The Last Jedi and the Shakespeare Novelizations

I didn't see this here; more spoilers from the novel from pacificwanderer on Tumblr:

Kylo actually smiles and then almost smiles again in the same scene (after they sass each other).

“….but he just smiled at the sight of Rey crammed into the pod’s tight confines.” P 202

Kylo is 100% terrified of Luke and Hux plans to take advantage of this.

“Hux looked at Ren’s face and saw terror–naked and undisguised. That fear meant weakness–and opportunity.” P. 293 TLJ Novelization.

Hux absolutely is going to usurp Supreme Leader Ren, like tomorrow, probably. Thinks that Kylo is a “slave to his emotions” (understatement of the millennium).

Straight up is arranging for Ren “to be sidelined and eliminated.” P 293-294.

Also, Hux equates his own father’s taking/training of Stormtroopers with the Jedi Order. This guy. This GUY. He’s coming for the crown and it ain’t gonna be pretty.

“No?’ Kylo’s curiosity was genuine–and infuriating. ‘Your parents threw you away like garbage.’

'They didn’t,’ Rey said, and she hated the fact that even to her own ears she sounded like she was pleading. The strange contact between their minds had given her insight into his powers, and had helped unleash her own. It had also let him pillage her memories and feelings. But there was no way the Force could have told him that, shown him that. That was right, wasn’t it?” P. 175 TLJ Novelization.

So she definitely knows about her parents and it’s confirmed later after the Praetorian guards fight as well:

“But he was right. She did know the truth–and it was the same as her greatest fear, the one that had hunted her for so long.”

ZioRen wrote:I didn't see this here; more spoilers from the novel from pacificwanderer on Tumblr:

Kylo actually smiles and then almost smiles again in the same scene (after they sass each other).

“….but he just smiled at the sight of Rey crammed into the pod’s tight confines.” P 202

Kylo is 100% terrified of Luke and Hux plans to take advantage of this.

“Hux looked at Ren’s face and saw terror–naked and undisguised. That fear meant weakness–and opportunity.” P. 293 TLJ Novelization.

Hux absolutely is going to usurp Supreme Leader Ren, like tomorrow, probably. Thinks that Kylo is a “slave to his emotions” (understatement of the millennium).

Straight up is arranging for Ren “to be sidelined and eliminated.” P 293-294.

Also, Hux equates his own father’s taking/training of Stormtroopers with the Jedi Order. This guy. This GUY. He’s coming for the crown and it ain’t gonna be pretty.

“No?’ Kylo’s curiosity was genuine–and infuriating. ‘Your parents threw you away like garbage.’

'They didn’t,’ Rey said, and she hated the fact that even to her own ears she sounded like she was pleading. The strange contact between their minds had given her insight into his powers, and had helped unleash her own. It had also let him pillage her memories and feelings. But there was no way the Force could have told him that, shown him that. That was right, wasn’t it?” P. 175 TLJ Novelization.

So she definitely knows about her parents and it’s confirmed later after the Praetorian guards fight as well:

“But he was right. She did know the truth–and it was the same as her greatest fear, the one that had hunted her for so long.”

@ZioRen

The Hux part is interesting b/c Domhall Gleeson has definitely been playing up Hux's awfulness in the press tour for both TLJ and recently for Peter Rabbit. Including saying that he was enjoying getting cast as bad guys because he's been typecast as the mild-mannered foil.

The context for Kylo's 'hungry gaze' is after the shirtless scene, presumably when he's looking at Rey, according to this person.

Kylo Rey wrote:“Shh, come here, big guy.” He reached his hands under his son’s little arms and pulled him up so Ben was sobbing into Han’s chest. Han felt that tiny heartbeat pitter-pattering away as Ben snorfled and sniffed.



Why do I get the feeling that Han was Ben's hero growing up?

@Kylo Rey

Awww! I'm totally ok...
Baby Ben and his father are so cute, and I hate Snoke even more for what he did

ZioRen wrote:I didn't see this here; more spoilers from the novel from pacificwanderer on Tumblr:

Kylo actually smiles and then almost smiles again in the same scene (after they sass each other).

“….but he just smiled at the sight of Rey crammed into the pod’s tight confines.” P 202

Kylo is 100% terrified of Luke and Hux plans to take advantage of this.

“Hux looked at Ren’s face and saw terror–naked and undisguised. That fear meant weakness–and opportunity.” P. 293 TLJ Novelization.

Hux absolutely is going to usurp Supreme Leader Ren, like tomorrow, probably. Thinks that Kylo is a “slave to his emotions” (understatement of the millennium).

Straight up is arranging for Ren “to be sidelined and eliminated.” P 293-294.

Also, Hux equates his own father’s taking/training of Stormtroopers with the Jedi Order. This guy. This GUY. He’s coming for the crown and it ain’t gonna be pretty.

“No?’ Kylo’s curiosity was genuine–and infuriating. ‘Your parents threw you away like garbage.’

'They didn’t,’ Rey said, and she hated the fact that even to her own ears she sounded like she was pleading. The strange contact between their minds had given her insight into his powers, and had helped unleash her own. It had also let him pillage her memories and feelings. But there was no way the Force could have told him that, shown him that. That was right, wasn’t it?” P. 175 TLJ Novelization.

So she definitely knows about her parents and it’s confirmed later after the Praetorian guards fight as well:

“But he was right. She did know the truth–and it was the same as her greatest fear, the one that had hunted her for so long.”

@ZioRen

Those parts are so interesting!
I love what we are learning about Hux, he is definitely going to be the big bad guy in next movie. I'm afraid that SL Kylo Ren won't last long...

Kessel wrote:

MrsWindu wrote:

Kessel wrote:These excerpts of Han and his little “big guy” Ben in this novel are going to make me cry!

@Kessel

I’m with you there. Han sounds like a pretty relaxed but hands on dad at this stage considering Ben does not appear to be a good sleeper.  Hoping tomorrow’s excerpt will feature more Kid!Ben

@MrsWindu

I know. I love how they’re emphasizing that Han and little Ben spent lots of time together when Ben was very young, before he got older and things got more complicated. Little Ben was obviously close to Han. We know he wanted to be just like his him, carrying around the dice and wanting to be a pilot, like his dad.

@Kessel

HAN FORCE GHOST NOW!!!!

Seriously! I don't care if they need to change the rules. This needs to happen! Something terrible happened between Han and Ben and they need to be reconciled! No wonder Han looked like he wanted to punch Luke in the face when he said "I knew Luke" in TFA. The Skywalkers took over his boy! (Again, this book is going to kill me!)

Dar-ren19 wrote:

Kylo Rey wrote:“Shh, come here, big guy.” He reached his hands under his son’s little arms and pulled him up so Ben was sobbing into Han’s chest. Han felt that tiny heartbeat pitter-pattering away as Ben snorfled and sniffed.



Why do I get the feeling that Han was Ben's hero growing up?

@Kylo Rey is Ben holding on to his father’s finger there? Aww!!!

@Starliteprism - I’m right there with you! Yep, every night I fight the Big Fight with my two-year old lol.

@Dar-ren19

It's never-ending! So, my little one, who is not as little anymore (5), especially when appendages are all opportunistic weapons, managed to elbow my eye, not once, but TWICE last night. Granted, she was complaining about her foot feeling funny. She must have stretched a muscle running around at school yesterday. Always a full menu in this household. :-p

More interesting tidbits from pacificwanderer:

Kylo is terrified of Luke and Hux plans to take advantage of this.
“Hux looked at Ren’s face and saw terror–naked and undisguised. That fear meant weakness–and opportunity.” P. 293 TLJ Novelization.

Hux absolutely is going to usurp Supreme Leader Ren, like tomorrow, probably. Thinks that Kylo is a “slave to his emotions” (understatement of the millennium).

Straight up is arranging for Ren “to be sidelined and eliminated.” P 293-294.

Also, Hux equates his own father’s taking/training of Stormtroopers with the Jedi Order. This guy. This GUY. He’s coming for the crown and it ain’t gonna be pretty.


...Luke,Luke,Luke going after the wrong''bad''guy AGAIN while giving the real bad guy advantage and something to use against Ben.
I mean I get Luke was trying to teach Ben a lesson but having all this info about what a megalomaniac Hux really is in retrospect it  seems to me like a huge mistake to confront him in front of all the FO instead of confronting him when he's alone(not that it would have made Ben less unhinged but still).

I always knew that Hux was the real big bad (it's really special how the story gets the GA to ignore him because he doesn't have force powers even as he's blowing up entire systems and giving "I'm EVIL muahahaha!" speeches). I'm so excited for IX.

I know theyre saying that Hux cant be the real villain because hes not the "Tarkin" type aka menacing throughout and gets thrown around a lot in TLJ. I mean, I dont know about you but I find that far more interesting because it now gives him a reason to try and prove himself BECAUSE of how he got thrown around by both Kylo and Snoke, i really see him coming up with a f**** up plan in 9! I think people will be surprised by Hux in 9, they've been building it up and its gonna be so unexpected!

Didn't know where to put this since we don't have a thread for it but this is soo cute:
https://sleemo.tumblr.com/post/171449325532/daniel-josé-older-on-telling-a-han-and-lando-tale

StarWars.com: As a new father, I loved the excerpt. For a galaxy far, far away, I found it relatable on a million levels, though I’ve never been awakened by a Mon Mothma hologram. What can you tell us about writing this scene, and, in general, writing Han Solo, legendary smuggler and scoundrel…as a dad?

Daniel José Older: This was also a lot of fun! (The whole book was way too much fun to write, if we’re being honest.) Han is someone we know has the capacity to love deeply — take that moment in Jedi when he’s ready to step back because he thinks Luke and Leia have a thing going (eep!); it’s so small but says so much about the man he has become. So on the one hand he has a powerful devotion to Leia and Ben and on the other — look, he’s still a rugged smuggler deep down, and the open sky still calls his name. So how does a wandering heart find adventure amidst contentment? As we gather from the more recent movies, in Han’s case, maybe one doesn’t. But at this early point in his marriage he’s still really trying to solve that problem.

StarWars.com: Considering the path that Ben took, there’s also something tragic about this scene and this glimpse into how Han loved him. Is that something you wanted to convey?

Daniel José Older: Ah, the great thing about writing in this wild and vast universe is so much of that work is already done, so it relieves me of the need to be overbearing or lean heavily into foreshadowing. We know there’s tragedy down the road, so it’s really the every day regular-shmegular type details that are kind of heartbreaking, like Ben calling Lando “Unca Wanwo.”

CienaRee wrote:Didn't know where to put this since we don't have a thread for it but this is soo cute:
https://sleemo.tumblr.com/post/171449325532/daniel-josé-older-on-telling-a-han-and-lando-tale

StarWars.com: As a new father, I loved the excerpt. For a galaxy far, far away, I found it relatable on a million levels, though I’ve never been awakened by a Mon Mothma hologram. What can you tell us about writing this scene, and, in general, writing Han Solo, legendary smuggler and scoundrel…as a dad?

Daniel José Older: This was also a lot of fun! (The whole book was way too much fun to write, if we’re being honest.) Han is someone we know has the capacity to love deeply — take that moment in Jedi when he’s ready to step back because he thinks Luke and Leia have a thing going (eep!); it’s so small but says so much about the man he has become. So on the one hand he has a powerful devotion to Leia and Ben and on the other — look, he’s still a rugged smuggler deep down, and the open sky still calls his name. So how does a wandering heart find adventure amidst contentment? As we gather from the more recent movies, in Han’s case, maybe one doesn’t. But at this early point in his marriage he’s still really trying to solve that problem.

StarWars.com: Considering the path that Ben took, there’s also something tragic about this scene and this glimpse into how Han loved him. Is that something you wanted to convey?

Daniel José Older: Ah, the great thing about writing in this wild and vast universe is so much of that work is already done, so it relieves me of the need to be overbearing or lean heavily into foreshadowing. We know there’s tragedy down the road, so it’s really the every day regular-shmegular type details that are kind of heartbreaking, like Ben calling Lando “Unca Wanwo.”

@CienaRee

Lol it's almost like they're trying to break our hearts on purpose now.

SoloSideCousin wrote:

Kessel wrote:

MrsWindu wrote:

Kessel wrote:These excerpts of Han and his little “big guy” Ben in this novel are going to make me cry!

@Kessel

I’m with you there. Han sounds like a pretty relaxed but hands on dad at this stage considering Ben does not appear to be a good sleeper.  Hoping tomorrow’s excerpt will feature more Kid!Ben

@MrsWindu


I know. I love how they’re emphasizing that Han and little Ben spent lots of time together when Ben was very young, before he got older and things got more complicated. Little Ben was obviously close to Han. We know he wanted to be just like his him, carrying around the dice and wanting to be a pilot, like his dad.

@Kessel

HAN FORCE GHOST NOW!!!!

Seriously! I don't care if they need to change the rules. This needs to happen! Something terrible happened between Han and Ben and they need to be reconciled! No wonder Han looked like he wanted to punch Luke in the face when he said "I knew Luke" in TFA. The Skywalkers took over his boy! (Again, this book is going to kill me!)

@SoloSideCousin

OH my goodness! I was thinking about the time travel stuff introduced in the Rebels show. I don't watch the show, but it would such a great idea, if they could have Han's ghost to get closure with Ben/Kylo. Ben could ask his forgiveness and tell his father he loves him.

New ep9 Headcanon:

Ben gets ousted by Hux and tries to find a safehaven aka someone in the galaxy he could trust. He goes to visit his Unca Wanwo

Lando: "You got a lotta guts comin here, after what you pulled!"

Riri wrote:New ep9 Headcanon:

Ben gets ousted by Hux and tries to find a safehaven aka someone in the galaxy he could trust. He goes to visit his Unca Wanwo

Lando: "You got a lotta guts comin here, after what you pulled!"

@Riri

I was thinking about this yesterday too. And Ben will bring Rey with him just like Han brought Leia. It's too perfect.

rawpowah wrote:

Riri wrote:New ep9 Headcanon:

Ben gets ousted by Hux and tries to find a safehaven aka someone in the galaxy he could trust. He goes to visit his Unca Wanwo

Lando: "You got a lotta guts comin here, after what you pulled!"

@Riri

I was thinking about this yesterday too. And Ben will bring Rey with him just like Han brought Leia. It's too perfect.

@rawpowah

Since all of the OT3 will be gone in 9 it will be wonderful if Lando made an appearance - if you think about it he's the only family Ben's left besides his unlce Chewie.

I've also been thinking... what if the Reylo FOD episode is their cute banter on the Supremacy from the novelization? Or that might just be the deleted scene, though it seems to imply that the deleted scene is Kylo waiting for Rey to arrive.

Or maybe the FOD episode is one where they get trapped in the elevator and have to fix it

Sleemo has got her hands on the junior novel. No idea if she will post spoilers.

Unca Wanwo!! Awww! They’re trying to kill us here...

Okay can I just ask - just where are some of us getting a hold of these novels?! I went to Barnes & Nobel yesterday and was told I’ll get first thing March 6. I want it now!!

Before TLJ novelisation leaks I’d been thinking if I want to read the novelisations at all (TFA included as I haven’t read it yet). I expected TLJ will be similar to TFA which apparently is pretty dry and offers just a few insights. Especially, that even though so many reylos were happy about one of Jason Fry’s tweets (that he acknowledged reylos existence), he actually wrote to us (among others) not to be disappointed if there’s less content than we hoped.

But once the leaks started to surface, I was shocked - I certainly haven’t expected the novelisation to be that reylolicious! And now I can’t wait, in the meantime will try to read both TFA novelisations plus maybe a few other books already released - looks like I’ll spend this weekend reading all things SW .

Also, seems like everybody will get into the adult novelisation first, so I for one will start with junior - I wonder if it’s gonna surprise me with some less-than-subtle reylo.

nana7marie wrote:Before TLJ novelisation leaks I’d been thinking if I want to read the novelisations at all (TFA included as I haven’t read it yet). I expected TLJ will be similar to TFA which apparently is pretty dry and offers just a few insights. Especially, that even though so many reylos were happy about one of Jason Fry’s tweets (that he acknowledged reylos existence), he actually wrote to us (among others) not to be disappointed if there’s less content than we hoped.

But once the leaks started to surface, I was shocked - I certainly haven’t expected the novelisation to be that reylolicious! And now I can’t wait, in the meantime will try to read both TFA novelisations plus maybe a few other books already released - looks like I’ll spend this weekend reading all things SW .

Also, seems like everybody will get into the adult novelisation first, so I for one will start with junior - I wonder if it’s gonna surprise me with some less-than-subtle reylo.

@nana7marie

I will be starting with the Junior version as it's released first in the UK on the 6th, the Jason Fry novel will be released two days later!

I actually was just at Barnes and Nobles so I took a shot and looked for the novels. Nada until release date. Those lucky folks who find bookstores that don't care about street dates.

Also, another tidbit from Fry's novel from pacificwanderer on Tumblr. Anyone still denying that Snoke had been messing with Kylo since childhood can sit down permanently now.

“He had seen his apprentice’s enormous potential when he was still a child–the latent power of the Skywalker bloodline was impossible to miss. And he had also seen how to exploit the boy’s feelings of inadequacy and abandonment, and his mother’s guilt and desperation to contain the darkness within her child.” Jason Fry, TLJ Novelization. P 222.

Also yeah, Sleemo is refusing to share spoilers on the Junior Novel. Darn it. Why tease us with it then

ZioRen wrote:
Also yeah, Sleemo is refusing to share spoilers on the Junior Novel. Darn it. Why tease us with it then

@ZioRen

I understand why to be honest- and it's just a few days now... I don't need to be spoiled on everything.

But I don't get why she posted a picture of the book- I would've kept that to myself as well.

Oh no, that quote about Snoke manipulating Ben and Ben's feelings of abandonment and inadequacy

#SAVEBENSOLO

TBH after the movie spoilers frenzy where this place felt like sharks going after chum thanks to every Reddit "spoiler" imaginable, just think how besieged anybody who has the book early would feel. Share the picture to encourage people to look in their own communities. But Hell no with posting items because we know how crazy people get over anybody with advanced information.

What will be interesting between the two books will be if there's any type of freak-out a la what happened with Bloodline. But more of the parents of a small child scenes, like that would be straight up cruel to have it turn out to be somebody just gets worse and dies. Not that there aren't fans out there arguing, "that doesn't excuse him! he's terrible and should be punished!" Just Jesus, have all of those scenes in the story, what's the point otherwise? To show a Greek tragedy? A lot of the post TFA arguments that it was cousins and he was eeeeevuuul, it always sounded like they were trying to argue it was supposed to be like Esteban Garcia and Alba Trueba in Isabelle Allende's The House of the Spirits. Which dunno if anybody else here besides me and @Melbee had to read it for school, but uh Hell no was that the idea I've ever had from TFA and even less so from TLJ. He's angry and vengeful towards his family, but Rey's not part of his family and he's demonstrated enough free-will that he could still escape from self-destruction. If it reminds me of anything, all the quotes about Snoke being able to sense him in utero, poor Leia because that's some Rosemary's Baby type sh*t. No wonder Ben was pissed about Snoke gloating that he could facilitate and manipulate his connection with Rey.

Not that anything they could ever do with Rey and her parents would be better, that's likely the Star Wars version of Angela's Ashes.

Another person I follow on tumblr got their copy of the junior novelization today as well so maybe she will post something about it.

http://shippingdelights.tumblr.com/post/171459741209