Different Seasons

Some of King's best work is here

Different Seasons is a showcase for Stephen King. Four diverse novellas, only one of them the kind of horror tale he is synonymous with (and it may be the weakest of the bunch).

The book is divided into four 'seasons': Hope Springs Eternal (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption), Summer of Corruption (Apt Pupil), Fall From Innocence (The Body) and A Winter's Tale (The Breathing Method). The tones of the stories alternate between light and dark, with Apt Pupil perhaps being the darkest thing he has ever written.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is a mini-masterpiece of a tale. A tale of hope set in a prison, dealing with a man whose spirit remains free despite all obstacles. I'd originally read it years before the legendary movie, and was worried that it wouldn't be quite the same reading it now. Luckily King's narrative holds up. Even knowing what was coming, the story telling was as gripping as ever.

Apt Pupil. I was almost dreading rereading Apt Pupil. A well written but morally disturbing tale of the mutually parasitic relationship between a young California golden boy and the Nazi war criminal he has blackmailed. It is an excellent dark thriller, but it is so powerfully written and so pitch black, you are kept in suspense while feeling the need to cleanse yourself of the story being told. I remember the 'Bachman book' Rage felt a little like this, but Apt Pupil provokes a much stronger reaction and is a better book overall.

Third up is The Body which was famously (and very faithfully) adapted into the movie Stand By Me. This is Stephen King's coming of age tale of four boys in 1960 who head out through the woods to find the body of a boy that was struck by a train.

Though all four of the stories are top-notch Stephen King, I believe I enjoyed The Body the most. King so expertly captures the bittersweet feeling of the boys, two of which at least understand that they are going through a life changing experience; that things will not be the same from here on.

The Breathing Method is the closest to Stephen King's 'typical' supernatural spook story. This one (appropriately dedicated to Peter Straub) seems to be King's answer to Straub's Chowder Society (see Straub's Ghost Story), as it deals with a group of old men that belong to a mysterious 'gentleman's club' where they tell each other stories.

Earlier I called The Breathing Method the weakest story here. It is, but please don't take that to mean that the story isn't worth reading. It is a good read that only pales because the other three stories shine so brightly.

This is the book I would loan to someone who looked down on King without reading any of his work. He shows that while he can write some very scary spook stories, that isn't why he sells so many books. Each of the four stories is King writing at the top of the game. There's a reason three of the four stories have been turned into movies and they are three of the best screen adaptations he's had.

7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

This is an absolutely fantastic collection.

The book contains four of Stephan King's short stories, plus an afterward by the author himself. One of the stories, "The Body," was the basis of the beloved 1980's film "Stand By Me," starring River Phoenix, amoung others. The movie was definetly the reason I purchased this book. The short story is just as good, if not better than the movie. It really lived up to my expectations. If you haven't read the story of seen the movie yet, I'd reccomend both!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Short Stories Satisfy

Stephen King keeps me waiting for more. I love stort stories and King is a master. I keep this book bedside and read until all hours! I tend to read his short stories and novellas in Esquire and elsewhere, plus one of these stories turned into the movie: Shawshank Redemption. I like Kings more recent books: less gory and more psychological and science fiction-ish!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing!

"The body" is amazing and i have looked all over to find it. i saw the movie and it encouraged me to read the book. I loved both! Stand by me has to be one of my favorite movies and the body one of my favorite books. I loved both!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This Book is Boss!

I never have read a book like this one.I've read this book about 5 times this book so good.My favorite story was Stand By Me.I could relate to some of the things gone through by these boys.I literally cried the first 2 times I read this book.I think High schoolers should read the whole book.It was a simply remarkable experience reading this book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The body and stand by me

ok well ive never read this book but i have seen the movie and really wanna read the body. the movie got me interested in soo many things and i just love it. its my favorite movie of all time. the characters were amazing and i have to say chris chambers was my favorite and i wish i couldve met him. thats how real this movie was to me. i hope that one day....far from now. very far. that i will meet river. i also loved teddy and vern they seemed like just the sidekicks if you will to this but they each came with there own story and personality. they had a great sense of humor. gordie was amazing espacially at the end. well these are certanly unforgettable characters.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

i loved it

i loved the move stand by me as well as the body. chris was my favorite charector. its a shame river died.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Book 4 the Seasons

Written very well. A little like the movie Shawshank Redemption but not too much. The Body was more like the movie Stand By Me. The Breathing Method is one you will not forget. EVER.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Everyone will love this collection

Of all the books by Stephen King I've read so far, this is by far my favorite. 'The Shawshank Redemption' was surprisingly uplifting rather than depressing. 'Apt Pupil' was very gripping; a very original story line. 'The Body' was my favorite. The characters were so real, and I felt wrapped up in their emotions. 'The Breathing Method' was very strange indeed, but in a good way. I definitely recommend it, Stephen King lover or not

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not even worth the one star!

I loved the movie Stand By Me, but I found the book to be to graphic when it didn't have to be and there were parts that were very offensive there should be a warnnig to parents so that they know what there children are reading.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

King's finest collection

From beginning to end,certainly the best collection of short fiction I've read. They should make movies out of some of these stories.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I only read one story........so far

I read the boddy first because I saw the movie and fell in love with it. If you read the story first you'll understand the movie better. The book is more detailed but you you get a better picher waching the movie. The movie is called stand by me.I like all the people in the book but one of them most of all,Chris Chambers I wish I could be like him. I liked the movie so much I almost have it memorized.It wasent long before my cousen and freind saw the movie and we made a kind of gang I was the tuffest and most like Chris so I was kind of like him my freind was like Gordie my cousen loves the army so he was like Teddy And a nother 'freind' was dum like Vern.Slowle every one just faded away.Thas how Good the movie is a the books even better.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

Very good

Wonderful group of stories. King at his best

These stories are some of the best Stephen King has written. Familiar films made from at least two of these stories. If you have seen Shawshank Redemption or Stand by Me you owe it to yourself to read the story.

All-time favorite!

I dont even hestitate when someone asks about my favorite book. I have a coverless, stained, and tattered copy i borrowed in high school. I read it over and over. The best story is the one they never made into a film, but i love them all. Have to have it on my nook!

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption

For those of you who have seen the movie and know just how beautiful this story is, reading the book will answer many of the unanswered questions you may have. This is a fictional story written by Stephen King. Rather than just being the story of the Shawshank Redemption, the book is revealing all the secrets that lay within Rita Hayworth. Rita Hayworth is the main actress in a movie that the convicts get to watch. Andy asks Red to get him a poster of Rita Hayworth to hang up in his cell. While she is hanging up in his cell, he sees and hears everything; every murder, every scandal, every inch carved out of Andy's cell wall. I personally enjoyed the movie more than the book; however, it is still a necessary short read to get all your questions answered. The movie is rated R for various obvious reasons and I would rate the book the same. Due to language and prison life, I don't think anyone under the age of, maybe 15 should read this book or for sure watch the movie.

King has done it again

A must read, definately a side of king that many dont get to see from the "king of horror" each story a gem a treachest of riches. Each story different from each other, yet still convey the same thing when you finish and thats emotions. I being a horror buff, myself tend to shy away from stories that dont have a supernatural feel to them but Stephen king writes each story in a way that if you just a fan of good story telling then you could be a fan of horror, scifi, wetern, comedies, romance whatever it is if you want a good story that will make you smile, make you feel and want to cry along with the characters in the book, let alone stand up in ovation and applaud then this is a book for you, my favorite gems of the book being Shawshank redemption a masterpiece in its own right, and The green mile a very emotional yet still great story and if you enjoyed or liked the movie I must tell you then you haven't fully experience it fully tillyou read the stories. They did there best to put as much of the story on the screen but still the stories are better in my opinion. If your looking for a story that is just great all around then this is the book for you

Different Seasons, Short Stories/Collections

Coming soon.

i loved the body!!

i am 14 years old and read the story the body and loved it! the movie is also really great. the characters are all so unforgettable. vern is definetly one of them! but my favorite character has to be chris. he is so amazing. he fought all the odds and came out on top at the end. river phoenix did an amazing job playing him. i really felt as though he was true to the character.when i saw him in the film i knew that that kid had it going for him. it was later i found out about his trajic death. but he lives on through his amazing performance. especially in his role as chris chambers

The Body!!!!!

The body is my favorite story. I think I like it so much is because I'm 14 and I can relate to a lot of stuff Gordie thinks. And I also saw Stand By Me and thats my favorite movie. it's too bad about River Phoenix though cause he's my favorite actor.