Forrest Gump

Banned Book (Florida, Iowa)

---

s

“My mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you gonna get.’”

That familiar line is from the movie—not from Winston Groom’s bestselling novel Forrest Gump.  But it certainly fits the book.  There are things you won’t see coming.

The title character is a curious blend of Huckleberry Finn and Walter Mitty. With his friend—an orangutan named Sue—his adventures take him from outer space to the jungles of Borneo, from wrestling arenas in Indiana to chess tournaments in California and to many other places.  Forrest may not be blessed with social graces, but he can do so many things so well.

The story is presented in the first person from Forrest’s perspective.  It’s written the way Forrest talks, and it may take a chapter or two to get into the flow.  But once it clicks, it works.

By the way, some school districts in Florida and Iowa banned this book—most likely for language and sexual content.  So, if you’re sensitive to that, you may not like this book.

Forrest Gump is a good read, but this is one of those rare instances when the movie is actually better than the book.  The movie has a sweetness and a depth that the book just doesn’t have.

So, when you read this book, forget about the movie. Instead, think about those literary cousins—Huckleberry Finn, Walter Mitty, and Forrest Gump.

---

---

---