Haven't written a review in a while. Must get the creative juices flowing again!!!
Haven't written a review in a while. Must get the creative juices flowing again!!!
Member since:01.09.2006
Reviews:72
Members who trust:18
Sometimes authors are placed into boxes, and the great Stephen King is no exception. While Terry Pratchett is known for his fantasy books and John Grisham for his gripping courtroom stories, Stephen King has always been associated with horror. As IT, Salem's Lot, Christine, Carrie, Cujo, Pet Semetary and Gerald's Game have proved, King is a master at writing scary stories; his books are both well written and compelling, with intricate plots and an imaginative use of lexis making his work extremely enjoyable. Though horror is clearly 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. The other two are Apt Pupil and The Body (renamed Stand By Me for its movie release), films which have been released in the last decade or so. The last story is too short to make into a feature length film, but is still an enjoyable if gruesome little tale called The Breathing Method. The longest story, Apt Pupil, is around 200 pages long, which according to King is too short to be classed as an actual novel, though in my eyes any story over a hundred pages is good enough to be called a novel.
1. Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption Two of my favourite films are The Green Mile and The Shawshank Redemption, and I only learnt a couple of years ago that both were written by Stephen King. This story only runs to a hundred pages, but is completely riveting throughout. The tale centres of Andy Dufrense, who has been sent to Shawshank prison for killing his wife. While
there he meets 'Red', and the two form a close, if rather strange, relationship. It becomes clear that Andy isn't your everyday bloke, and as the novel progresses it becomes clear that he is something special, not just in terms of intelligence but also skill and patience. After spending two decades in Shawshank, Andy takes a drastic and life-changing decision which has repurcussions far and wide.
The film version of The Shawshank Redemption runs to a lengthy couple of hours, but King's novel is short and to the point, cramming in a lot of plot for not too many pages. Although I would have liked an extra fifty or so pages, the story works well in its short space. The plotting and prose are well thought out by King, with enough characterisation for the main protagonists, particularly on the main characters of Andy and Red. For those who like their stories short and to the point, this is ideal material, with the novella moving along at a brisk pace, mainly because it's such a great page-turner. It took me only a couple of days to read because of the fact that it's such an engaging and addictive story, and one you just want to keep reading until the end. Probably my favourite of the four stories.
2. Apt Pupil In Apt Pupil King takes us on an incredible emotional journey, looking at the disturbing relationship between a 'perfect' student and an ex Nazi general living under a shadow. Even though this isn't a horror novel it really feels like one, with the close friendship that Todd strikes up with the old man really creepy. Todd Bowden is an all American good kid. He's doing well at school, has plenty of friends and has a loving family. He's also obsessed with Nazi's, concentration camps and the extermination of the jews. So obsessed that he strikes up a relationship with a Nazi general with many hidden secrets. There is one particular bit (not included in the film) in which Dussander (the general) cooks a cat in his oven, re-creating the moment when he killed jews in the gas chambers. It gets more disturbing as the novel reaches its dramatic conclusion, with King squeezing every shocking thing he can think of into the novella. It really is difficult material to read.
Though it sags in the middle (at 230 pages it's a long novella for a relatively small story) this book is extremely engrossing, containing enough shocking moments to keep the plot churning along at a speedy pace. The relationship between Dussander and Todd is an uneasy one, a friendship sealed in extraodinary circumstances. Todd is seen as a clean cut kid with good grades and a good life, while Dussander is the total opposite. HIs life has been marred by his actions in Germany and subsequent escape to the US, with Dussander constantly living under a shadow. Rather then preach to us about the horror of the Second World War and the extermination of the jews, King instead focuses in on the thought processes and mental state of an ex-Nazi general forced to live by another country's rules.
Although Todd has friends and a good life at home, he is clearly missing something inside, the same feeling that Dussander himself has, 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 the mood substantially with the third novella, The Body. Although not as compelling as the first two, this is still a great little adventure tale told through the eyes of an adult looking back on his childhood. The story concerns four boys (Gordie, Vern, Chris and Teddy) taking a trip through the woods in search of a dead body, an event which will mark the end of their childhood. Gordie is the main protagonist, a geeky kid who is an excellent writer but lacks confidence. His three friends also have their problems which are played out as the story progresses. This is not so much a search for a dead body, rather a search to find themselves. It reminds a lot of my childhood, when the days were long and the hours countless, with so much to do every day.
This story is also a lot do with courage and bravery, with Gordie proving himself to be the bravest even if he is probably the geekiest of the four. As the four boys venture into the unknown King takes us on a great little journey, with the end of innocence just around the corner. The dead body which the boys are searching for is the invisible threshold between childhood and becoming an adult, although this is unbeknown to the boys as they set off into the woods. Although this is only guesswork King seems to be drawing from his own childhood experiences, with his own memories being played out through the character of Gordie. This novella was turned into the much celebrated film Stand By Me, which starred the late River Phoenix. In my view the film is as good as King's novella, with the flaws and insecurities of the four boys being played out on screen. Although not my favourite story, The Body is still an enjoyable read, if a little long.
4. The Breathing Method Last, but certainly not least, is The Breathing Method, a story which takes King back to his comfortable roots, horror. This novella is only 70 pages long but really packs a punch. Without giving too much away the story concerns a young woman who is determined to give birth to her child no matter what. The story is gruesome but uplifting, with King managing to pack in a lot of story for such a short amount of pages. This is a great little short story to read late at night, though it does get rather bloody at the end. Clearly King's forte is horror, so it's nice to see him signing off with what he does best.
Conclusion The standard of Stephen King really is exceptional, with his collection of novellas in Different Seasons really showing off his talents as an all round author. For me the first two novellas are the best, with Apt Pupil sticking in my mind the most. In all the novellas King draws you right in to the action so that you feel that you're part of the story. In the Shawshank Redemption you feel as if you're in prison with Andy, feeling his pain and hoping for redemption, while in The Body you can see yourself walking along with Gordie, Vern, Teddy and Chris as they venture deeper into the woods. Any author who can draw you in to a story in such a way really is a master of the craft, and King is no exception.
If you've never read a Stephen King novel or aren't a fan of horror then you should read Different Season. This is most definately one of King's finest works, up there with IT, Gerald's Game and Carrie. Highly recommended.
Hope you enjoyed the review
Mike.
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I do enjoy reading Stephen King, a good review. Lin
MAFARRIMOND 04.02.2007 19:44
You can always rely on King for a good read. Maureen
darkangelwing 04.02.2007 18:03
It's great to see a group of fellow King fans on ciao nowadays, I have to say I enjoyed Shawshank but I stopped reading the book due to Apt. Pupil being long winded, it does seem rthe case in a third of King books where he could make his books shorter more easily by leaving out the boring middle i.e. IT, smashing review though.
Different Seasons is a collection of four novellas, markedly different in tone and ... more
subject, 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 t...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Different Seasons is a collection of four novellas, markedly different in tone and ... more
subject, 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 t...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Different Seasonsis a collection of four novellas, markedly different in tone and subject, ... more
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...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Different Seasonsis a collection of four novellas, markedly different in tone and subject, ... more
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...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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.
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.
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