Gump and Co.
First edition
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| Author | Winston Groom |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Pocket Books |
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Publication date
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1995 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 242 |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | Forrest Gump (1986) |
Gump & Co. (or Forrest Gump and Co.) is a 1995 novel by Winston Groom. It is the sequel to his novel Forrest Gump (1986), and the Academy Award-winning film of the same name released in 1994, with Tom Hanks. It was written to chronicle Forrest's life throughout the 1980s.
On the first page, Forrest Gump tells readers "Don't never let nobody make a movie of your life's story," though "Whether they get it right or wrong, it don't matter."
However, the character is not an idiot savant, as in the first book, but more similar to Tom Hanks' "warmhearted dope." The text purposely contains frequent grammar and spelling mistakes in order to indicate the character's deficient education and cognitive difficulties.
The story suggests that the real-life events surrounding the film have affected Forrest's life.
In 1980, the shrimp market has exploded, and Forrest cannot keep up with the demand. Adding to Forrest's troubles, Lt. Dan sells off his share of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in order to fund a swanky retirement, and the company endures labor disagreements. Forrest comes to the docks one morning to find unoccupied trawlers and is met by no one save for Bubba's father, who sadly reports to Forrest that "I am afraid to say you have been ruined". To make ends meet, Forrest takes a job as a janitor in a strip club in New Orleans. By chance one of the club's best customers is a rough football player for the New Orleans Saints known as "Snake", who used to play football for the University of Alabama alongside Forrest. Snake fears for his career as the Saints are having a horrible season, and recruits Forrest for the Saints. Forrest is unsure of playing in the NFL, citing how the players are much bigger than in college and how "with all that gear, you look like a man from Mars or something". Forrest also is astute about health issues, noting that as he has aged some of his famous running ability has been sapped, but agrees to do so on the basis of providing for Forrest and his ailing wife Jenny. Forrest does have a somewhat successful career in pro football, but is soon subject to the tactics of sports agents, which he has no knowledge or care about. In the middle of a game, Forrest is told that Jenny has died. Forrest tells the Saints that he cannot be at the next game so that he can deliver the eulogy at her funeral. The Saints' management believes this to be a holdout tactic, and he is cut from the team.
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