SW7N Review – A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy

ANH Bracken TitleHave you ever wondered just exactly what went down in Leia’s cell with that interrogation droid on board the Death Star?  Did Obi-Wan really not remember R2-D2 when he encountered the little droid on Tatooine? Ever wonder what the inside of a Stormtrooper helmet smells like?

 

Discover these answers and more in A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by acclaimed New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken.

 

 

A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy is the first in the highly anticipated trilogy of junior novels which include The Empire Strikes Back:  So You Want to Be a Jedi? by Adam Gidwitz and Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side! by Tom Angleberger.

 

ANH Bracken Cover

The novel also includes illustrations by celebrated concept artists Iain McCaig and Ralph McQuarrie, and is basically a retelling of the original film crafted specifically to introduce new young readers to the classic trilogy while enhancing the experience for core fans of the saga.

 

Bracken combines the classic story with a unique perspective and narrative style that delivers the captivating tale of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope like you’ve never experienced before.

 

Bracken says that she drew inspiration for the novel from three sources:  her imagination, George Lucas’ original film script, and the 1981 radio drama script by Brian Daley.  The result for me was a highly enjoyable experience that gave me a different perspective on key moments from the original film and introduced me to new moments and surprises that I hadn’t experienced before.

 

The book is written in a narrative style and is divided into three parts.  The first part of the book is told from Leia’s perspective, the second from Han’s, and the third from Luke’s, allowing us to really get into the characters’ heads to discover more about their feelings, their motives, their deepest fears, and their highest hopes.

 

Alexandra Bracken
Author Alexandra Bracken

 

I really enjoyed this book personally and would highly recommend it to any Star Wars fan.  Although it is geared towards young readers, it is very smartly done and is so well-written that fans young and old alike will find it an enjoyable and easy read.  I am currently reading this book to my six-year-old and he is enjoying it as well and can’t wait to read the next chapter every night before bed.

 

The only people that I can see having issue with this one are the purists or those that know every line of this movie from start to finish.  I can practically quote the entire film myself, and I admit that although the adaptation of the dialogue was very close and 100% verbatim most of the time, there were times when I found some of the subtle alterations to the dialogue a little distracting.

 

I realize that this can be chalked up to differences between the finished film, the original script, and the radio drama – as well as the fact that it seems to have been re-worded at times to allow for more explanation about what was taking place in the greater story.

 

618_movies_star_wars_luke_leia_han1-300x2001

That being said, there are some differences in this book and the film especially in the dialogue, but they really don’t affect the overall story, and readers new to the Star Wars universe may find the more explanatory dialogue helpful to get a better picture of what is portrayed in the film Bracken is adapting.

 

To my knowledge, even though much of the book is the author’s interpretation and vision, this book is considered by Lucasfilm as part of the new canon, so the additional scenes and moments found within this book can be taken to have actually happened in Star Wars, whereas the dialogue is of course superseded by the film when slight differences are presented.

 

I haven’t been able to verify this, but it was stated previously that all new material going forward would be canon.  Also, it can be noted that Leland Chee (LFL Story Group) has promoted this book by sharing Bracken’s tweet with the audio book sample on his own twitter account (below).

 

 

Fans can rest assured that even though there were slight variations from the film in dialogue at times, and some elements of the story were not included while others were added – this story is Star Wars through and through.

 

When I finished the book, I felt like I had a deeper understanding of these characters, even more so than I did after reading the recent Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens books about the big three.

 

Whether you are a hardcore fan or someone that is brand new to the saga, pick up this book.  You’ll be glad you did.

 

 

 

Read on for more spoilerific details found in the book…

 

 

 

What I found fascinating about this book was how the different perspectives gave us additional content and off-screen moments that we don’t get from the film itself.  Whereas the film switches back and forth between scenes and characters throughout the film, the narrative in this novel stays with each character throughout their section of the book, giving us the story as seen through their eyes.

 

 

Princess

The book begins with Princess Leia as her ship, the Tantive IV  is being boarded by Darth Vader and his stormtroopers.  We follow her story as she places the plans for the Death Star in Artoo along with the message for General Kenobi and as she attempts to draw the attention of the stormtroopers, allowing the droids to escape to Tatooine where she was headed to pick up Kenobi before her ship was intercepted.

 

Vader

The novel presents her as an ambitious young woman, the youngest senator ever elected to the Imperial Senate, who struggles to show the galaxy that she’s more than just a pretty face.  Instead of following the droids to the planet’s surface where they eventually encounter Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, we stay with Leia aboard Vader’s flag ship, the Devastator.

 

Vader and Leia

One of those off-screen moments finds Leia in a last-ditch-effort escape attempt as she runs toward an Imperial shuttle parked in a hanger, only to find Vader waiting for her.  We stay with Leia as she is transported to her cell on the Death Star, and the scene where she is drugged in an attempt to force her to share the location of the rebel base unfolds in detail as we read about her internal struggle to withhold the crucial information.  Part one comes to an end with the destruction of Alderaan.

 

 

Scoundrel

The second part of the book begins with Han Solo sitting in a cantina on Mos Eisley trying to lean around the human girl in his lap to see what all the commotion is about.  He sees the patron with the severed arm and then the old man that cut it off hauling a dazed kid up off the floor.

 

Han cements his status as a scoundrel when he forgets the girl’s name on his lap, cycling through the long list of names of girls he has entertained all over the galaxy to no avail – all the while being distracted by the fact that his Wookiee parter is talking to the old man and the boy in a dark corner of the cantina.  The girl picks up on Han’s disinterest, and when she realizes he doesn’t really remember her, abruptly makes her exit after splashing her drink in his face.

 

Han and Chewie Concept

When Chewie comes over to him laughing at his predicament, Han responds with:

 

Hey, you’re the married one.  Find me a human girl with Malla’s brains and silky hair and maybe I’ll consider it.

 

I thought this was cool as this is the first mention of Malla, Chewie’s wife, in the new canon.

 

I also enjoyed getting into Han’s head as he talked with Obi-Wan and Luke, where it is revealed that he was actually lying about the Falcon making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs – the point being that the ship was fast enough for the old man and that’s all that mattered.

 

I loved the Greedo scene as well.  The way this part was written, it seemed that Han was the only one who fired a shot, a wise decision by the author in my opinion.  It is still open to interpretation as Greedo still could have fired one off, but his shot is never explicitly mentioned.  The way the scene is written, Han comes across as a true cowboy and scoundrel, which I found immensely entertaining.

 

Han and Greedo

Han’s introduction was my favorite in the novel, and his section of the book was full of interesting little off-screen moments – one of my favorites being when Obi-Wan placed his hand on R2’s dome and told the little astromech that it was good to fly with him again, revealing to the reader that he did remember the little droid after all.

 

Han’s cynicism about the Force and his own self doubts are brought to light in great detail in this section.  Han reveals his inner struggle to avoid getting caught up in some kind of revolution all while realizing that he does in fact care about these people, even if he won’t admit it.  This part concludes with the Death Star escape.

 

 

Farm Boy

Luke’s story picks up as he sits aboard the Falcon following the escape from the Death Star.  We get a deeper look at his desire to be so much more than a farm boy from Tatooine and his constant effort to prove that very thing.  His insecurities are brought to light as he tells Leia about his past and as he wonders what Kenobi’s untimely death might mean for his own future.

 

Luke Skywalker

Most of this section is basically what you see on screen in the film, aside from an extended look at the Rebel base on Yavin 4.  Being in Luke’s head as they approached the jungle moon really brings out the fact that he is a small pond fish that has been suddenly released into a great big sea.

 

There is a moment on the approach to the Rebel base where Luke realizes he has never even seen trees in person before – which made the moment a breathtaking experience for the young would-be Jedi.  It’s as if every step is a whole new step for him into a much larger world that he may or may not be ready to embrace.

 

One of my favorite parts about this third act was the introduction of Wedge as he instructs Luke on the ins and outs of piloting an X-Wing and puts him through a simulation test to determine if he qualifies to fly for the Alliance.  Surprisingly (to the other pilots), the rookie farm boy ends up beating Wedge’s top score in the simulation and is quickly suited up with his own flight suit and helmet.

 

Luke in X-Wing

This section continues with Luke’s reunion with Biggs, the assault on the Death Star, and the one-in-a-million shot that saves the day followed by an epilogue with our heroes in the medal ceremony.  There are so many fantastic things in this book that are just begging to be experienced by fans old and new.  Do yourself a favor and check this one out.

 

Share your comments below or stop by the Cantina to join in a discussion about the book.

 

Click here for an interesting article about author Alexandra Bracken on the official Star Wars website.

 

+ posts

Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

Jordan Pate (Hard Case)

Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

34 thoughts on “SW7N Review – A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy

  • October 1, 2015 at 8:30 pm
    Permalink

    HAN SHOT FIRST CONFIRMED

    • October 1, 2015 at 10:09 pm
      Permalink

      That was confirmed back in 1977.

      • October 2, 2015 at 2:43 am
        Permalink

        Yeah, that’s true – makes for an interesting thought though… is the ORIGINAL release ULTIMATE CANNON? Or is it trumped by the subsequent re-releases?

        • October 2, 2015 at 3:07 pm
          Permalink

          The way the scene reads does not by necessity contradict the canonical blu ray version. Greedo very well could have shot, but it is not mentioned. While I enjoyed reading this as though only Han shot, it doesn’t negate the fact that the canon version of the film has Greedo firing. What this does do however is show us that Han was not reacting to Greedo, but resolved to fire regardless. This is certainly a compromise to appease fans who hold that Han shot first, or that he was the only one who shot. The way I take this scene in light of this novel is that (yes, Greedo got a shot off unfortunately) but Han had resolved to kill him anyway regardless of whether or not Greedo pulled the trigger. He simply says “I’ll bet you have…” and bam! Greedo lies smoldering face first on the table.

          • October 2, 2015 at 3:14 pm
            Permalink

            So we have come full circle then, Han shot first, but not PC so make a little tweak, then put a little sideways spin on it to bring it back home…

  • October 1, 2015 at 8:33 pm
    Permalink

    First off… she is a hottie. Second off… Huh? what were we talking about again?

  • October 1, 2015 at 8:52 pm
    Permalink

    If its written from the perspective of different characters, taht would explain the discrepancy in the dialogue.

    Since nobody is going to remember the same events the same way. Haven’t you watched that episode of [every tv show ever] where all the characters give their interpretation of a single event?

    • October 1, 2015 at 11:22 pm
      Permalink

      Yeah, that’s pretty much the idea I think. It’s the story through the eyes of the characters, not so much the audience. Plus it’s a “retelling ” and any time anything is retold there are some variations.

      Thanks for the tv episode comparison by the way. That is a good thought. 🙂 I could see Luke and Han arguing…

      “No. No. No. Let me tell you what happened. It went down like this…”

      I just mainly put that disclaimer in there for those who may ask the question, “so which version is absolute canon?!”

      The films are absolute canon. But they have also stated the books are canon. So the events in the book happened, but the dialogue in the film trumps that of the book in terms of canonicity.

      • October 2, 2015 at 12:58 pm
        Permalink

        The dialogue in which film though? The first release, or subsequent re-releases? What really is “ultimate canon”?

        • October 2, 2015 at 3:00 pm
          Permalink

          It appears that the current versions (the blu ray cuts) are considered “ultimate canon”. Back in 2006, Leland Chee (LFL Story Group, “Holocron Keeper”) stated the following…

          “Anything not in the current version of the films is irrelevant to Film only continuity.”

          Although I have not seen an official statement from the story group and/or Disney stating that the blu ray version is the only canon version, it seems like those are the versions they are holding to given that the only versions to be re-released to consumers under Disney have been those editions.

          They have released a new set of Blu Rays as well as digital versions of the films (which were just digital copies of the blu ray editions). The absence of an original theatrical version in the market reinforces the idea that with the 2014 relabeling of non-canon publications , they only want to sell the canonical versions of the films to firmly establish the new continuity.

          This was George Lucas’ mentality regarding the films, and it seems that they are sticking to the guns he once held regarding his vision for the saga.

          Couple this novel with the ANH blu ray version and you have your complete canonical story of Episode IV.

          • October 2, 2015 at 3:08 pm
            Permalink

            Tip of the hat to you my friend, one of the most rewarding replies I have received. But wait, there is another…

          • October 2, 2015 at 3:19 pm
            Permalink

            GL did express his thoughts on this (I vaguely recall his view was that the changes made brought the films closer to his *vision*). Interesting.

      • October 2, 2015 at 4:43 pm
        Permalink

        That’s I think one thing that was truly special about Star Wars [1977 film], it was intentionally abridged and shortened to feel like old mythology, just as vikings fighting druids over years was shortened to A Viking fighting A Monster over months – to – Beowulf fighting Grendel in 2 days.

        So I like the loose, easy feeling where what you’re watching isn’t what HAPPENED per se, but what was REMEMBERED and RETOLD by the characters to the next generation.

        As for Story Shorthand and Mythisization; I am extremely curious to see how the OT is explained [by Luke or Leia or whoever] to the younger generation. What will be referenced? In what way will the events of OT be remembered and described?? What will be skipped? This is actually one of those little things I am looking forward to the most.

  • October 1, 2015 at 8:54 pm
    Permalink

    Wow… another hidden gem. I’ll have to pick this up for my son. Thanks for another great review, this actually seems like a great co-reading experience, as you’ve already discussed.

    And, I really appreciate the addition of “spoilers” here. Lots of fun little additions. My favorite is probably that Luke actually had to “try out for the team” – I always found it a little implausible that Luke would be entrusted with an expensive X-wing and given the task of taking the shot as an almost-entirely-unknown entity who showed up a few hours before the battle.

    Also happy to hear that Obi-Wan remembered R2 🙂

  • October 1, 2015 at 8:56 pm
    Permalink

    There’s a nice little Ben and Artoo moment on the Falcon. That was my favourite “new” moment. It’s easily the best of the three. I gave up on the ESB one after about 20 pages. Just awful.

    • October 1, 2015 at 11:28 pm
      Permalink

      I’m reading that one now. I hope to do a review on it sometime next week. I get what he’s trying to do, putting you in Luke’s shoes and all, but the changes that he has made to the scenes in the film so far are a little off-putting.

      “There isn’t enough life on this ice cube to fill a refrigerator.”
      What? What’s wrong with “space cruiser”? And refrigerator doesn’t even make sense. It’s the life forms that would fill it, not the planet. Anyways, I digress.

      I know it’s told like a fairy tale so it will vary a little from the film, as do the other two, but the changes in it so far have been a little distracting.

    • October 2, 2015 at 2:54 am
      Permalink

      That was a great part that I really appreciated. I went ahead and finished ESB because it would screw with my OCD, but I did not enjoy it at all. This one and Jedi, however, were great. The only qualm I had with the Jedi adaptation was the chapter where Luke visits Obi-Wans hut again. Bad. Just a big miss on the storygroup’s part.

    • October 1, 2015 at 10:16 pm
      Permalink

      I believe that’s Jenny. Wonder if the actress is still alive?

      • October 2, 2015 at 1:08 am
        Permalink

        Hello
        She is still alive and played by British Actress Jenny Cresswell who also had a part in Space1999.

        • October 2, 2015 at 2:03 am
          Permalink

          Cool, many uncanny similarities exist between Space 1999 and A New Hope. In some of the later episodes you could see parts of the Star Wars sets and even the actor who played Gold Leader in one episode. I guess they shared studios.

  • October 1, 2015 at 9:17 pm
    Permalink

    Cool. I like seeing a new perspective on a classic tale. Too bad we don’t get to see vaders POV. She’s cute

    • October 1, 2015 at 11:29 pm
      Permalink

      Who’s cute? Vader? Vader’s a she?! 🙂

      • October 2, 2015 at 6:48 pm
        Permalink

        No the author lol

  • October 1, 2015 at 10:03 pm
    Permalink

    Not sure how I feel about Han lying about the Kessel run, but I suppose it Seems more reasonable than the whole bending of space-time due to black holes explaination from the EU. But on the whole awesome book. I really thought this was going to be a garbage JR novel copy of the films but it really feels like they captured the core story of the film while making it feel new again- which is no easy feat.

    • October 2, 2015 at 12:34 am
      Permalink

      Han lying about the Kessel Run is directly from the shooting script:

      HAN
      It’s the ship that made the Kessel
      run in less than twelve parsecs!

      Ben reacts to Solo’s stupid attempt to impress them with
      obvious misinformation.

    • October 2, 2015 at 1:02 am
      Permalink

      I agree about the Kessel Run….Just like in the new comic series I don’t agree with that Luke had faced Vader before ESB(being here in the comic) and also went back to Tatooine to search Obi Wan’s house.

  • October 1, 2015 at 10:15 pm
    Permalink

    Was the cantina floozie named Jenny by any chance?

    • October 1, 2015 at 11:28 pm
      Permalink

      Yes. 🙂

  • October 1, 2015 at 10:21 pm
    Permalink

    HAN SHOT FIRST WAHOOOO

  • October 1, 2015 at 11:40 pm
    Permalink

    I’ll admit that I wasn’t impressed with SW7N’s review of Aftermath, as I found it to be over-excited and flowery for a rather stale story.

    However, I do like the attention to detail in this review and the way everything is presented in a coherent and comprehensive fashion. These are some very valid points you’ve made and it would be difficult to disagree with them. Great book, indeed!

  • October 2, 2015 at 2:10 pm
    Permalink

    This one and the RotJ one were great, and added a lot of cool little details to the story. Very good reads, but the TESB one was HORRIBLE! The best of the films was the worst of these books, which is very, very disappointing. I’d say to just outright skip that one because unlike the other two it adds nothing of value to the story, unfortunately.

  • October 2, 2015 at 2:20 pm
    Permalink

    I’d just like to mention that Alexandra Bracken is freaking adorable. The fact she is a published author makes her that much more attractive too.

    • October 2, 2015 at 4:20 pm
      Permalink

      That is interesting, I’ll put it in my “Very Important” bin. 😐

Comments are closed.

LATEST POSTS ON MOVIE NEWS NET