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Peter Hedges

Author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape

20+ Works 1,838 Members 42 Reviews 3 Favorited

About the Author

Peter Simpson Hedges was born July 6, 1962 in Des Moines Iowa. He attended North Carolina School of the Arts where he studied drama. His novel What's Eating Gilbert Grape was adapted into a critically acclaimed movie of the same title, which launched his film career. In 2002, he received an Academy show more Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for About a Boy. In the same year, he wrote and directed Pieces of April, starring Katie Holmes. In 2007, he co-wrote and directed Dan in Real Life. He wrote and directed The Odd Life of Timothy Green in 2012. His plays include: Imaging Brad, Baby Anger, Teddy by the Sea, and Good as New. His other novels include An Ocean in Iowa and The Heights. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the name: Peter Hedges

Image credit: Photo by Susan Bruce, found at author's website.

Works by Peter Hedges

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1991) 912 copies
What's Eating Gilbert Grape [1993 film] (1994) — Screenwriter — 214 copies
The Heights (2010) 209 copies
An Ocean in Iowa (1997) 196 copies
Dan in Real Life [2007 film] (2008) — Director — 112 copies
Pieces of April [2003 film] (2004) 65 copies
The Odd Life of Timothy Green [2012 film] (2012) — Director — 55 copies
Ben is Back [2018 film] (2019) — Director — 19 copies
Good as New (1998) 6 copies
A Map of the World [1999 film] — Writer — 2 copies

Associated Works

About a Boy [2002 film] (2002) — Screenwriter — 323 copies
Laugh Lines: Short Comic Plays (2007) — Contributor — 60 copies

Tagged

1990s (8) 2010 (7) 20th century (5) American (9) Brooklyn (7) comedy (20) coming of age (23) contemporary (13) contemporary fiction (11) drama (38) DVD (64) dysfunctional family (9) family (33) favorites (5) fiction (183) film (17) growing up (5) hardcover (5) Iowa (21) Johnny Depp (7) Kindle (10) library (5) literary fiction (6) marriage (12) movie (31) movies (8) New York (7) New York City (6) novel (20) obesity (9) own (7) read (17) relationships (6) romance (13) screenplay (5) siblings (10) small town (12) suicide (7) to-read (85) USA (9)

Common Knowledge

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Reviews

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges is a 1991 Simon & Schuster publication.

This is one of those books that has now made it into the ‘classics’ category- but I’ve heard more about the movie adaptation than the novel. When I saw the book in the KU program, I decided to check it out on a whim and then, after I read it, I planned on watching the movie -which I found on one of my streaming services.

Well, I must tell you, I didn’t get what everyone else saw in this book. By the time I got to that ghastly conclusion, I knew I’d never watch the movie. I couldn’t get this one in the rearview mirror fast enough- and I’d rather just keep Gilbert Grape as a distant memory instead of tormenting myself with the visual saga of this dysfunctional family on steroids- great acting or no.

Overall, I can’t say the book was a disappointment or letdown because I only read it out of curiosity. That said, I struggled with it from the get-go and was tempted to throw in the towel on numerous occasions. I finished it- but was left scratching my head- wondering what on earth it was about this book that captivated so many people.

I could go into the cons of the story- but I don’t think I’ll spend that much of my time on a book I didn't like. You know it’s bad when I’m willing to take the abuse for my one star review.

1 star
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gpangel | 11 other reviews | Dec 29, 2023 |
This was a fun read because I live in the city in which it takes place and most of the places mentioned are real. It also took place in the time I grew up, so all the television shows were familiar.

Scotty Ocean turns seven. His mother leaves him and his two older sisters. Scotty tries various ways to get his mother to return to the family. Some are funny and some are embarrassing. If you are interested in a humorous book about a young boy growing up in Iowa, I would suggest The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. This is a laugh out loud that takes place in Des Moines.… (more)
½
 
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dara85 | 5 other reviews | Sep 27, 2021 |
5717. What's Eating Gilbert Grape, by Peter Hedges (read 9 Nov 2020) I read this book because the author was born in Iowa and I tend to read Iowa authors when I learn of them. This 1991 work of fiction tells of a weird family which lives in the fictional town of Endora, Iowa. The mother of the children is a widow (the father hung himself) who eats and has grown from a beauty as a young woman into a grossly fat woman who eats as much as the four children who live with her do combined. Gilbert Grape is the 24-year-old son who is the narrator of the book and works in a grocery store and has an adulterous relationship with a woman who taught him in school. There is a retarded 17-year-old son who is a constant source of grief for the family but much beloved nevertheless. The two oldest children live away from home but support their mother's huge food and smoking life by monthly checks. I could not admire any character in the story and thus was not really taken up by the story. I prefer at least one admirable character in a story.… (more)
½
1 vote
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Schmerguls | 11 other reviews | Nov 9, 2020 |
The eponymous narrator is a young grocery clerk in a dead-end town in Iowa. A member of a dysfunctional family, headed by morbidly obese Momma, who never leaves the house (where the floors are collapsing), and spends her days in a dreamy world of endless TV and junk food. Here too are sad, dutiful elder sister, Amy, precocious teenage Ellen and the lumbering, mentally deficient Arnie. All affected by the suicide of their father, all in thrall to endless calorie-laden food (which punctuates every chapter). Gilbert dreams of escape...
I came to this having never seen the movie. It's an OK read, presumably aimed at the YA reader. And it's a brilliant book top read if, like me, you're trying to diet...the food and Momma will make you follow your regime religiously! Not bad, but not great.
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½
 
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starbox | 11 other reviews | Jul 4, 2019 |

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Rating
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