In Giant Love, Julie Gilbert (the great-niece of Edna Ferber) details Ferber’s life and the creation of her novel Giant and its later adaptation into film. This is a must-read for any fan of the film or book, or of Ferber for that matter, especially as it contains some fun family insights.

The book is structured roughly into two parts, with the first focusing on Ferber’s life and career leading up to the publication of Giant, before delving into her research and writing process for the book, and then detailing the book's publication and reception. The second part of Giant Love focuses on all aspects of the movie deal, casting and making of the movie, and the legacy of the film.

My favorite parts of the book were getting to read about Ferber’s research and writing process, as well as seeing snippets of her notes. I wasn’t aware of a lot of the real life influences for the novel, and I wasn’t alive when it was published so it was interesting to learn about how it was received by the public. I also enjoyed learning about where the novel differed from the movie, and where Ferber and Stevens, the film director, didn’t see eye to eye, especially when it came to Leslie. (I am ashamed to admit, I am a movie fan, and although I have seen it dozens of times, I have yet to read the book!) And, of course, this book has all the fun behind-the-scenes stuff about the movie that you are looking for.

There were a few aspects of Giant Love that didn’t work as well for me. At times, it could be redundant and a little too into the minutiae for my taste. I think this may appeal to people who are already experts on the topic, but it detracted from the fun for me. I also wonder if this book tried to do a bit too much in its scope. Approximately the first 20% of the book is just a biography of Edna Ferber, and although I think some biographical details were useful and relevant, I do wish that the first part was more succinct.

I think Giant fans, book and movie alike, will get a kick out of Giant Love. And like I said, the fact that this was written by a family member makes this one extra fun. I would definitely recommend it.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for the complimentary eARC for the purpose of an honest review!*

I think I would have been less frustrated if I'd known there was so much biography before we get to the book. And I so loved the rest of the book, it was a small price to pay.

I really enjoyed learning about Edna Ferber and the making of Giant. It was written well and enjoyed how well researched Julie Gilbert used this. It had everything that I was looking for in a making of a Hollywood movie.

Giant Love is written by Julie Gilbert, a great-niece of Edna Ferber (the author of the novel Giant). I have enjoyed Ferber's work since I was a teenager. Giant and So Big are my favorites and I've read each several times. I also love the movie. And I love reading about the making of movies so I was excited to receive a copy of this book.

Gilbert is a good writer and obviously a loving and admiring great-niece. Once the book gets to the actual writing of the novel--the research, the run-ins with Texans around the themes of racism and critiques of Texan style, it really takes off and continues to soar through the making of the film. I was fascinated by the accounts Ferber's meticulous research and her interactions with the people she was researching. And the struggle to get the book optioned (fear of lawsuits by people whose stories closely mirrored characters in the book made studios reluctant to take on the project) as well as Ferber's struggles once the movie was in production to preserve the integrity of Leslie, the major (for Ferber) protagonist in the work. I had not realized how dedicated Ferber was to creating strong women--women who had stronger personalities and stronger integrity than the men in her novels.

And of course my favorite--the reason I love books about movies--stories in this work are those around the actors, especially Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean, although there is much about many of the other actors in the film--what a tremendously strong cast it has! The relationship between Ferber and Dean is very touching. Gilbert depicts people that are as alive and fully formed as those in Ferber's books.

I only wish Gilbert had gotten to the writing of the book and then the material about the movie sooner. The first 20% of the book is a biography of Ferber--and, to be fair, the subtitle does begin with "Edna Ferber and..." but I thought that the focus would be on Ferber in relation to the book and the film. Even though the material Gilbert covers is interesting, and certainly leads up to the writing of Giant, I was very impatient to get to what I felt was the point of the book.

But this is just information for people so that they know what to expect. I think I would have been less frustrated if I'd known there was so much biography before we get to the book. And I so loved the rest of the book, it was a small price to pay. In addition, although I felt it slowed the pace, the information given increased my understanding of Ferber's character and approach to writing which in turn increased my enjoyment of the later parts of the book.

Ferber was a fascinating woman and I share Gilbert's regret that she isn't more widely read today. The struggles her characters have are deeply connected to difficult conditions in this country at different times and confront injustices and inequities in this country. There is however a feeling of strength and of the hope for change that I often miss today--in literature and in myself. I still reread Ferber because I love her characters, especially the women, and their fight to survive against sometimes powerful obstacles.

My thanks to NetGalley as well as the publisher, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Pantheon, as well as the author for receiving an arc of this book which will be published in December 2024.

Giant Love is not only a great look at the classic Hollywood classic but also the book and author that created this story and how both impacted the classic James Dean film.