about the westing game

The Book

Ellen Raskin is most widely known for her Newberry Medal winning book The Westing Game, but she had already published and illustrated many books before that book was published in 1978. However, The Westing Game is a masterpiece and a great read. But due to that huge success, so many of her other books were overlooked.

But it is because of The Westing Game that I became such a huge Ellen Raskin fan and went in search of all her other books.

I love The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) and Figgs & Phantoms and Spectacles and The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues. They are all great books!

But The Westing Game is the book I read first, and the book I loved first. A girl in my class in elementary school had it and I borrowed it from her and ended up keeping it... And, to this day, it's one of the best, most entertaining, and intriguing books I have ever read. I've read this book dozens of times and I never tire of it.

Ellen Raskin really did an amazing job on this book. She has an addictive style of writing that is present in all of her books. I could easily read this book or any of her other books in one sitting.

I will always love The Westing Game and it's colorful cast of characters. The mystery, the murder, the surprises, and the childhood memories pull me back in for many visits, and nothing could ever take away that familiar warm feeling of being at home with The Westing Game.

The Movie Adaptation

A lover of books can never expect perfection from a movie adaptation. And there are a lot of differences between Ellen Raskin's wonderful book and the 1997 movie adaptation. But I did enjoy this movie despite the differences from the book.

The Westing Game (1997) showcased the main points of Raskin's book, and it added new twists that made the movie interesting in it's own right. I, myself, enjoyed this movie very much, and do treasure watching the scenes unfold. The characters were fun and colorful, and seeing the relationships develop between the characters made this movie very entertaining.

The Cast:
Ray Walston ... Sandy McSouthers
Ashley Peldon ... Tabitha Ruth 'T.R. / Turtle' Wexler
Diane Ladd ... Berthe Erica Crow
Sally Kirkland ... Sydelle Pulaski
Cliff De Young ... Jake Wexler
Sandy Faison ... Grace Wexler
June Christopher ... Judge J.J. Ford
Lewis Arquette ... Otis Amber
Diane Nadeau ... Angela Wexler
Billy Morrissette ... Edgar Plum
Jim Lau ... James Shin Hoo
Shane West ... Chris Theodorakis
Ernest Liu ... Doug Hoo
Wilson Davis ... Bookle
Terence H. Winkless ... Dr. Denton Deere
Father Bob Curtis ... Dr. Sidney Sikes
Catherine Corman ... Receptionist