Different Seasons

By Stephen King

Different Seasons - Stephen King
  • Release Date: 2016-01-01
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 191 Ratings

Description

Includes the stories “The Body” and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”—set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine

A “hypnotic” (The New York Times Book Review) collection of four novellas—including the inspirations behind the films Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption—from Stephen King, bound together by the changing of seasons, each taking on the theme of a journey with strikingly different tones and characters.

This gripping collection begins with “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” in which an unjustly imprisoned convict seeks a strange and startling revenge—the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award-nominee The Shawshank Redemption.

Next is “Apt Pupil,” the inspiration for the film of the same name about top high school student Todd Bowden and his obsession with the dark and deadly past of an older man in town.

In “The Body,” four rambunctious young boys plunge through the façade of a small town and come face-to-face with life, death, and intimations of their own mortality. This novella became the movie Stand By Me.

Finally, a disgraced woman is determined to triumph over death in “The Breathing Method.”

“The wondrous readability of his work, as well as the instant sense of communication with his characters, are what make Stephen King the consummate storyteller that he is,” hailed the Houston Chronicle about Different Seasons.

Reviews

  • King lite

    5
    By Seahog23
    If you have seen any of the 3 movies from this book, The Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil or Stand By Me, then you already know what to expect. I never cared for the movie Apt Pupil and remember very little of it. Thankfully the story in here is more fleshed out and a bit darker in tone which added to my enjoyment. The Body and Rita Heyworth & The Shawshank Redemption were much more similar to their movie counter parts. Sometimes that’s good but when they are two movies you have seen a dozen times each it’s hard to get the pictures in your mind to separate from the films. But of course the stories are fantastic, even though the I prefer the The Shawshank Redemption movie to the book and the Body was similar enough that I enjoyed both equally. The Breathing Method was what made me finally break down and read this book. It being a King story that I knew nothing of and most reviews list it as the weak link in this collection so I had to know for myself. Truthfully the reviews have it right and it being the only story not to get the movie treatment comes as no surprise. But, because I had no knowledge of this story it was the one I enjoyed reading the most simply for the fact I didn’t have to compete with images I had already acquired from film. All in all, this is King lite. Not much in the way of horror, all are obviously incredibly short compared to traditional King novels, but all 4 stories are fantastic.
  • Living proof that Stephen King can do more than just scare readers...

    5
    By ES the horror fan
    As a big fan of Stephen King, it’s his horror stories I like more than anything else. But there’s no denying that the author has the talent to write anything he chooses, including any kind of fiction. As good as King is at writing scary stories, I’ve also read the first four books in the Dark Tower series, Hearts in Atlantis, and The Green Mile, all of which demonstrate King’s talent for taking readers on an adventure, making them fall in love with supernatural dramas that may also be compelling, sweet love stories, breaking readers’ hearts, making them laugh, and even giving them hope. If any other book can exemplify these themes, which King has featured in more than one story, it’s Different Seasons. Rita Hayworth and SHAWSHANK Redemption is a prison drama about the triumph of the human spirit; Apt Pupil is a chilling suspense story about what happens when an evil teenager meets a neighbor, a former Nazi war criminal who might be even more evil than he is; The Body is an uplifting, sometimes sad, sometimes funny coming-of-age adventure; The Breathing Method, the book’s sole horror story is also a sweet, sad, poignant story about young, pregnant woman in a desperate situation, and the touching relationship between she and her male doctor. In other words, Different Seasons, Stephen King’s first collection of novellas, is perfect for all readers who love Stephen King, but are not necessarily looking for anything scary! The author is called a master of horror, by fans and critics alike, for good reason. But he is also known for as a master storyteller for another reason: If you’re looking for a great drama, an exciting adventure, a compelling fantasy, or an excellent story in any other fictional genre, Stephen King is a great writer to turn to! Different Seasons provides ample evidence of this. It’s an amazing collection that proves that Stephen King is a storyteller for all seasons!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • Amazing!

    5
    By Reckia6
    Stephen King was on a roll when he put this out. I think everything he did in this era was genius, including this. All four novellas are amazing. Hard to say which one I like the best, since they are all great but my favorite at the time is Apt Pupil. A must have for Stephen King fans.
  • Update issues!!

    1
    By SlammieF
    I just had an update for this book recently. Now I can't click my bookmark or even chapters!!!!!