have to think too hard while reading it. A nice little bit of scifi fluff, but nothing to write home about.

It also didn't help that, for me personally, it was a bit difficult at times to distinguish between characters. I had gotten to the point where I had divided the characters into three sets of collective characters: The Old People, The Aliens, and The Bad Guys.

Again, a nice little bit of scifi fluff, good for reading on an airplane or at the beach, but not much else.

[Juan Marín · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me encanta leer novelas que se han adaptado al cine. Y cómo, generalmente, esa adaptación perfecciona la forma... pero desvirtúa el fondo. Y el caso de Cocoon no iba a ser diferente. Porque la película perfecciona la estructura de la novela, fallida sobre todo en su apresurado desenlace, pero falla estrepitosamente en el fondo. Muy recomendable para quienes gusten de la ciencia ficción más elemental... y cinéfilos que quieran sacar sus propias conclusiones sobre el siempre menospreciado trabajo de la adaptación a la gran pantalla.

[Lois Hutchison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so this one is actually really difficult to write a review for. I have seen the movie a couple time and found it underwhelming. My Dad tells me every time that the book is better, and he was right. I was enjoying it so much in the beginning! Loved it. I liked how the story was progressing, I liked the back stories that we never got with the movie. Jack was a better character than he was in the movie. But something happened, and I don't know what. The plot slowed down and I kept finding typos, like, really stupid typos. The fact that the pensioners just happily went along with the plan to be converted into soldier for an army without even mentioning thoughts about their children and grandchildren...seems unlikely. In the beginning I liked the fact that the writer was straight to the point, he described conversations that weren't important, rather than making us sit through it. But near the end I think I would have liked a little more about what these people (nine hundred odd) were thinking when they signed up to leave planet earth. I would maybe get answers in the next books but I'm not actually that invested at this point.

[Evelyn C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of the Cocoon movies but never realized that there was actually a Trilogy of books out there to read. When I discovered this a few months back I went searching for the first book in the series first at my local library and then on the web. I found a a paperback copy via Amazon and ordered the book. I finished that first book just yesterday and must say I liked it very much. It was a much deeper story than what was told in the movies so I will be searching for the other two books in the series. The Cocoon of the book is also about older folks getting a new lease on life via alien technology but it goes deeper into their lives and how our society seems to devalue a person's abilities and worth once the reach a certain age. There was also some commentary on our environmental issues and how they effect not only ourselves but the alien visitors. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has seen the movies and even to people who haven't as the story is good, the characters well defined and there is a hopeful vision of the future.

[Menion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story, although if you saw the film, there are some key differences. This book is NOT a movie adaptation novel. The novel came first, then the film.
Some differences? No swimming pool, it's these big boxes, that the senior citizens think are sweat boxes. The part with Ben trying to figure out how all the equipment that gives them their powers relates to health spa equipment was pretty damn funny. Anyhow, the basic story is similar, four older people in a condo/retirement community break into the unfinished exercise room out of boredom. They start using the equipment, and you know what it does. One major addition: they become telepaths also. Other main difference is the four of them need to recruit a much larger amount of people to go to Antares, to replace the ones who had to stay in the ocean.
I quite liked this one, and will be reading the next one also.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember the movie or i figured,it was
worth a shot.
The plot kind of dies in the explanation.
I cant figure out why the aliens do what they do.
They come off as mostly dismissive of humans,
but in a "oh yeah, they exist" kind of way.
And the senior citizens, well, they are jerks.
With wives who just put up with it.
I was done with the book when the son of one of the couples
gives another lame excuse to cancel a planned visit.
I plowed on after another wife remembers that after she had
been the primary caregiver to the now adult kids (husband a workaholic)
He tells her that she is a slug and she needs to do something.
The woman at the office are vital and dynamos.
Willing to bet the number of times he took the lead
raising his crotch goblin could be counted of one hand.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently Tom Cruise is now older than Wilford Brimley was when he did the first Cocoon movie. I remember reading this as a kid and loving it. Different than the movie in great ways. The cover image has the same worn lines on it. The picture gave me a strong sense of nostalgia, so I’m adding it to my ‘read’ list, even though it was years ago.l

[Sergei Ter-Tumasov (Սերգեյ Տեր-Թումասով) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Не люблю не дочитывать книги, но эта книга кроме скучного не выдерживающего никакой критики сюжета, большого количества персонажей, которые очень трудно отличить друг от друга, может «похвастаться» только каким-то очень странным переводом и огромным количеством опечаток, что делает чтение настоящим мучением!

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feisty group of retirees, living in a condominium in Coral Gables, Florida, come to the aid of the Antareans, a group of alien space travelers on Earth, to regain some cocoons stored underwater millions of years earlier

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the movie better then the book.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was Ok rather than outstanding ruined mainly by a terrible transcription to Kindle, the grammatical and spelling mistakes were just awful

[Miguel Ayuso Rejas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro de ciencia ficción sobre viejos. Muy ingenioso

[Samie Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

So there’s a used bookstore nearby, and it has a lot of old battered yellow paged paperback. And you’re probably asking why would I bother to go into a place like this in the year 2022, when I already have a kindle? Well, the truth is, there are a lot of older works that never made it to the digital format. And some of those old books are real gems. And while treasure hunting, I found a book called Cacoon and I really do like the old movie. Never knew it was based on a book. So I gave it a try. This is my review of Cacoon by David Saperstien.

So what is it about? It begins with aliens who come to Earth to dig up some lost soldiers trapped in cocoons in the ocean. They hire the help of boat charter Jack and they have a plan. They pose as rich folks and buy some buildings on the edge of a retirement community. They “close” the buildings for “construction” as they store the cocoons until they depart. But the citizens of the retirement community are angry that part of their home shut down. Four retired men from all walks of life; Ben, Art, Bernie, and Joe all investigate and find a building full of strange contraptions and believe it to be a health club. They use the equipment and soon become healthy and youthful. But there are consequences for mistaking alien equipment as a health club.

Now the good and bad? Let’s start with the good. I like a lot of things in this story. I like how all four men were developed characters with unique backstories. I like how their friendship grows. And it was charming to see these folks find the joy in life again. There was something very sweet about all of it.

Now the bad? This book makes some strange chances and the characters do some strange things in the last third as well. It’s an interesting idea. But I just couldn’t believe everyone would go down this path. There was not much set up for it. Also, the wives of the characters are just that. The wives. I wish they were more involved in the story. And I honestly felt there were no real stakes to this story.

Overall, the book is okay. It’s like a scifi fairy tale. I really think that was the goal of the author. But he didn’t execute it too well. My recommendation is to watch the film adaption instead. But if you're really into old school scifi, you might enjoy this. But I found it mediocre.



2 ½ smoothies out Five

Overall Rating: An Okay Scifi Fairy Tale in a Retirement Home

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

You've got to love a book that came out as an accompaniment to a movie...
Actually, this book was better than I thought. I haven't yet seen the movie, so I had only vague recollections of movie previews from the '80s to go on for what to expect. In a nutshell, aliens come back to earth to harvest some of their own that they had buried in the ocean off the coast of Florida hundreds of years ago. They need a place to do this work so they purchase a retirement community that is under construction. The equipment necessary to resuscitate their people is happened upon by residents of the community. Thinking it's a health club, they use the equipment with interesting results.

The premise is great, the story kept moving along, you didn't have to think much...in other words, it's a great beach blanket book. I was disappointed with the ending -- it was as if all desire to describe what was happening in any sort of detail left the writer. While it seemed appropriate to brush over some of the finer details of how this adventure would wrap up, it seemed more like movie notes. This is a book, and without the benefit of the visual suggestion that comes naturally in a movie, it becomes really easy to lose the reader in vagueness.

If you're looking for an easy read that is entertaining, this is your book.

[Finrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

La prima cosa da scrivere è che questo questo romanzo ha solo pochi (anche se abbastanza cruciali) punti in comune col famoso e bel film diretto da Ron Howard ormai quasi 30 anni fa, e la trama si sviluppa in maniera molto diversa... e, forse, anche meno convincente. Il romanzo è forse una metafora troppo scoperta e un appello a dare un ruolo diverso e più importante agli “anziani” nella nostra società. Come osservato anche da altri, finale troppo affrettato e conciso, in ogni caso una lettura piacevole, poco impegnativa e personaggi credibili, almeno tra gli umani, gli alieni sono del tipo per me un po' troppo da “fantapsicologia”, con quel grande sviluppo delle facoltà mentali che mi sembra tipico di certa fantascienza “pulp” di qualche decennio fa. Il libro mi è piaciuto, ma non così tanto da attirarmi a leggere altre opere di questo autore.

[Trevor McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice balance of science and fantasy. Not hard science, but not over the top fantasy, either. The setting amongst real events of the 60s and the 70s just adds to the authentic feel of the book. There are enough characters to make it interesting, but not so many that you lose track of what is going on. Floridians will especially enjoy this book because of some of the subliminal Florida humor sprinkled throughout the book; non-Floridians, though, won't miss anything important. All around, it is a well balanced, well written first contact book.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a slow read without too much excitement. It seemed to just go through procedures and explained all in detail, and them rapped it up too quickly at the end. It was interesting about a quarter of the way through when the 4 old guys were discovering the powers of the new "spa" room. It even had me dreaming about old people one night. But then it slowed way down to the point that I had trouble finishing the read.

[Madphd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quick read. I had two complaints though. First, the structure was a bit odd at times. The author would switch to another character at a different location without warning and then jump back again. Second, the ending was rather anticlimactic. That being said, I am looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.

[Toesnorth's mom]

movie better

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Film was better!

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but the movie is better!

[Mike Steinborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story... Now I'd like to see the movie. Looks like there's a sequel too...