User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
January 2020 Re-Read update - original review still below
I have finished the next book in my chronological re-read of King's novels. I knew I was in for a treat because I have always fondly remembered this book as one of his best. It did not fail to disappoint the second time around.
In the afterward, King makes the point that this book was his first release to try and show that he was more than just a horror writer. I will say that this is true, but it does still have some horrific elements. So, don't go in thinking it is all cute bunnies and cuddles!
This book is raw and real. The human condition, temptation, coming-of-age, salvation, etc. are all on display in an amazing showcase of storytelling. While it may not represent King's horror as well as others, there is a definite case to be made for this being the finiest writing he has ever done.
One observation in the re-read (and I kind of remember this from the first time around): there is a short story within The Body unrelated to the main story, Stud City, and it doesn't really feel necessary. It is not a bad part or make the overall experience any less enjoyable, it is just the only tangent in the whole book that feels like it doesn't need to be there. If removed, it wouldn't change the book at all.
In conclusion - the re-read confirms for me - a 5+ star book all the way!
ORIGINAL REVIEW
This book is PERFECT King! Each story is interesting and special in its own right. At least two of them ("Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Body") are must read classics that were turned into equally great movies. Apt Pupil might be a little less accessible to some, but is one of King's best character studies. The Breathing Method is one of his shortest novellas, but wildly creative and is guaranteed to leave you saying, "WOAH!"
Every King fan should have read this already. Looking to get into King for the first time? This is a great place to start!
Rating: really liked it
"Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free."
Considered by many to be King's best collection of stories/novellas, Different Seasons contains two stories that were ultimately developed into two of the greatest movies of all-time: The Body, which became Stand by Me, of course, and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - the movie is obvious, no?
Sometimes I really hate reading an awesome Stephen King book... no, I'm not crazy. I just get stressed about where I'm going to rank it in my top books list and what other books are gonna get pushed down the list!! Different Seasons is simply a masterpiece. Having read most of King's epic stories, I thought I'd seen King at this best - but no, this is his best. The writing, the characters, the storylines, it feels like everything is turned up a notch here. This is a prime example of how King is so much more than just horror.
Let's start off with Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. Now I've already seen the movie, along with the majority of the population, but somehow that didn't matter. I still raced through each page, eager to see what comes next, even though I already knew the outcome! It's a story ultimately about hope, resilience and survival. Set against the backdrop of a bleak prison, these themes shine through even more prominently. A touching, emotional story and now one of my favourites.
Next up was Apt Pupil. Now I really liked this one. A former Nazi finds a willing student in young Todd Bowden and what follows is pure horror. The most unsettling parts of this novella were those wherein Dussander relays stories from the concentration camps in WWII. Having visited Auschwitz only last year, the atrocities that happened there just feel more real. This novella is a terrifying look at evil and the darkness that resides in these evil humans. Todd has to be one of the most hateful characters I've ever encountered in literature, a sexual sadist, a psychopath, just downright disgusting. Nevermind Dussander himself! Yet this story is absorbing, once it hooks you in, you can't get back out.
The horrific nature of Apt Pupil is swiftly followed by the nostalgic novella, The Body. Reading this novella is similar to being transported back in time to when you were a child, when all you wanted to do was hang out with your friends. You'd leave the house early morning and not come back again until it got dark. It's a beautiful story, and yet also quite tragic. Each of the boys come from homes or backgrounds that aren't entirely supportive and they are able to find true friendship and support within each other. In particular, the friendship between Gordie and Chris is touching, Chris is such a great character - wise beyond his years and he really cares for Gordie. Overall, this is a great look into those years where you "grow up" and relinquish your innocence, symbolised by the dead body out in the woods. Simply amazing!
Lastly, The Breathing Method - I actually read this one first as Abbie recommended to me. It is considered to be the "stinker" of the collection, and therefore I decided to read it first, so as not to end the collection on a bum note. But to be honest, I quite liked it! I liked the gentleman's club and their penchant for telling stories, it kinda sounded like a cool set-up that I'd love to be a part of. Miss Stansfield herself was a pretty badass woman, determined and strong. I don't really understand why people would forget about this one, or just cast it off as the "other story" in this collection. Granted, it's not as brilliant as the others, but it still left a lasting impression with me.
Overall, this book was just unbelievable. I lost count of the number of times where I just felt completely blown away by King's writing. This is a great, GREAT collection and now one of my favourite King books.
Reread throughout each season in 2020. Fantastic way to revisit this collection. Still one of my favourites. The Breathing Method resonated even more this time around.
Rating: really liked it
I'm going to try and do this book justice..but I know it's not going to happen so do me a favor, if you have never picked this book up just stop what you are doing and run get it.
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption:This is perfection. At 101 pages Stephen King packed a story that stays with me forever. I've been a fan of the movie version since the first time I viewed it. I was so pissed when Forrest Gump beat it out as the Oscar winner for best picture that year. I raged..I've since calmed down because Forrest Gump was a good movie also..but still.
I've watched the movie so many times that I can quote passages of it from heart, and I'm not really a TV watcher. If it comes on I watch it. If it comes on again the next day. I watch it. To this reader the movie is a bit darker than Stephen King's story.
This story is not horror. This story is about Hope..it's about picking yourself up every single day and keeping moving..it's about Redemption.
Apt Pupil:To me this was the darkest story in the book. A young boy learns that a former Nazi general is living nearby and well he stalks him and then latches on to him. He honestly forces him into a strange relationship. They both are some of the most vile characters ever but you don't have to like the characters to realize what an amazing story this is.
The Body:Another of my favorite films were made from this story-"Stand by Me"-I actually have not seen this movie in years but I will now.
This story is sadness of remembering your childhood friends and some of the crap you managed to survive.
Breathing Method:This one to me started slow. Then when the story unfolded I sat here and shook my head. A woman's desire to have her child out-weighed every obstacle in her course.
And overall? This book was a full five stars. I would give it more if I could. It's hard to describe these stories. They aren't horror but they are about life. I wish I could have done them better justice..but I don't think there are words that can.
This quote is in the afterword of the book, where Mr. King tells how he got typed as a horror author..not that there is anything wrong with that.
I've been in love with these stories, too, and a part of me always will be in love with them, I guess. I hope that you liked them, Reader; that they did for you what any good story should do-make you forget the real stuff weighing on your mind for the little while and take you away to a place you've never been. It's the most amiable sort of magic I know.
Rating: really liked it
Different Seasons, Stephen KingDifferent Seasons (1982) is a collection of four Stephen King novellas with a more serious dramatic bent than the horror fiction for which King is famous. The four novellas are tied together via subtitles that relate to each of the four seasons. The collection is notable for having had three of its four novellas turned into Hollywood films, one of which, The Shawshank Redemption, was nominated for the 1994 Academy Award for Best Picture.
Novellas: "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption", "Apt Pupil", "The Body", "The Breathing Method".
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز دهم ماه آگوست سال2006میلادی
عنوان: فصول گوناگون: داستانی زمستانی؛ اثر: استیون کینگ؛ برگردان: ماندانا قهرمانلو؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، نشر قطره، سال1384، در992صفحه، فروست: سلسله انتشارات نشر قطره667؛ هنر و ادبیات جهان113، شابک9643415589؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده20م
مجموعه داستان «فصول گوناگون»، شامل چهار داستان، در چهار سبک، با حال و هوا، و موضوعات گوناگون است، که در سال1982میلادی نگاشته شده است؛ داستانی زمستانی، یا «شیوه ی تنفس» را، «دیوید»، وکیل میانسالی، اهل «منهتن»، روایت میکند؛ او عضو باشگاهی میشود، که اعضای آن، علاوه بر خوانش کتاب، به گفتگو، شطرنج، و بیلیارد بازیکردن نیز، علاقه، و حتی برای یکدیگر قصه نیز میگویند؛ «استیون کینگ» نویسنده ی آمریکایی، و آفرینشگر بیش از دویست اثر ادبی، در گونه های ترس آور، و خیالپردازی هستند، که در این چهار داستان کوتاه نیز، خوشتر از پیش درخشیده اند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 09/11/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 15/10/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Rating: really liked it
It's definitive, Stephen King is not
just a writer of horror and fantasy. In truth, up to a few years ago I was convinced he was a horrormeister pure and simple. At this point a friend suggested I try out his time travel epic 11/22/63. I was cured. I loved it and subsequent forays into King’s extensive catalogue have shown me the range of the man’s work.
I’ll comment individually on the tales but the common element, the outstanding take-away for me is simply the realisation that here’s the evidence to assert that SK is one of the outstanding story tellers of his generation. Any doubters to the veracity of this statement should pointed in the direction of this exceptional collection of novellas.
In truth, there is one story here I'd class as ‘horror’ – as it happens my least favourite of the set. The other three stories have been all made into films; the only one of which I've seen is Stand By Me (based on The Body) which happens to be one of my all time favourite films.
This is old fashioned storytelling at its best – miss it if you dare!
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank RedemptionMost people will be aware of the film version, which everyone on the planet seems to have seen except me. I'm told the film is a classic and I know some people who've seen the film
and read the story – they all seem to prefer the celluloid version! If you’ve caught up with neither than I'd urge you to seek out one or the other. Set in a fictional state penitentiary, it tells of the local entrepreneur, Red, and his friend and customer Andy Defresne, who is imprisoned for the murders of his wife and her lover. Andy’s struggles to established his innocence while he fights for survival and strives to earn the respect of the ‘lifers’ in this toughest of environments is the core of the story. Surprisingly, King is able to invests the whole thing with a degree of warmth (though perhaps no surprise to anyone who has read The Green Mile) and it had me desperately hoping he'd thought up a happy ending to this sometimes brutal tale.
Apt PupilSixteen-year-old student Todd Bowden has discovered that a Nazi war criminal, Kurt Dussander, has been quietly living in Todd’s home town. This disturbing tale documents how Todd first challenges Dussander and then how they begin a complicated but mutually sustainable relationship. It's the longest story in the collection and I sometimes felt I was reading this partly hidden behind a set of fingers. It's a tense psychological thriller that kept throwing up surprises. Spooky as hell!
The BodyDefinitely my favourite – yet I think I still prefer the film. Just!
Four young boys from Maine set out to find the body of a boy who has been missing for a few days. They've discovered that the boy was hit and killed by a train and they aim to be the ones to claim the find and maybe become heroes as a result. It’s all a wonderful adventure as various mishaps befall them on the way. I discovered that the narrative of the film closely tracks that of the book and I defy anyone not to laugh and cry in equal measure as this brilliantly told tale unfolds. Superb.
The Breathing MethodA story within a story. An ageing lawyer is invited a a mysterious club where stories are told by its members. One such story takes up a good portion of the overall piece and it concerns a unmarried woman, in the 1930’s, who finds herself pregnant and desperate to give birth to the child, despite her lack of money and the obvious social disapproval. The whole atmosphere of this one was scary. It's the shortest of the four novellas but arguably packs the biggest punch.
Rating: really liked it
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption gets an 8 out of 12. A strong story turned to possibly an even better movie?
The chilling Apt Pupil, also gets an 8 out of 12. When petulance and cunning faces off against true darkness and more cunning! A chilling read in which a young man thinks he's uncovered a Nazi war criminal, in a story that doesn't take the steps you'd think it would take.
The Body AKA the movie 'Stand By Me' gets a 9.5 out of 12, a truly remarkable and heart warming coming of age novella, one of my all-time favourite Stephen King reads, and was gladdened to hear that it has been used in American schools as part of the literature curriculum. Hash tag cool!
And last, and easily the least compelling is The Breathing Method which I gave a 7.5 out of 12. You can't win them all :). But overall this collection is a monster, it's Stephen King contemporary writing at its best, and debatably aat a level that he never surpassed. This was King on a roll. A must-read for each and every reader out there!
2016 read; 2003 read
Rating: really liked it
Well......WOW! These four LONG-short stories are ALL fabulous! RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION - 5 Stars
"Get busy living or get busy dying."
Everyone has probably seen the movie adaptation or read the book by now and knows the story about the wrongful imprisonment of banker Andy Dufresne, the horror of "the sisters" and his best friend at Shawshank Red, but if you haven't, you are so fortunate to have this amazing read ahead of you.
The novel provides a bit more detail here and there about Red and Andy, is just as enthralling as the movie and unputdownable.
APT PUPIL -4.5 Stars - Just a very nice and intelligent 13 year old....uh huh. Todd Bowden wants to be a P.I. when he grows up and is off to quite a start as he sleuths out a criminal of the most vile kind; and as his true unsettling nature begins to surface, our creepy apt pupil gets a whole lot more than he bargained for when he goes up against the master.
Dark and powerfully evil, this unique story even has a cool Andy Dufresne tie-in, but damn.....why couldn't the butcher from hell stick to humans.....minus 50 basis points!
THE BODY (re-read) - 5 Stars - Four young lads head out on an adventure to see 'the dead body' but what they find is trouble and a few hard lessons learned. Absolutely wonderful coming-of-age story converted to screen as Stand By Me. (once again, the written word wins over the audio version for me)
THE BREATHING METHOD - 5 Stars
"It is the tale, not he who tells it."
The club is creepy.....The rooms mysterious.....The weather chilling.....The fire roaring, and The ghost story.....OMG! SHOCKING!
Rating: really liked it
This one is closer to the MOST EXCELLENT side of the King spectrum (THE GREEN MILE, CARRIE and THE STAND come to mind) than the MEDIOCRE side (INSOMNIA, BAG OF BONES). Yeah, these tales are familiar: three of the four seasons have become immortalized on celluloid.
Not until the last Author's Note do his intentions and his themes finally converge. He wrote "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption", "Apt Pupil", "The Body" & "The Breathing Method" as unpublishable novellas right after the completion of one novel each "with just enough gas left in the tank." Wow.
More than any pop culture writer, King is almost never a boring or dull read. I need to read him sporadically because after reading 20+* of his novels I know where to go to be entertained. (*Ok, just for fun: I've read CARRIE, THE STAND, CUJO, CHRISTINE, PET SEMETARY, CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF, IT, EYES OF THE DRAGON, MISERY, THE TOMMYKNOCKERS, DARK TOWER #4, THE DARK HALF, NEEDFUL THINGS, GERALD'S GAME, DOLORES CLAIBORNE, INSOMNIA, DESPERATION, THE GREEN MILE, THINNER, THE REGULATORS, NIGHT SHIFT, DIFFERENT SEASONS, FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT, NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES, CREEPSHOW, BAG OF BONES, EVERYTHING'S EVENTUAL, THE GIRL WHO LOVED TOM GORDON, CELL, LISEY'S STORY, DR. SLEEP) But I am no expert nor can I say I subscribe to the King Collective Mythology. Sometimes all his characters share the same voice, regardless of sex. It is all Stephen King.
This time, these stories were all non-Horror 'cept one. "Shawshank" saw a better reincarnation as the Darabont film--the novella is short, gives a "Cool Hand Luke" vibe, is an impressive testament of life on the cell block (GREEN MILE is the epitome of these).
"Apt Pupil" was very morbid, an "American Psycho" meets "American Pastoral." The film is also better because Ian McKellen doesn't "come out of the closet", so to speak: he does not admit being part of the Nazi party in a long ago past 'til much later. The movie hints at his monstrosity...King just shows it with as little censorship as humanely possible(duh). In the book he is a ruthless killer (expected for a Nazi) AND so is the kid, the apprentice (SHOCKER!). New Horror meets old school terror--very clever, almost poetic in its implications of suburban infiltrators that are not the boogeymen--they are the residents themselves. Also--the monster gene can resurface at any age with any generation.
"The Body", made famous by the ever-popular "Stand By Me" movie, is an idyllic tale that places the innocent naivete of childhood in the backwoods--where terror lurks. It is an obvious metaphor for growing up. Everything in childhood is fragile. The image of the dead boy, in sharp contrast to the robust lives of our four protagonists is quite intuitive for a fabulist like King.
Lastly, "The Breathing Method" is THE unexpected treat. It is so morbid and macabre... I had not been that shocked in a really long time. It is the exposed finger beckoning from the plumbing in the sink in NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES: an image that stays with you for years and years. If you are tired/superfamiliar with the aforementioned films, read the last 60 pages of this novella collection: totally worth it!
The four season motifs don't really fit the representative tales. "Hope Springs Eternal" for SHAWSHANK makes sense... you know this story will end well (after 27 years the dude escapes!). "Summer of Corruption" fits PUPIL except this story takes place over many DIFFERENT months, no particular season. "Fall from Innocence"---BODY occurs at the end of the summer (I guess that's not too bad a fit). "A Winter's Tale" is the forgotten gem of the book...METHOD is a story within a story (clever device indeed for the masterful storyteller).
King says "It is the tale, not he who tells it." This is incredibly true in this instance: the stories themselves, like the seasons, have unique flavors, have original themes; the stories are SO GOOD not even Stephen King could mess it up with his often-seen redundancy (none of that here!) or his mimicry of others' works (these are all 100% original).
This is, basically, one of his better ones.
Rating: really liked it
What a great compilation of short stories by Stephen King! FANTASTIC!!I knew going into this book that I’ve seen movies for two of the stories. I thought, “Since I’ve seen the movies, do I need to read the actually book?”
And that’s a resounding YES. A big HELL YES!
1st story:
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank RedemptionI’m sure most of us have seen this movie at least once or 50 times in your life. The book is so well done. There were subtle differences in the book vs the movie but it wasn’t enough to take away from the masterpiece of this story.
Shawshank is about redemption, revenge and hope. And King kills it with this one. Bravo King!!
2nd story:
Apt PupilWoah! What a head fuck this dark story turned out to be. It’s about a story of a young kid who finds out that a former Nazi general is living in a house on his paper route. It’s a psychological, epic tale of who’s the worst and I haven’t decided on the answer between these two head cases.
I think evil tends to find evil in all arenas of life and this was a perfect example of that. I really liked this one!
3rd story:
The BodyOr as most of you know it as,
“Stand By Me”. What a great story!!
It’s about childhood friendship, dealing with shitty family members and coming to grips with doing the right thing. There is a level of conflict in this story that’s well written. You want these kids to succeed after all the trials and tribulations that occur in the journey in this book.
The movie and book were close to each other in regards to plot. It was nice to see the movie industry not changing much about this well-loved tale.
"Chopper, sic balls!"
4th story:
Breathing MethodThis story started slow and I wasn’t sure where it was going. It ended on a pretty creepy situation with a pregnant woman, a strange building in New York City and I’m glad I stuck it out. It was the weakest of the 4 stories but was still decent.
If you’ve ever wondered whether Stephen King is a good storyteller, read this book!
Rating: really liked it
I was so happy to revisit this collection last year with a group of my friends from Bookstagram.
This is such a well-rounded collection, in my opinion, although The Body will always be my fave!
A chunky book but so worth the time.
In fact, this was my favorite collection for many years, only recently surpassed by Full Dark, No Stars!
I'm not sure why I didn't add it on here last year when we read it. I guess the underlying take away would be that I am a dumpster fire with arms most of the time.
Take from that what you will.
Rating: really liked it
2.5 Stars
Meh.. I’m a minority here 😉
*Shawshank Redemption- 2 Stars - I liked The Green Mile better. Didn’t really like the movie, only saw it once. Love The Green Mile movie better.
*Apt Pupil - Eff this story - DNF
*The Body - 2.5 Stars - Enjoyed the movie more
*Breathing Method - 3 Stars
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Rating: really liked it
I like waiting a few days before reviewing a book, just to see how it’s taken up residence in my mind and imagination. Some books stay with me clearly even months later; others start to fade as soon as I turn the final page (if not before).
Stephen King’s
Different Seasons is a fascinating case, because I got to see how one story haunted me while I went on to the next.
Published in 1982, it was King's first book of non-genre fiction. He made his name writing horror (
Carrie,
‘Salem’s Lot,
The Shining), and after a string of bestselling thrillers, this book must have felt like a bit of a risk – to him and his publisher.
It’s a 525-page collection of four novellas (actually three novellas and one long short story). Only the final (long) story, “The Breathing Method,” touches on anything remotely fantastic or occult. But I appreciate the book for its boldness and generosity. Today, a popular author would release these 25,000-35,000 word works individually as books. Ka-ching!
Also: only by reading the book from cover to cover did I come to realize just how good and varied a storyteller King is.
The opening novella, “Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption,” is about hope and despair set inside a prison. The relaxed, casual tone is fitting for the narrator, who’s been jailed for decades and so is in no rush. Only near the end do you realize how and why he’s recounting his tale. (Note: he’s a skinny redhead in the book, not the Morgan Freeman character from the popular movie.)
My favourite novella – at 200 large pages, it’s also the longest – is “Apt Pupil,” a chilling look at the sick symbiotic relationship between a former Nazi war criminal now retired and living under an alias in a California suburb and a precocious boy who discovers his secret.
King masterfully alters his point-of-view and even introduces an important character two-thirds of the way through. But this adds to the book's richness. The thing is beautifully structured – not a word is wasted. And King shows you how evil can lay dormant and awaken, or how it can corrupt and influence. The conclusion is shocking but, in retrospect, inevitable (it differs from the film). And... um... that scene with a cat? I’d say it’s as effective as anything King’s written before or since.
I know readers really like the third offering, “The Body,” which inspired the beloved Rob Reiner movie
Stand By Me. I liked it too – but I didn’t love it. King sure enjoys writing about underdogs, and the four young boys who trek through Maine to find a dead body so they can report it are a real motley crew, battered and bruised and captured with sympathy and affection. King's descriptions of their coming-of-age journey are evocative and touching. A suspenseful train scene, the big climax – played out in a thunderstorm – and the bittersweet denouement are all expertly done.
But King also interweaves some self-indulgent examples of the narrator’s “published fiction,” and these long-winded sections slow down the story. Still, “The Body” has lots of heart. Plus it’s got this great bit of post-modern writing:
Me?
I’m a writer now, like I said. A lot of critics think what I write is shit. A lot of the time I think they are right… but it still freaks me out to put those words, “Freelance Writer,” down in the Occupation blank of the forms you have to fill out at credit desks and in doctors’ offices. My story sounds so much like a fairytale that it’s fucking absurd.
I sold the book and it was made into a movie and the movie got good reviews and it was a smash hit besides. This all had happened by the time I was twenty-six. The second book was made into a movie as well, as was the third. I told you – it’s fucking absurd. Meantime, my wife doesn’t seem to mind having me around the house and we have three kids now. They all seem perfect to me, and most of the time I’m happy.
What’s not “fucking absurd” is his talent.
The final story, “The Breathing Method,” could have been published in King’s earlier
Night Shift collection of stories. It’s an intriguing, atmospheric tale about a doctor whose patient is having a baby out of wedlock back when that was taboo. It takes a long time to get to the central story, and I’m not sure the framing device – set in a mysterious, exclusive Manhattan men’s club – was really necessary.
But there's a chill to the story that's appropriate for this winter's tale. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that each novella is associated with a season. Annoying marketing gimmick or cool structural device? You decide.)
Here and elsewhere in the book King proves he can write in a variety of styles and assume a wide range of voices.
Different Seasons is essential reading for anyone interested in his evolution as a writer.
Rating: really liked it
Best book by Stephen King? That's a question I might answer differently from month to month, but for today, I've got
Different Seasons. Published in 1982, the book consists of four novellas (each in the 25,000-35,000 word range), any of which might be considered one of King's better novels if expanded and published separately. You might have heard of a couple of these:
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (Hope Springs Eternal) chronicles the internment of Andy Dufrense, a banker sentenced to life in 1948 for the double murder of his wife and her lover, coldly maintaining his innocence to the end. Andy befriends one of the hoosegow's best smugglers -- an Irishman named Red -- who narrates Andy's beguiling rise from cold fish to resident financial wizard, ultimately laundering ill gotten gains by the prison's Bible thumping warden, Samuel Norton. Andy uses his status to build the best prison library in Maine, but when he uncovers evidence that could prove his innocence, the warden responds with an iron fist. In 1975, Andy escapes into thin air.
Apt Pupil (Summer of Corruption) takes place in the community of Santa Donato, CA. A thirteen-year-old student athlete named Todd Bowden confronts his elderly neighbor Arthur Denker, accusing the reclusive German immigrant of being Kurt Dussander, a Nazi fugitive known as The Blood-Fiend of Patin. Todd made the connection due a newly discovered (and deeply disturbing) obsession with World War II atrocities. He blackmails Dussander into telling him every detail about the concentration camps. As Todd's All-American life is plagued by nightmares and plunging grades, he becomes dependent on Dussander to help him out of his academic misdeeds, culminating in a battle of wills between master and pupil.
The Body (Fall From Innocence) unfolds in Castle Rock, Maine in 1960, a week before the commencement of a new school term. Twelve-year-old budding writer Gordie Lachance and his friends -- whip smart thug Chris Chambers, foolhardy Teddy Duchamp and dim-witted Vern Tessio -- light out into the woods of Harlow, where Vern has learned a missing boy named Ray Bower, struck dead on the railroad tracks while picking berries, rests. In their quest to see a dead body and perhaps grow into men by solving Bower's disappearance, the boys contend with a fabled dog who guards Castle Rock Dump, a dangerous train trestle spanning the Castle River, a pool teeming with leeches and Ace Merrill and his gang, who claim "dibs" over Bower when they reach him at the same time the younger boys do.
The Breathing Method (A Winter's Tale) is narrated by a middle-aged lawyer named David, who on a blustery night on Christmas Eve's eve in New York City in the 1970s, arrives at the brownstone which hosts an unnamed club of which David is a member. "The club" consists of little more than polite, gray haired old gentlemen, scotch, an extensive (and mysterious) reading library and most of all, storytelling. On this night, David recounts a tale spun by Dr. Emlyn McCarron involving a stoic unwed mother whose baby came due Christmas 1935, the radical Lamaze-style "breathing method" the young physician advised she employ during her delivery and the uncanny preservation of the human body and spirit in the most dire of circumstances.
If you've ever subscribed to cable TV, or been to someone's house who has a TV on, you probably know that the spring, summer and fall novellas have been adapted into one classic movie (released as
The Shawshank Redemption in 1994), one intriguing if flawed movie (
Apt Pupil, released in 1998) and another classic movie (released as
Stand By Me in 1986). Screen rights to
The Breathing Method were picked up in 2012, no doubt due to the marketing potential the other three tales offer.
While a movie version of a Stephen King story isn't news (thirty-five have been done for film or TV so far, with varying success) what makes
Different Seasons my favorite King book is the transportive ability of the storytelling. Each story, each chapter, each page fired a piston in my imagination and had my eyes racing down the page. A prison escape, a battle between master and pupil, a boyhood adventure into the woods and the power of the expectant mother are four types of stories I can't resist (pregnant characters may not have inspired any sub-genre of fiction that I know of, but I find these characters radiant nonetheless).
King isn't a Great Writer, at least not at this stage of his career. You get plain language, you get repetition, you get hurried editing and you get narrative elements that filmmakers have been able to improve upon dramatically. The money laundering and the prison break are much better designed by Frank Darabont in
The Shawshank Redemption, while the climax of
Stand By Me more poignant in Raynold Gideon & Bruce A. Evans' adaptation for director Rob Reiner.
The Breathing Method, the shortest novella, exhibits the best quality control in terms of the writing. You can almost see the coffee stains and cigarette ash on the other three.
King isn't a Great Writer here but he could always write Great Books, of which this is one. His gift is his ability to craft three dimensional characters -- nice, humble guys with families and decent aspirations -- who we can identify with or aspire to be like. These guys encounter the extraordinary and we're invested in what happens from there on out. Authors like Dean Koontz, for me, aren't bothered with the "three dimensional character" aspect and jump right to the extraordinary encounter part, producing one disposable book after another. Not so with King. The climaxes of each of these novellas in particular will stay with me for awhile.
Had these novellas been expanded and published individually, they'd all land on a short list of King's best. Rather than bogarting a few half baked stories out of the trunk and hoisting them on readers for $29.99,
Different Seasons is a literary bargain, a 4-fer-1.
Rating: really liked it
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.
This is a collection of four novellas, centring around disparate topics but all interlinked by the slow, creeping dread that emanated from each. None were wet-your-pants type horrifying, but focused instead on the everyday emotions of living.
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption - 4.5/5 starsKing's ability to create character is just astounding, as proven in this short piece of perfection. I was immediately transported to the characters' location, incarcerated in Shawshank prison alongside them. Yet, despite this setting, it wasn't a dark or intense prison tale but a far quieter one than I anticipated, helped largely with the conversational narrative style. This is about hope and despair, and the importance of human connection, with a clever concluding twist.
Apt Pupil - 5/5 starsThis story was just the epitome of everything I relate with King! The juxtaposition created between the blonde-haired, blue-eyed-, school-star child and the evil that lurked inside him made for such an interesting story. This begun in a dark fashion and only got more so as it continued. I was dually disgusted and absorbed by everything that occurred.
The Body - 4.5/5 starsI just love King's stories that feature young protagonists. They always seem the most dark and thrilling. The early introduction of a deceased boy's found body promised exactly that. The story was also enhanced by the protagonist's adult perspective looking back and narrating the tale. This also provided a lot of information about the poor or working class homes these children came from and the abuse or neglect they suffered there making it first a harrowing tale, and then a horrifying one...
The Breathing Method - 4.5/5 starsThe introduction of an exclusive, invite-only gentleman's club provided the setting and early intrigue for this story, until the dark recesses of King's imagination were brought to the fore.
Rating: really liked it
Wow the breathing method was just really not my jam :/
Maybe 3.75-4⭐️ overall. Really enjoyed the first three stories
