Forrest Gump

By: Winston Groom

Narrated by: Mark Hammer

"Bein' a idiot is no box of chocolates," but "at least I ain't led no hum-drum life," says Forrest Gump, the lovable, surprisingly savvy hero of this wonderful comic tale. When the University of Alabama's football team drafts Forrest and makes him a star, that's only the beginning! He flunks out - and goes on to be a Vietnam war hero, a world-class Ping-Pong player, a wrestler, and a business tycoon. He compares battle scars with Lyndon Johnson, discovers the truth about Richard Nixon, and suffers the ups and downs of true love. Now, Forrest Gump's telling all - in a madcap, screwball romp through three decades of the American landscape. It's Gump's amazing travels...and you've got to hear them to believe them.

©1996 Winston Groom (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Part Candide, part Huck Finn and a whole lot of Andy Griffith, [Gump] makes his case in a voice all his own.George Plimpton A wacky and funny nuthouse of a book." ( Los Angeles Times)

"Broad satire with serious resonances...Gump's adventures are both hilarious and bawdy....This picaresque tale will set you guffawing." ( New Woman)

"A Huckleberry Finn­-type odyssey, complete with the humor-tempered irony and insight of Mark Twain. A rollicking satire, milking laughs from our sacred cows...As much fun as a box of chocolates, but far less fattening." ( Pittsburgh Press)

Great Listen.

The simularites between the movie and this book are slim. but the overall message is still there. It is beautifully narrated, even though the narrator doesnt fully change his voice you can tell which character is which.

I can't believe I have waited so long to listen.

This was a joy to listen too and I think I might listen again. Awesome all the way through.

Delightful

Mark Hammer’s reading was magnificent, certainly up to the level of Dennis Quaid and George Goodall. The story is not the same as the movie, and was a very funny tale.

Gump

Wonderful book and as good as the movie with Tom Hanks. Definitely a good book to listen.

Book very good, movie inspirational. Both have different messages

I saw the movie just a couple of days ago and the book paints a different but probably more realistic man. The book ends in a sadder place. The film was inspirational so I am downscoring the book because the movie tells a tighter less fantastic but happier story. Having said that the book is quite good and the narration excellent

Magnidicent!

Hilariously and implausibly told, as a fantasy should be. Narrator was phenomenal.! Did not drop character for one instant. Deserves 10 stars!

Great book!

Different story than movie. Forrest does way more than in the movie. It's funny, introspective. Well worth the read. Performance was wonderful.

Interesting Adventure

I understand this book is the original source of inspiration for the movie but I believe I definitely enjoyed the movie direction and revision a whole lot more. There is a vast difference between this book and the movie. However, the story told in the book is the original inspiration quite an amazing adventure!

A novel worse than its cinematic adaptation.

This book is very much a product of the time it was written in, and hasn't aged well by modern sensibilities. Apart from that, very few characters are fleshed out beyond a very surface level. Additionally, the fact that the orangutan character is given more character definition, and is treated as more human than basically any non white male character, is just offensive.

Great store and great read horrible audio

Horrible audio a lot of echo and back round noise, hard to tell with low quality headphones but higher quality headphones you can easily pick it up and it quest quite annoying.