What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Take a trip to Endora, Iowa and spend some time with the Grapes. The Grapes are the local quirky family that everybody knows. What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a novel written in clear prose that is chocked full of emotion. The novel is narrated by the skeptical and pessimistic Gilbert Grape. Gilbert is trapped in Endora by strong loyalty to his family. He is stuck in a going no where job and no relationship to speak of.Gilbert provides the lens into the lives of the Grapes; who they are, and how they arrived at this point in their lives. With great detail we meet the matron of the family, Bonnie Grape. Once the most beautiful woman in Endora, she has succombed to eating herself to enormous proportions. Amy, the caretaker of the family needs a husband and a life beyond Elvis and sevice to her family. We also meet Ellen, the prettiest and most egocentric girl in Endora. Finally, and probably the most charming and insightful Grape is Arnie, the miracle of the family. He is mentally challenged, and was not suppose to live to see his eighteenth birthday. The Grapes also include the ones that got away - older brother Larry and sister Janice. Aside from the Grapes, the cast of characters are also witty and add depth to the story. The Grape family are by all accounts odd and eccentric. What's Eating Gilbert Grape is centred around the Grape family as they anxiously plan the 18th birthday party of Arnie. This birthday party is more than just one occassion to celebrate, to each member the birthday party holds a different meaning. More than the story of family angst, Hedges sets out to have Gilbert discover himself. A story rich with humour and laced with hardship and pain, tells the story of many families, far from perfect, but not quite broken. What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a novel that will remain long after the pages are closed.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a book that I wouldn't have read if it wasn't for my reading class. I am glad I chose to enjoy this book. This book is strongly recommended by me to anyone who is willing to release themselves from the big city life and into an imagination of a small town boy waiting to get out. I also recommend reading this book if you have already seen the movie because there is so much more detail in this book. The movie was based on the book, so if parts of the film were unexplainable read the book for better details and descriptions of the characters and their actions. The author of this book, Peter Hedges, attended the same school that I did, so it was really neat to be reading his work. The book also requires some added thought, and I suggest annotating the book for fun. It takes a little extra time but it is well worth it for the added knowledge and insight you get into Gilbert's fascinating life. Gilbert is a 24 year old small town boy who struggles to find his place in society. Through his affair with an older woman, being a father-figure to his family, and being an unexperienced lover, Gilbert Grape has plenty of new experiences in this book. His sister, Amy is also very independent, but is forced to take care of her siblings and mother as well. Both adults work hard to support their mother who is very obese and unable to leave the house, a brother, Arnie who is mentally challenged and always finds himself in some kind of mischief, and a sister, Ellen whose young teenage horomones are racing for men. A mysterious girl comes to Eldora, Iowa and leaves all the young men drooling. Gilbert learns a lot from this girl, how to let go, how to forgive, and how to show his emotions. Through all of Gilbert's pain and happiness, he learns about life through a whole new perspective and is less eager about leaving his small hometown.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a novel that will "rip the bandage from your heart". It combines wit, passion and wisdom all delicately clothed in symbolism and things that are left un-said. Each event within this story is a reflection of the diverse characters that make up this poignant novel.....it will make you laugh and cry. Definately worth a read.

Peter Hedges' novel reminds me a lot of Larry McMurtry's early writings, such as HORSEMAN, PASS BY and LAST PICTURE SHOW. Both authors write character-driven books with meandering, sometimes barely discernible plots. Yet, both are able to weave a cast of quirky characters, slapstick comedic moments, and old-fashion melodrama into satisfying, touching coming-of-age stories. Plus, Hedges' prose is cleaner, sharper, and funnier. I can't count the number of times I laughed out loud while reading this book. And the ending was, as one critic put it, "totally luminous". It's hard to explain without ruining the story: The characters do something that, logically, doesn't make much sense, but emotionally you know it was just the right ending--an ending that will lead the characters to a new beginning. I gave this book a five-star rating, with one caveat: If you like plot-driven stories, rather than character-driven, you may find this book drags in places. Finally, let me say one thing about the movie, which is about the only publicity this book has gotten. The film is good; it's worth seeing if just to see Leonardo DiCaprio's wonderful portrayal of Arnie, a young retarded boy. However, read the book first. The characters are much better developed, and lots of the great comedy scenes unfortunately had to be omitted from the film due to time constraints. In fact, the movie deals mostly with the last 75 pages of the book.