each on the theme of a journey. The first is a rich, satisfying, non-horrific tale about an innocent man who carefully nurtures hope and devises a wily scheme to...
each on the theme of a journey. The first is a rich, satisfying, non-horrific tale about an innocent man who carefully nurtures hope and devises a wily scheme to...
were filmed as Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption. Each of the four stories, markedly different in tone and subject, present a journey: Rita Hayworth and...
each on the theme of a journey. The first is a rich, satisfying, non-horrific tale about an innocent man who carefully nurtures hope and devises a wily scheme to...
each on the theme of a journey. The first is a rich, satisfying, non-horrific tale about an innocent man who carefully nurtures hope and devises a wily scheme to...
A review by kirstymack80 on Different Seasons - Stephen King August 16th, 2004
Author's product rating:
Would you read it again?
Yes
Story
Outstanding
Characters
Outstanding
Readability
Excellent
How does it compare to other works by the same author?
Excellent
Advantages:
frequent breaks in stories, well written, cheap
Disadvantages:
small writing, swearing
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I haven’t read any Stephen King books for years, and I mean years! However when I spotted this brand new book for a mere English pound, it had to be purchased! I read the back and had been absolutely delighted to see that it had one of the short stories I’ve been wanting to read for a very long time – ‘The Body’, plus an extra three tales.
* Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption *
Ahh yes, you remember the film, right?! Me too, and I only saw it fairly recently and little did I know until the credits rolled that it was based on one of Mr King’s short stories.
Red is our storyteller. He’s been resident in Shawshank prison for many years after fixing the brakes on his wife’s car. He’s quite upfront about the fact he killed her, and sorry that his wife had stopped to pick up the neighbour and her child. For his wife’s act of kindness, Red has received three life sentences, to run one after the other.
Red’s the guy who the cons go to if they ‘want something’. Red can get them anything – chocolate, books, even women’s panties! So when Andy Dufresne appears at the prison in 1949 and asks for Rita Hayworth to be smuggled into prison, Red says it won’t be a problem.
Andy and Red’s friendship is slow to develop. It takes seven years for them to become more than acquaintances who just nod at each other. Andy has always maintained his innocence over the murder of his wife and her lover – and Red believes him. And Andy’s determined that one day he will be free …
* What’s good *
This is a very clever story and one with an unusual twist. At 102 pages, it won’t take long to get through and can easily be read in one sitting as it’s quite gripping right from the start. King has set the whole story entirely around the prison and yet it's never boring. Red tells his tales of prisoners that he’s seen come and go over the many years he’s spent at Shawshank, and he pieces together Andy’s story for us.
Enjoyable? Yes. As I’d seen the film I did know what was coming but it’s always good to read in more detail how the characters are feeling. I feel that is not always achieved when watching something on the big screen. The feeling of hope is there throughout, and it’s quite a touching ending, without being overly sentimental.
A special tale of friendship that lasts forever.
* Apt Pupil *
Todd Bowden, 13 year old model school pupil, has a big secret. He goes to visit Arthur Denker, a complete stranger, an old man. Arthur isn’t too pleased to see him, he has secrets of his own which he’s kept hidden since the war. But now it seems this child, this smiling golden boy, has uncovered his worst nightmare and a little bribery has become the order of the day ...
* What’s good *
Again two very central characters are the main theme. Arthur’s initial resentment of Todd eventually gives way to the story of his time in Germany and a story about war and prison camps emerges. At first I wasn’t sure about this but after a long first chapter of around 25 pages, the story was separated a little better and made it easier to read.
At around 200 pages, this was a story you could get your teeth into, rather than one that is far shorter and finishes before it’s begun!
However in this story the slow build up of tension and the gradual tormenting of the old man is a little unsettling for the reader. The balance of power shifts from one character to the other, each wanting to gain the upper hand. The man feels revulsion for the grinning boy, and yet still does whatever he asks, as he feels he’s being blackmailed – he even dons an old soldier’s uniform, just for Todd’s amusement.
Denker's inner demons are brought to the surface by a kid, and he has to fight with the knowledge of his past actions. Meanwhile Todd thinks he wants to know all the gruesome details, but soon his grades start to fall, he’s talking to himself, lying to his parents and his sleep is interrupted by cruel dreams. Just who is winning the mind games?
Nasty and disturbing. But compelling reading.
* The Body *
This is the one I’d been waiting for! Remember the movie ‘Stand by me’? Well this is the short story it was based on. Four young boys in the 1960s hanging out together, older brothers who seem so much more ‘grown up’ than them are overheard talking about a young boy’s body down at the rail tracks. The four boys, Gordon (our creative storyteller), Chris (the rebel with the troubled homelife), Vern (the pudgy one) and Teddy (the wild one) decide to go into the woods and be the ones to ‘find’ it. And so begins their adventure.
* What I thought *
I loved the way this one was told from Gordie’s point of view. His brother, recently killed in a jeep accident at the age of 19, and his parents are still raw. Gordie can’t possibly compete with his ‘perfect’ brother and his feelings of inadequacy sometimes slip through as he tells the story. The rest of the boys have problems at home, Gordie’s parents don’t like his friends and as a group they are a bunch of misfits who take comfort in each other’s presence.
The way King tells the story of the boys is realistic. They’re 12 years old, they’re wise guys, always trying to outsmart shopkeepers and each other. They see their adventure as ‘something to brag about’. They smoke, cook their own food around a camp fire and tease one another.
What I really enjoyed were Gordie’s stories. He invents tales for the others, which detracts from the reader’s main story and builds up suspense. One such story is the ‘Pie Eating Contest’ (which I still remember from the film). Gordie tells this story to the other boys while they sit in the woods – it finishes half way through and then the chapter ends. As the next chapter begins we see it’s been written in 1975, 15 years later, when Gordon Lachance is a published writer.
King weaves a clever story of frightened boys, kids that want to be accepted and want to be better than the ‘bigger kids’ but are vulnerable both physically and mentally. This is more than a tale of camping out - it’s the end of their childhood. And it’s funny and sad and I really didn’t want this one to end. As the boys would say – sincerely.
* The Breathing Method *
Our story teller is an older, sophisticated man who is introduced by his colleagues to a ‘gentlemen’s club’. Here, bizarre stories are told among the members ‘Old duffers, mostly, but some of them are good company’.
We’re taken back to 1935, an unmarried woman goes into a doctor’s surgery and is told she’s pregnant. The doctor introduces her to the ‘breathing method’, similar to the Lamaze method, which involves deep breathing through labour, rather than screaming and thrashing about.
{Titters}. Ehm, the Mack hasn’t squeezed a bambino out of her body but she thinks that this is asking the impossible. A silent method of giving birth? But I digress …
What then follows is an extremely grotesque tale about a woman determined to give birth, even through quite horrifying circumstances.
* What’s good *
This story is told in a very ‘proper’ way. The other three contained slang, Americanisms, this one is told almost in an old fashioned way, which was rather refreshing! It almost adds to the building suspense as to what is going to happen later on.
This is more the King that I remember. This one is macabre, it’s twisted and also clever. And the reader questions the two stories – the story about the strange club, and the story set further back in time telling the story of the pregnant woman. This is perhaps the most baffling story of the four, and the only one that a very brave man (or woman) should consider making into a film! ;-)
At 66 pages this can easily be read in one sitting. Perhaps it’s the weakest story - not from the storyline, but because it’s the shortest and the reader doesn’t really have time to get ‘involved’ with either the characters or the plot.
* Overall *
A very enjoyable book. It’s a long read (like this review) and at times I did begin to wonder if I’d plough through it all. At 551 pages (plus an ‘Afterword’) this is pretty lengthy to wade through quickly.
‘Apt Pupil’ did drag a bit. However just as I was beginning to lose interest, another character was brought into the story and it did begin to pick up as I found out I was curious as to where he fitted in. This was the one story that I thought I'd dislike but which surprised me by being so dark, with dream sequences and flashbacks.
My favourite story was, predictably, ‘The Body’. Having seen the film this was based on at a young age, this has always been a book I’ve wanted to read and it didn’t disappoint. King perfectly captured the thoughts and fears of the young boys and their big adventure.
So to the verdict. I have tended to avoid King’s books (especially his short stories) but I’m now convinced that I still like them, after a break of about 10 years. Admittedly this book is fairly old but the fact that 3 of the 4 stories were made into films will give you an indication that they are extremely readable, interesting and in some cases, decidedly creepy!
Just a couple of bad points, there are a few gruesome moments in ‘Apt Pupil’ and ‘The Breathing Method’ and quite a lot of swearing throughout. It’s still got to be 5 stars and a hearty recommendation.
But for the record – I don’t really think you’d have to be a fan of horror to read this. There was nothing overly frightening about this book, it's just not for the faint hearted!
What else can you get for one English pound? One pre-packed sandwich? Half a cup of Starbucks coffee? Or four short stories by Stephen King? You know what to do.
ISBN is 0-7515-0433-5 RRP is £7.99.
Thanks for reading {goes off to read something light and fluffy next}.
Advantages: 4 novellas of excellent quality - all the different aspects of King's writing in one volume. Disadvantages: Some predictability; the blurb on the back of the book is incorrect and contains plot-spoilers.
...publication and look for a different copy. If you can't find any other publication - then either read without looking at the back, or try eBay for an older copy. Lastly, despite its very few shortcomings, I do recommend this book to all Stephen King fans. It's an excellent study into the different aspects of King's writing - his styles, imagination and idea's. This is not such a good book for people who want to begin reading King as the styles are ... ...I would direct you to King classics, such as 'The Stand', 'Christine' and 'IT'. As with many of his shorter stories, one of the main advantages is that they do not contain the unnecessary padding that appears in some of King's works - these novellas are intelligent, concisely written masterpieces.
Have a read, it's well worth it. ...
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Advantages: Great short stories, each a great novel in its own right Disadvantages: 'The Body' is a little long
...King's favourite genre, his book Different Seasons shows that he can turn his hand to anything, with this collection of four short novels as good as his previous (and later) works. Different Seasons contains four very different stories, each worthy of being a stand-alone novel in its own right. Three of the four stories in this collection have been made into well-known and critically acclaimed films, with The Shawshank Redemption the most recognisable. ... ...though of course in very different ways. Their lives are interlinked by this longing, with King focusing mainly on their relationship with each other. This tale is very disturbing but utterly compelling, with the film version not a patch on King's novella, with the detail and characterisation that King uses lifting the story onto a different level. Apt Pupil really is first rate.
3. The Body
After the dark and brooding Apt Pupil, King lightens ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great reading Disadvantages: You may snarl at anyone who interupts your reading.
I received Different Seasons by Stephen King for Christmas, which I have just finished reading. This book is comprised of four long stories or 'novellas' as they are known. Different Seasons is a superb collection which I enjoyed thoroughly; it was first published in 1982 by Macdonald & Co. CONTENTS: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption. ~ This is told from the perspective of 'Red', a lifer in Shawshank Penitentiary, ... ...problems are all of a different nature. Gordie lives in the shadow of his dead brother, Dennis, and his parents barely notice his existence; Chris lives with his alcoholic father and brother, his father beats him regularly; Teddy's father was a second world war hero who went mad and injured Teddy so badly it affected his hearing and Vern is bullied by his elder brother mercilessly. One day, the boys hear that a kid their age has gone missing whilst ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Four (count 'em!) great stories, an afterword from the great man himself Disadvantages: Nada, nil, zilch - get the picture?
...still read it, only for different reasons.
King has struggled over the years to be taken seriously as a writer; if you write ‘horror’ you must be friends with the devil, in league with the red-horned one, and ain’t no way you can be a ‘literate’ writer as well. King even refers to this in his lengthy (nine pages) afterword in this book, and this was still early in his career. I don’t know about you, but I’ve ... ...had read several years before, Different Seasons. A collection of four novellas, and probably King’s first venture (published) into more mainstream work, although all the stories contain threads of real horror in them. During a subsequent clearout of the loft, I emerged from the chaos, triumphantly clutching said copy, just as pleased as a mutt that’s pulled his head out of a dustbin, covered in slime and chicken bones and who knows what ...
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Advantages: Four great stories - excellent value Disadvantages: None
A natty title that ties in to the contents. The four (different) seasons each have a (different and infinitely spooky) story written, therefore this has four separate stories. See if you can spot which of the tales became a hollywood film...
"Hope Springs Eternal - Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption."
This is a tale about the lives of prison inmates inside Shawshank Prison, and focuses on one in particular. He is Andy Dufresne. Andy's time ... ...narrator, telling us about Andy, the type of guy he was, the crime he'd been found guilty of despite his consistent denials of involvement, and his love of Rita Hayworth. He loves Rita so much that he asks Red to smuggle a poster in for him, which Red duly obliges him with. But just how does the poster figure so importantly in the book? Guess what? You're gonna have to read it to find out!
"Summer of Corruption - Apt Pupil."
My particular favourite, ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Some good stories Disadvantages: Some bad stories
...I received StephenKing's 'Skeleton Crew' last Christmas, along with 'DifferentSeasons', which I have already detailed in a previous op. Skeleton Crew has to be one of the few StephenKing books I have never read and though I am not a huge fan of short story anthologies, I was looking forward to having something new to read.
Skeleton Crew did not disappoint, although I found one or two of the stories a little odd, I enjoyed most of them. The book opens with an introduction from the man himself (StephenKing that is); here he attempts to explain why he loves to write and what he gets out of it. He takes one of the stories from the book and explains how the idea came to him and he also talks about how writing short stories has become harder for him over the years. He describes a short story thus:
"A short story is a different...
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Advantages: Short sharp shocks from the master of horror Disadvantages: None to mention
...Throughout is career as a writer, StephenKing's novels have been interceded with story collections. The first of these was Night Shift and others have included Skeleton Crew and DifferentSeasons (which spawned such classics as Rita Heyworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Body (filmed as Stand By Me)).
His latest collection in Everything's Eventual.
First published in 2002, this collection features fourteen stories in all. They are not all horror; some are fantasy and some of merely fiction. But what I enjoyed a lot about reading this book were the author's little insights into how the story was written and other such notes. These are told in a few paragraphs at the beginning or the end of the story.
My copy is the hardback edition (the paperback it not out at the time of writing). It is retailed at £17.99, but you don...
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Advantages: Nice to see King as a person, not just the writer Disadvantages: If you hate baseball, this won't interest you
....
Supposedly, the Boston Red Sox are a cursed team, not having won baseball's World Series since 1918. However, every year the same dedicated fans, the Faithful, turn up for Spring training and to every game at Fenway Park, hoping beyond hope that this will be their year. For many of them, the 2004 season would be no different than usual. For StephenKing and Stewart O'Nan, it was business as usual except that they would be writing down their thoughts, instead of just having them.
With these two men, we follow the highs and lows of the Red Sox 2004 season, from the pre-season thoughts to Spring training, all the way through until the end of the season. It's an interesting format for a book, written in parts by both authors in a kind of diary format, but also featuring E-Mails between the two of them, chatting about the games, their thoughts...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
very helpful 26.03.2006
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