Winston Groom, Forrest Gump’s novel writer passes away at 77

Winston Groom, the author whose novel Forrest Gump inspired the Oscar-winning film of the same name, has died at 77. No details on the cause of death were confirmed by the mayor’s office in Fairhope, Alabama, where he had been living.

Groom’s novel sold 1.7 million copies based on the popularity of the film, which won six Oscars in 1995, including Best Picture, Best Actor for star Tom Hanks, and Best Director for Robert Zemeckis.

Groom’s other novels included Better Times Than These, As Summers Die, Only, Gone the Sun, Such a Pretty, Pretty Girl and the 2016 El Paso. He also wrote the 2000 University of Alabama Press book The Crimson Tide: An Illustrated History of Football at the University of Alabama, and an updated 2010 second version, The Crimson Tide: The Official Illustrated History of Alabama Football, National Championship Edition.

The prolific author also wrote many nonfiction books, most covering military history.

The novel Forrest Gump is different from the film. The film script went through many changes, but one aspect of the book that was kept by the film was Gump narrating, looking back on his life.

from Deadline