Rating: 
Summary: I've read worse- and unfortunately a lot better.
Review: Terry Brooks novelisation was far from terrible. Personally I would have preferred more depth and characterisation but having not seen the film or seeing the screenplay who knows what he had to work with. For the die-hard Star Wars fans like myself it's worth buying if only to see what actually goes on plot-wise in the movie but if you have to choose between seeing the movie four times and buying Terry Brook's book and going to see the movie eight times, do the latter and enjoy! Passable but hardly fantastic.
Rating: 
Summary: Best book I ever read
Review: I think the story was great(thanks George Lucas) and the author did a good job. Already anticapating Episode II.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific addition to the Star Wars universe!!!
Review: I am reading the book for the second time and that's telling a lot because I don't normally read books more than once. And I hardly read Star Wars books at all. But this book made me a believer. The story of "The Phantom Menace" is better than the stories of the origianl trilogy-which were among the greatest movies ever made-and the dialogue is first rate. The action scenes were brilliantly described in fantastic detail, it was if I were watching the movie itself. Because of this book, I want to see the movie more than ever. Fans of the Star Wars movies and non fans alike will enjoy the novelization of the Star Wars movie. But be warned: Don't start reading this book at night because you won't get an ounce of sleep.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: THat was a good book! I was amazed that the new Star Wars movie was that intence. I know that the book is always better then the movie though. I know they will be diferent because the book relies on thoughts and a move can't do that.
Rating: 
Summary: Good for a quick read
Review: The novelization of the first Star Wars episode was not a bad job, if you are looking for a quick read, i.e. something that does not require you to ponder its meaning too deeply. However, the book is quite light on plot and characterization. I do believe Brooks worked the material as best he could. There was simply not much material to work with.I give the book three stars for those who like a quick read. It is a fun book. But even the action drags a little at times. If anyone wants something with depth, this book would be somewhere between one and zero. Regards, Paul
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best book I have ever read, but very good.
Review: I found that I definetly have read better books in my life, however, I enjoyed reading Star Wars Episode 1, because it was a fun book to read. Also, it enlightened me to what I was going to see in the movie. I read the book because I was worried that I wouldn't get to the movie in the next month. But anyway, the book was awesome!!
Rating:
Summary: A Worhthile Companion to the Film
Review: So far, most film critics and audience members have declared "The Phantom Menace" to be a worthwhile but flawed film. Although it is a visually astonishing and ground-breaking achievement in digital artistry, most complain that the film lacks human insights. Terry Brooks' narrative, however, fleshes out the mental and emotional musings of its characters. And though, by no fault of its own, the novelization cannot duplicate the film's visual style, Brooks writes in a surprisingly lyrical style, describing George Lucas's cosmic landscapes with soaring metaphors. "Star Wars" films, to begin with, are not meant to be peeled apart for their high-brow artistic merit and Shakespearian take on the human condition. (At least half of the characters in the "Star Wars" universe, you'll note, are not even human!) They are meant to be crowd-pleasers, a pure and sincere source of enjoyment and wonder to appease one's inner child. Terry Brooks' novelization, thus, complements the film by providing at least some of that emotional insight. And though its price is questionable (books cost too much these days, I feel) it is a pleasurable read, a guilty pleasure that will amuse avid readers and thrill "Star Wars" fanatics."
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and entertaining, but not outstanding.
Review: I read this more out of boredom, being stuck in a dreary town while traveling, with no cable nor music to fall back onto. I am very excited to see the new film being a fan and all. I was going to hold off but being bored - why not. Overall, it is what I will expect the movie to be: entertainment. Pure and simple. No more, no less. I thought there might be some addtional background to the story rather than plopping right into it all. (I had read a synopsis of the story about a year ago before the hype really started, and my initial reaction was "that's it?" But, it's a Star Wars movie and the special effects will make up for it). I did like the short history of the Sith although the Darth Maul character should have been expanded upon. The characterizations were ok but I did expect some more. Not much was even said about Shmi Skywalker. Apparently she is central to the boys downfall, but we don't get much of a crumb as to who she is. But then again, in the first film, Obi-Wan was never expanded upon that much either. All and all, I don't expect these to compare with Episode 4, hell, look at the difference between that and Episode 6. It is a movie and it is there for entertainment, so any one who is expecting anything else other than that...get a life.
Rating:
Summary: Terry Brooks gives a worthy effort in this adaptation.
Review: I found this book engaging from the first chapter on. Granted, I am a Star Wars Fan and have some bias, but I found Brooks treatment of the Star Wars universe very faithful to genre, and equal to the likes of Michael Stackpole (who took completely new characters and created a marvelously engaging series). Brooks had to limit his license to interject his own vision, in order to stay true to the movie plot, but he did so with such imagery, and well described action that I was easily pulled right into the story and found it hard to put the book down. Reading the book enhanced my enjoyment of the movie, and Brooks managed very well to take us beyond the script and into the psyches of the characters with background developments which made the characters motivations all the more plausable. A must-read for Star Wars fans who want to know the "why" of things.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Star Wars Novel
Review: Good clean fun from Terry Brooks. He can be dull, and he sometimes is here, but TPM Novel has that bold, bright sheen of a classic adventure story, in the same way that Sword of Shannara, and sometimes, First King of the Shannara did. It is the only Star Wars book really worth reading. For Brooks fans, it's a bit on the lean side, but I think most youngsters with a taste for old-fashioned adventure will read and re-read this novel with pleasure. Original illustrations would have been nice - the packaging is sub-standard.
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