Forrest Gump by Winston Groom

I picked this book up on a whim, half expecting it share some semblance with the film it is supposedly based on. What I discovered was something quite the contrary. Perhaps this was for the better, particularly considering how many times I had seen that inspiring film. From page to page, I was left guessing about what would happen next.

Forrest Gump is the outrageous story of the life of Forrest Gump as told by Forrest Gump. He is 6-foot-6, 242 pounds, and in possession of an IQ of less than 70. This is the story of how he becomes a football star, a ping-pong champion, and a semi-professional wrestler. At one point he is shot into space with an orangutan (who becomes a key character throughout the story) and a female astronaut. He is captured by cannibals, becomes a chess phenom, and a playing member of a popular band. Everything about this book is in complete contrast to the movie, it makes me wonder where they even came up with the stuff for the film. Probably the one constant between the two is the Gump Shrimp Co. Of course, that couldn't have happened without his faithful friend, the orangutan.

The most striking aspect of this novel, in my opinion, was the language that Forrest frequently used, not that there was anything wrong with the use of the language. it just surprised me as it was in complete opposition with the image I had already had of Forrest Gump. Throughout the novel, Forrest frequently uses profanity and derogatory terms. Some may find this to be offensive, but I think it was a clever use of language by the author to make Forrest feel like a real person. Forrest doesn't know no better. These are terms that he hears other people say and simply repeats without truly understanding the meaning.

I loved the choice of words and writing style employed by Winston Groom in this novel. Written in the first-person, the way it was written made it feel as if it was actually the way a 6-foot-6, 242 pound, mentally challenged individual would write. By many respects, it was infectious. Very often in first person POV narratives, I found myself slowly taking on aspects of the character, whether speach or action, for a very brief amount of time. This story was no different. I'm pretty sure I had become quite irritable to my wife with all the Gump-speak I was a doing.

Forrest Gump is a great novel that takes an unfortunate backseat to the award-winning film. Is a story deserving of its own praise, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something a little bit out of the ordinary.

4 OUT OF 5 STARS