I'm sure you're no doubt thinking, "Why should I buy/read this book when I've already seen the movie countless times?" The answer is because, as with most book to film transitions, the movie version only scratches the surface of this story and its characters. (And that's saying a lot considering that the movie is one of the greatest of all time!) If you are a fan of the film, you owe it to yourself to read this book! I recommend it highly!

P.S.: Donn Pearce spent time on a Florida chain gang, so he knows the subject matter all too well.

Of course the movie is better, but the book offers a different atmosphere and character backgrounds not found in the film. It is almost like watching a grittier remake in your head.

I started off being a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the movie, and have been for years, and didn't read the book until this year. I am very glad I did, because in some ways it is better than the movie. There are things about Luke's background and his personality that are easier to understand in the book. Also, I love the way it's told, from the character Sailor's perspective. The book gives us a better idea of how truly brutal the conditions were for chain-gang convicts, which we didn't really get a true picture of in the movie. I felt that was an important aspect of the book, the living conditions of the convicts, and one the author, Donn Pearce, wanted us to have an understanding of, since he was in a chain-gang himself. Life was miserable for Luke and all the convicts.

For those of us who love the movie so, we have to remember that Donn Pearce was the Creator of this CoolHand Luke character and without him there would be no movie. We are grateful to him for creating all the characters and the whole story, and also writing the screenplay for the movie. Pearce suffered the life of a chain-gang convict himself only to go on to write a bestseller that was made into one of the greatest films of all time. Not bad for a one-time prisoner.

Note: Pearce wrote his character Luke to be 28 years old in the book. Paul newman was 42 when he played the role. But who would notice?