Death Row and Miracles
 Sep 5th, 2006
Advantages:
Easy to read, Excellent Story, Well Written
Disadvantages:
None
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Would you read it again?
Story
Characters
Readability
How does it compare to other works by the same author?
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  034keb
About me:
Member since:24.06.2006
Reviews:16
Review rated by 22 Ciao members on average: helpful 
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Read Comment
The Green Mile By Stephen King
Story divided into 6 Small Books (Paperback)
Year Released: 1996
Number of Pages: 582 Total I read these 6 books recently after I had watched the film and realised that the books are even better than the film but the film is very true to the book's plot and characters, and Stephen King yet again has written a brilliant book.
Synopsis of the Books: Book 1 - The Two Dead Girls, 92 pages:
There is brutal murder of two sisters and a man has been convicted of this. His name is John Coffey and he has been sentenced to death by the electric chair. He has been put into Cold Mountain Penitentiary on death row where he meets the guards assigned to carry out the execution.
Book 2 - The Mouse on the Mile, 92 pages:
The Green Mile, is home to all of the prisoners condemned to die by electric chair. Strangely a mouse appears and seems to be living on death row with the prisoners. There are many bad men seen on the Green Mile and not all of them are found behind the bars of the cells. Book 3 - Coffey's Hands, 90 pages:
The story of John Coffey is very strange and not much is known about this prisoner, and Paul Edgecombe the Head Guard is getting more curious about the new prisoner.
Paul and John become closer than Paul would imagine and an extraordinary incident occurs that changes Paul forever.
Book 4 - The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix, 90 pages:
One of the prisoners at Cold Mountain penitentiary has reached the date that he is to be executed and Eduard Delacroix the French inmate has to finally walk down the dreaded Green Mile. He must make his peace with the guards and find a home for his special friend for when he is gone. He is sentenced to death but no one could predict what was about to befall this prisoner. Book 5 - Night Journey, 90 pages:
The guards headed by Paul Edgecombe are to take a huge gamble in the knowledge that if they are caught they would all lose their jobs, but the reward is worth the risk. They transport John Coffey (the murderer) from his cell to a house outside of the prison at night so that he can meet a woman who is seriously ill. This is where miracles will occur or everyone is in trouble.
Book 6 - Coffey on the Mile, 138 pages:
On the Green Mile death is a regular occurrence as all prisoners will die by electric chair. It is finally the turn of John Coffey to walk the Green Mile and sit in the electric chair. The guards especially Paul Edgecombe have found out information that could save John Coffey but can it be used in time? Paul Edgecombe will have to live with his decision for a long time and will justice be done? Main Characters:
Guards:
Paul Edgecombe - He is the head Prison Guard on death row in the prison known as the Green Mile.
Brutus "Brutal" Howell - He is a large Prison guard who works on the Green Mile.
Percy Wetmore - He is a small, young Prison Guard new to death row and is related to the governor.
Also: Dean Stanton and Harry Terwilliger make up the main guards on death row.
Prisoners:
John Coffey - A massive black man, in the Green Mile for murdering two girls.
Eduard Delacroix - A small French man who is in the Green Mile and will be executed.
'Wild Bill' Wharton - A unpredictable young man who is sentenced for death for murder. Other Characters:
Mr. Jingles - A small mouse that appears on the Green Mile.
Hal Moores & Melinda Moores - The warden of the Cold Mountain Penitentiary and his wife.
Elaine Connelly - An old woman with arthritis who is a friend of Paul Edgecombe in the retirement home.
The Green Mile is being written from the memory of Paul Edgecombe and he is recalling his days as the Head Guard on the Green Mile, mainly focused on the year of 1932. The book firstly explains the events that lead up to how John Coffey is put on the Green Mile, him being found with two dead girls in his arms by the local police and being found guilty of their murders. Next there is the introduction of Mr. Jingles
(the mouse) onto the Green Mile seemingly from nowhere. The story progresses with Paul Edgecombe having a bad infection that was troubling him being cleared up. Eduard Delacroix has befriended Mr. Jingles but his time has come to be executed and Percy is allowed to be involved with the other guards when using the electric chair to carry out the death sentence to Eduard. The guards know John Coffey's special powers and a desperate situation arises that results in the guards gambling with their jobs and could result in a murderer escaping and also other individual's lives are in jeopardy. The final part of the story sees John Coffey's time running out on the Green Mile and many years later in a retirement home an individual from the past appears. I will not say anymore about the book but it is overall a great story, and is written very well.
Recommendation: Book Rating: 10/10
I would definitely recommend this book to all Stephen King readers and any person who has seen the film, and it is just another book created by the genius mind of Stephen King. The story is set on Death Row and so the subject is about Death but King manages to add some magical twists along the way. There are a wide variety of characters and the story is excellently paced and although it is broken up into 6 parts you will want to read the next book the minute you finish the previous book, the uniqueness of one story being broken into 6 small books also appealed to me. I would definitely say that the books are value for money and will enhance anybody's book collection.
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by (18%):
08.02.2007 05:10
You can always rely on King for a good read. Maureen
10.09.2006 19:37
I do not like the Green Mile (both book and film adaptation), but your review is very very good - Rob
08.09.2006 14:10
Stephen King is rubbish and his stories are not clever they are convoluted and pointless! But I did like this film despite that and so as this is not so much about horror I will give it a go. Many thanks for the review it has helped me decide to read the book. - and shame on you for your cheekiness at taking others' plot synopsis. Yours - Andrew