Yet the novel "Forrest Gump" is considerably different from the film, darker and richer, said Don Noble, University of Alabama professor emeritus of English, and a 40-year friend of Groom's.

FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Winston Groom, the writer whose novel “Forrest Gump” was made into a six-Oscar winning 1994 movie that became a soaring pop cultural phenomenon, has died at age 77.

The Paramount Pictures movie also left out several major life events and careers. According to the Forrest Gump book, the character is a chess champion, a professional wrestler, and a NASA astronaut.

Forrest Gump was the best-known novel by the author who wrote a total of 16 books Georgia Slater is a staff editor on the Parents team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2018. Her ...

American novelist Winston Groom, best known for writing the book that would be the basis for the 1994 Best Picture winner Forrest Gump, passed away this week. Groom passed away on Wednesday ...