![]() ![]() There’s only brief backstory, but what’s clear is that there’s a lot eating her, and that has a great deal of relevance to what’s eating Gilbert. She’s reduced to a sleeping, eating, demanding lump, a passive figure who I learned about more via narration from Gilbert rather than via direct characterization. I was therefore most disappointed that he didn’t develop these characters, especially Bonnie, as well as he could. Hedges’s most promising story lines involve Gilbert’s obese mother, Bonnie, and intellectually handicapped brother, Arnie. Hedges wanted to stuff it all into one book, but he couldn’t that would've meant a book 1,000 pages long. The economic depression is disappointingly undeveloped. The adultery is randomly tossed in, as is a sudden death and Gilbert’s romance. ![]() ![]() Nevertheless, Hedges didn’t explore these to an equal degree. It’s too much, and it’s the book’s biggest flaw. Further topics Peter Hedges wrote about are as follows: His general ennui and restlessness in tiny, dead-end Endora, Iowa What’s eating Gilbert Grape? In short, a lot: It seemed to be the perfect time to read it and reflect on the different crossroads we come to at various stages in our life, and the thoughts that pervade our mind in an attempt to ensure that we're making the best decision possible. I am so glad I found this book (for one dollar, no less). I was also struck by the loving relationship Gilbert has with his disabled brother, Arnie, probably one of the most astute characters in the book. Gilbert is a complex young man, and several times I found myself thinking about how Johnny Depp was the perfect actor for this character. Being a fan of the movie though, the book was definitely more gratifying. Grappling with the desire to leave town and start an exciting life elsewhere, and the guilt and responsibility to stay and care for his family, he is unprepared when a beautiful young girl from the big city comes to town, and unexpectedly helps him come to terms with his feelings about his family and their past.Ĭonsidering how old Hedges was when he wrote this, it too was equally profound. What's Eating Gilbert Grape is his profound post-coming-of-age novel about twenty-four year old Gilbert Grape, a grocery store stock boy living in the tiny town of Endora, Iowa. We rot.” – Gilbert Grapeīefore Jonathan Safran Foer was the talk of literary circles for writing Everything is Illuminated at such a young age, there was Peter Hedges. “You can tell the idyllic nature of a family by the upkeep of its picnic table. Overall, it wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible, a little weird, a little sad, a little funny, but mostly just ok. But that still doesn't change the fact that he wasn't a very likable character, and since the entire book is from Gilbert's perspective, I found it somewhat of a letdown. So no, I dont think we can put all the blame on our friend Gilbert for being a world-class ass hole. He has absolutely nothing going for him, and everything going against him. His family is the picture of dysfunction. The question is, can we blame Gilbert for being an ass hole? He lives in small town Iowa,where nothing ever happens. He's an ass hole to the women who show any interest in him. Young Gilbert Grape is a level 5 ass hole. So, what's eating Gilbert Grape? EVERYTHING!!! Everything is eating Gilbert Grape. What's eating Gilbert Grape? His dads dead, his mom, the "walrus", is eatting herself to death, his little sister is a bitch, a slut, and an abnoxioyusly devout christian, his brother is a "retard" (his word not mine), his friends are all idiots, his job is a complete dead end, his love interests are a 40ish year old mom or a 15 year old weirdo (Glibert is 24), the town he lives in is slowly dying, and there's absolutly nothing he can to do about any of it. ![]()
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