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Steven Spielberg's E.T...
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Steven Spielberg's E.T.: the Extra Terrestrial storybook
by
William Kotzwinkle (Goodreads Author)
Based on the screenplay by Melissa Mathison.
What do you do when you're lost, millions of miles from home, surrounded by frightening creatures?
You do what the Old Botanist did when he was accidentally left behind on Earth. First you find a friend...
Filmaker STEVEN SPIELBERG and novelist WILLIAM KOTZWINKLE together create a magical story about two unforgettable friends: a ge...more
What do you do when you're lost, millions of miles from home, surrounded by frightening creatures?
You do what the Old Botanist did when he was accidentally left behind on Earth. First you find a friend...
Filmaker STEVEN SPIELBERG and novelist WILLIAM KOTZWINKLE together create a magical story about two unforgettable friends: a ge...more
Published
December 13th 1990
by Knight Books
(first published 1982)
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Jul 08, 2008
furious
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of young adult sci-fi
Recommended to furious by:
William Kotzwinkle
when this book turned up at the store one day, a couple things struck me: a) i don't remember ANYTHING about the movie ET. i think i saw it one time when i was a little kid, back when it came out. but unlike most other people on Earth, i didn't go apeshit for it or anything. so it doesn't exactly hold a place in my heart, is what i'm saying. or in my memory. b) the novelization is written by William Kotzwinkle. that dude is awesome. i mean, i've never read anything he has written, but his dust j...more
-Penguin Readers, Level2
-Time; 10/16=20min, 10/17=56min, 10/18=12min
-7words summary; spaceship, extra-terrestrial, hide, closet, scientists, bike, return
-Discussion questions
1.If extra-terrestrial appeared in front of you, what would you do?
A. In my case, I'd escape from ET, because I'd be afraid of any kinds of alien... Even if ET isn't an afraid alien, I'd not help like Elliott. He is so kind!
2. Have you ever watched the movie, "E.T."? And, have you ever ridden on an attraction of E.T. In...more
-Time; 10/16=20min, 10/17=56min, 10/18=12min
-7words summary; spaceship, extra-terrestrial, hide, closet, scientists, bike, return
-Discussion questions
1.If extra-terrestrial appeared in front of you, what would you do?
A. In my case, I'd escape from ET, because I'd be afraid of any kinds of alien... Even if ET isn't an afraid alien, I'd not help like Elliott. He is so kind!
2. Have you ever watched the movie, "E.T."? And, have you ever ridden on an attraction of E.T. In...more
Apr 08, 2012
Daniel G.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who watched and loved the movie.
One of the mysteries of the movies is what was it that made E.T. spring to life when by human measures he was already dead. William Kotzwinkle's novel gives that answer and a lot more insight into what's going into the alien's head.
I won't go into much detail. The movie is such a cultural icon that I'll assume everyone knows it's about a stranded alien trying to get home who gets help from a boy he befriends.
Film tie-ins can often be good for extra background that had to be cut from the movie. B...more
I won't go into much detail. The movie is such a cultural icon that I'll assume everyone knows it's about a stranded alien trying to get home who gets help from a boy he befriends.
Film tie-ins can often be good for extra background that had to be cut from the movie. B...more
Nov 29, 2007
Kathleen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
nerdy people
Shelves:
favorites,
sam-and-me
Although it's incredibly nerdy, this book has to be my all time favorite. The book has so much depth and intimacy, what a classic, treasure of a book. It makes my heart warm and fuzzy!
Apr 24, 2013
Irving Karchmar
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
i-love-these-books
Based on the screenplay by Melissa Mathison, William Kotzwinkle tells the story of ET from his point of view, and it is in many ways better and more insightful and touching than the movie. Kotzwinkle is a wonderful storyteller, and a prolific children's book author, and lovingly tells the the alien's tale:
"What do you do when you're lost, millions of miles from home, surrounded by frightening creatures?
You do what the Old Botanist did when he was accidentally left behind on Earth. First you find...more
"What do you do when you're lost, millions of miles from home, surrounded by frightening creatures?
You do what the Old Botanist did when he was accidentally left behind on Earth. First you find...more
Movie novelizations tend to get a bad rap, although frankly I'm uncertain why. William Kotzwinkle's book, written to tie in with the Steven Spielberg film of the same name, is an excellent example of just why film novelizations shouldn't be discounted outright. Although, like most such books, it feels a bit rushed at end, the sections of the story told from E.T.'s point of view are quite interesting.
Among other things we learn that he develops a crush on Elliott's mom, Mary, and that he has a ps...more
Among other things we learn that he develops a crush on Elliott's mom, Mary, and that he has a ps...more
80's movie novelizations are a genre unto themselves. The ET novel fits the mold perfectly- thin and discounted as a true piece of writing, these novelizations were intended to collect a piece of coin from fans and feed the greater monetization of pop culture that Lucas had demonstrated a few years earlier. Like many of these small re-writes of the original script, ET exceeds the expectations. Kotzwinkle makes the bold move of writing the novel from the perspective of the Old Botanist. From this...more
Jan 11, 2009
Ilze
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Ilze by:
Patricia Powell
My friend, Patricia, used to collect all the ET stickers she could lay her hands on. She'd watched the movie and being an "laat lammetjie", she even got some other ET memorabilia. At the time, we were still living on a farm out of town, which meant I never ended up seeing the movie, so had to read the book when I saw it at the library - I really enjoyed it.
What 12 year old kid was not swept up by E.T. mania in 1982 when the movie was released. I ate too many Reeces Pieces and collected E.T. Cards. And of course I picked up a copy of the paperback book and read it several times. I no longer have my original copy as it fell apart many years ago.
This book is old, way too old. I first read it when I was 10 years old. I used to love it and ignoring the almost childish vocabulary and grammar and the basic, stereotypical story. If you can ignore that, it is good...for your younger sibling ;)
Aug 25, 2009
Niki
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Niki by:
My mom bought it for me
This is my favourite movie, so I obviously was drawn to the book. The great thing about the book though is it gives you an insight to what E.T. himself is thinking in a very funny way. A lovely lovely read and even the BOOK makes me cry like the movie does. Well done.
Since I was not really a big fan of ET movie, I didn't know E.T. stands for "extra-terrestrial." It is hard to pronounce.
One of those childhood re-reads - now I want to see the movie! Enjoyed the book and the connections btwn ET and the humans.
Could've been better but a nice companion to one of my favourite films and an incredibly lucky find in a second hand book shop :)
I read the book many years before I watched the film adaptation, and the book is still better!
Read this when I was 13. One of the first books I read through the night. Really loved it.
i was forced to read this when i was in highschool. ugh. haha.
This was my favorite book when I was nine or ten... loved it
Don't be scared of someone that is really nice.
Worth reading for nostalgia.
This is a great little read that condenses Spielberg's movie into 44 pages of vivid and imaginative writing complete with colour photographs from the film itself. Having not seen the film for years you forget how good a story it was but this captures all the magic from the movie and makes you want to watch it once again.
Well, that was weird.
Aug 04, 2009
Jake
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
fiction
One of a handful of Lucas/Spielberg movie novelizations I read growing up. Its value is in spelling out the introspection of characters. One of my favorite moments is when Elliot's mother looks out the kitchen window at her neighbor, silently ridiculing him. It's these little personal moments that make novelizations worth reading.
Jan 21, 2013
Paul Grimsley
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-books
i rushed out to get this on the day it came it out back in the 1980s and read it in 3 hours. i remember noticing mistakes that they made in regards to the film. oh well, not exactly a classic or anything.
This book is just as heartwrenching as the movie! I know it's an adaptation of themovie, not the other way around, but I always get more out of the written word than I do images on a screen.
I read this because since I was a child, I have been afraid of E.T. And. . . I still am. As soon as I finished the book, I hid it under some papers so I didn't have to look at the cover.
Aug 04, 2008
Marts (Thinker)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-with-a-movie,
childrens-books
The story of a strange creature lost on earth, though I read the book years later I think this may have been one of the first movies I saw as a child...
I found this among many others I never got around to reading. It's surprisingly good, but I don't want to give away the ending!!!
p.s. he dies :(
p.s. he dies :(
Found the hardbacks of this and The Book of the Green Planet at Recycled in Denton a couple years ago, but still haven't gotten around to reading them.
This book and the movie it was based on explore themese of loss, magic and childhood wonder. All the ingredients for a great fairytale.
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William Kotzwinkle is a two-time recipient of the National Magazine Award for Fiction, a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Prix Litteraire des Bouquinistes des Quais de Paris, the PETA Award for Children's Books, and a Book Critics Circle award nominee. His work has been translated into dozens of languages.
More about William Kotzwinkle...
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“And still others heard: dreeeple zoonnnnnnggggggg ummmmmtwrrrdssss
Calling from the beyond
Whatever it was, it touched E.T.'s healing finger, and caused it to glow.
He healed himself.”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
Calling from the beyond
Whatever it was, it touched E.T.'s healing finger, and caused it to glow.
He healed himself.”
Oct 29, 2012 02:27pm