Different Seasons

This is my first stab at Stephen King. Honestly, being the literary snob that I am, I wrote him off years ago as a hack genre writer. In recent times my snobbery has lessened—a little; I'd heard some good things about King so I thought I'd give him a chance. Although I'm not opposed to giving the author's horror a try, I wanted to start with something else; I chose Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” “Apt Pupil,” “The Body,” and “The Breathing Method.”

Throughout these stories, it is clear that King is a wonderful storyteller. He is filled with original ideas and knows how to tell them in fresh ways that keep the reader nailed to the book. His stories move swiftly; show more it's clear why so many are made into successful movies. Story aside, craft sometimes eludes the author—lack of characterization, poor choices in narrative design, and overall wordiness plague many of these stories. They're very characteristic of the stories one may expect from a Master's level student in writing: great story by a writer with a decent grasp of the trade.

That being said, “The Body,” the story which was adapted into the film Stand by Me, is fabulous. Here King proves he has the talent. Excellent design. Wonderful narrative. Characters that are not easily forgotten. “The Body” is gritty and beautiful, juvenile and intelligent. [b:The Catcher in the Rye|5107|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311457667s/5107.jpg|3036731] be damned, this is the story of growing up. This is the confessional coming of age story real people can relate to. Even if you didn't grow up in the sixties, or walk miles along a railroad track to view a dead body. Even if Gordon Lachance was played by Wil Wheaton in the film. Even if a bunch of literate people tell you that Holden Caulfield is God while pointing out that Stephen King wrote a story about a killer clown. Even so, “The Body” is real. And it's so much more entertaining than feeding ducks at the pond and searching the walls of the Museum of Natural History for graffiti. (For additional bagging on Catcher in the Rye, follow my reviews; there will be more to come.)

As for the other stories, “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” had a great premise, but lacked the characters and magic necessary to pull off a fabulous read. “Apt Pupil” was intriguing in theory, but droned on far too long. “The Breathing Method” was pretty good, but felt more like a short story unnecessarily stretched to accommodate the classification of novella.

All good stories, but only “The Body” was great in my opinion. Now which King book do I tackle next? I'm leaning toward The Stand, but I've also been eying On Writing and Duma Key. show less

This is, of course, the book that made fans for Stephen King that don't even know they're fans. My wife, for example, counts the Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption movies as among the very best, but she doesn't like Stephen King.

Shawshank that starts this collection off is very much standard King fare. A quiet person who's driven beyond normal human measuring. Andy Dufresne is cut from the same cloth as Roland, Stu Redmond, the Loser's Club, Paul Sheldon, and many other King characters. There's nothing remarkable here, and yet, the whole thing's remarkable in the way that he slowly, easily, and with great care and patience, lays the entire story out for us.

The comes Apt Pupil, a story I didn't like originally, and didn't like this show more time around. Hey, it happens. Where the first story seemed to move along, not quickly, not slowly, but just right, this one seemed to drag and drag. It could be because I found no redeeming features in either of the two main characters, I don't know. To me, there was a genius little short story shoehorned into this novella when the Jewish concentration camp survivor comes to learn that he's sharing a hospital room with his Nazi torturer. That, my friends, would have made for a suspenseful little slice of hell. But it was not to be. Ah well. This story is the reason this book is rated a 4 instead of a 5 for me.

The Body, quite simply, is some of the finest writing King has ever produced. His observances of childhood, of life, of his own reputation as a writer...all of it. This story simply sings.

And finally, we have the oddity known as The Breathing Method, a strange little story that shouldn't work, and likely wouldn't have had it not been sandwiched within the much more intriguing framework of the club, also one of King's better creations.

Overall, the thing that struck me the most about this collection, that didn't really hit me the first time around, is that each story is about characters who go through a story, but that also have a story of their own. Sometimes, there's even a story within a story within a story. In each of the four novellas collected here.

Together, though I'm not fond of one of them, this should stand as one of King's top releases, and one that can be pointed to when discussing his genius. show less

This collection of four novellas, three of which have since been made into movies, is an example of his early work, but still so brilliant that one is not at all surprised by how prolific King has become.
I really loved reading the story on which the movie Shawshank Redemption is based. As usual, the book can be characterized as "better than the movie" because of the additional details and backstory it contains. However, Shawshank is still one of the greatest movies ever. Interesting that the character of Red, played by Morgan Freeman in the film, is described as a red-haired Irishman. I can't remember how they explained Red's nickname in the film, but this makes far more sense.
Apt Pupil was also interesting to read, but for a show more different reason. I've never even seen the film. Reading about Todd's spiral into madness after he finds and blackmails an old man into telling about his former life as a Nazi was suspenseful and harrowing. The psychology of it is spot-on. It's also interesting to find oneself 'rooting' for either of these characters, both of whom are terrible human beings and deserve to get caught.
I have seen parts of Stand by Me, but never watched it through, and it's been a very long time since I've seen even those parts. I had remembered it more like a buddy film, kinda the dude version of Now and Then which is the 90's girl version. In fact, now that I think about it, Now and Then is either an homage to or a rip-off of this. Anyhow, in "The Body", a group of boys walk several miles from home embark on an epic journey that will change their lives forever. The 'horror' element in this comes more from the realistic threat of older boys than from any kind of supernaturalism surrounding "The Body". Not having ever been a pre-teen boy, though, I found it hard to relate to. Like, why not tell some adults you're getting beat on? Oh, right, street cred.
The Breathing Method wasn't scary until the very end. Basically, this doctor is trying to teach an unwed mother how to do Lamaze, and also kinda falling in love with her. I was really rooting for these two crazy kids to get together, but I knew that wasn't about to happen because of everything I've ever read by this guy. Anyhow, the end was kinda gross, but absolutely the most "horror" of the bunch.
Great book, really impressive. I should go watch Apt Pupil and Stand by Me. And then Shawshank, again, because any excuse to watch Shawshank, right? show less

I've always wanted to read something by Stephen King, if only because he's such a widely-read author who's had a huge influence on pop culture. I'm not really that keen on horror (especially the sort of O.T.T. horror – haunted cars, haunted houses, demon dogs, telekinesis – that King dabbles in) so Different Seasons – containing among others the novella that was the inspiration for a truly impressive film, The Shawshank Redemption – was the obvious choice for my first foray.

'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption', the first story, was the basis for that film and more than deserves to stand alongside it. No doubt my impressions of the story were coloured by my familiarity with the film, but even with that in mind, it is a fine show more novella. It is quick to read, with a great message and fully fleshed-out characters. King can really tell a story, and you finish 'Shawshank Redemption' having been fully absorbed in it – its characters, its settings, its phrasings, its whole essence of being – in the same way you might after reading a big novel. King achieves the same effect in about 100 pages – it is most impressive.

There's a bit of mood whiplash between this first story and the second (but then the book is called Different Seasons…). 'Apt Pupil', a creepy story about a young weirdo's relationship with an elderly Nazi war criminal hiding out under an assumed name in an American suburb, is absorbing, but without the richness of the preceding story, and at twice its length. It uses clichés (revealing dreams, plot coincidences) commonly used to grease the wheels of stories and its appeal is that of the morbid or the voyeur, in reading salacious details of tortures, murders and other pulp-fetish depravities. After the impressive transcendence of the first story, this – alas – was closer to what I expected from a writer of King's reputation. King's stories generally seem to have the character of attacking a seedy underbelly of American suburbia that, frankly, I don't think is really there. I think it is probably an invention or an exaggeration from the darker recesses of King's imagination; people are too plain to go to this sort of depraved trouble. 'Apt Pupil' was creepy, but forgettable: serviceable pulp.

The third story, 'The Body', is alongside 'Shawshank' the other truly commendable story. The inspiration for the film Stand By Me, it is a coming-of-age story that would be wholesome if not for the fact that the 12-year-old protagonist and his friends are on an adventure to see the dead body of a missing kid. It has characters you care about (although, like 'Shawshank', I wonder how much of my enjoyment has been coloured by the film) and, aside from a weird and unfocused interlude in which the protagonist delivers a story about a man named Chico, it is well-written. However, it seems to be striving for a more highbrow sort of American literature that King has never really been able to reach (more on that later…). This doesn't cripple one's enjoyment of the tale, and the inclusion of 'The Body' ensures there's more to Different Seasons than just 'Shawshank'.

The fourth and final story, 'The Breathing Method', is the shortest, and the one that most screams 'Stephen King'. It is a pseudo-horror story that plays on the horrors of childbirth, and childbirth out of wedlock at that. It reads like a lost story from The Twilight Zone – that statement is not meant to sound like a criticism – and King might have had half a mind to send the cheque for the story to Richard Matheson. I'm game enough for stories like this, particularly when they're short, and coming at the end of the book it reminds you of King's more typical works.

As my first experience of Stephen King, I was fascinated to discover how I reacted to the prose of this household name. I've never considered myself a book snob – though like all avid readers my sensibilities have refined over time – and so I was surprised to find myself passing judgment on King's prose. He reads like the stories are first drafts – good first drafts, mind – and with lots of gamey slang and easy outs. By the time I read King's admission, in the Afterword, that his writing is "fairly plain, not very literary, and sometimes (although it hurts like hell to admit it) downright clumsy" (pg. 557), it did not even cross my mind that he might be being self-effacing – as would be the case for most writers who made such an admission – but simply being honest and self-aware.

Enjoying the stories but feeling grimy at the prose, reading Stephen King made me realize that many of those I've lauded in the past for being excellent storytellers – George R. R. Martin, George MacDonald Fraser, Nevil Shute, to name a few – also had the great fortune of being fine writers. King, in stark contrast, is an excellent storyteller but not a compelling writer. I do not intend that opinion to read snobbishly, for in my opinion praising storytelling ability is one of the highest compliments one can pay a writer, and one that, come to think about it, I am able to pay far less frequently than I would have thought. But it was the impression that imposed itself most forcefully upon me in reading Stephen King for the first time and I would be remiss if I did not mention it in my review of his book.

King is excellent at breathing life into a story; at slipping little details into the narrative that really flesh out a character or a setting. He reads like he's in the room with you, spinning you a story, rather than the more imperious, this-could-be-passed-down-through-the-generations style most writers seem to go for. He writes like he doesn't care about posterity, only wanting you to enjoy the story in the moment. Perhaps this is why, ironically, he has proved more enduring than many of those writers who do strive for meaning and legacy. show less

In this collection, we get to take part of four different novellas; one for each season of the year.

For spring, there's Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption that tells the story of two convicted men, one guilty, one innocent, and how their partnership slowly becomes a friendship as they together dream about escaping the prison once and for all.

Apt Pupil is the summer tale about a young boy who finds a taste for brutal violence after he befriends a neighbour who turns out to be an old Nazi soldier in hiding. He blackmails the old man into telling him all about the evil deeds of the Nazis, and even though they leave him with vicious nightmares, something inside of him keeps coming back for more.

In the season of red and yellow leaves, show more The Body lets us follow four boys on their journey to find the dead body of Ray Bower. But the thought of seeing a dead body for the first time quickly becomes less exciting as the adventure turns out to be more grim than they'd ever thought.

As a round up with snow and Christmas tales, a couple of old men gather at a mysterious club in The Breathing Method to tell each other stories. This time it's for a haunting story about a woman determined to give birth, no matter what.

As usual, Stephen King manages to keep the reader spellbound with his amazing writing. There is not one bad story in the book, even though they are all so different. Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is a classical story about prisoners longing for freedom in a way that reminds me of The Green Mile a lot whilst Apt Pupil is a nightmare story about how evil can be found even in the smallest, seemingly most adorable and gentle children. My boyfriend adviced me to read Apt Pupil with a warning along the words of, ”It's the most terrifying fucking story I have ever read”. As someone who has read American Psycho, I don't whole-heartedly agree but maybe half-heartedly. It is really a scary process the child goes through during the novella; as well as the old Nazi.

I have read The Body before and it's one of my favourite stories of all times. I have so much love for it; the characters, the story, the narrative, the descriptions, the locations... everything. I can relate to Gordie and Chris so much, Teddy and Vern as well, but especially Gordie and Chris. It makes the story emotional to read, even more so than it probably would've been even if I couldn't see myself in them. It's hard to find the right words to describe what I feel for The Body because I honestly feel there's none. It just is.

I said there were no bad stories in the collection but if I'd have to point out one, it'd be The Breathing Method. It felt unfinished in a lot of ways and I had a hard time keeping my focus and interest in the story. There should have been more about the mysterious club itself as there was too much to just be a background detail but also too little to be a proper part of the story itself. However, the story told was amazing. I really enjoyed that one. But honestly? I'd rather seen that story being told as the main story rather than a story within a story. show less

5/5

Amazing, just truly and simply amazing. These are four short stories and every single one of them is very very good. King's short story collections are usually pretty good, a little bit worse than his longer works, but this just blows it right out of the water.

The first one is the story that Shawshank Redemption was based on and it's just as amazing as the movie. I read the whole thing, about 100 pages, in just one sitting. I cared for every single prisoner and really wanted to see what would happen to Red.

The second one, Apt Pupil, is probably the third best of the bunch, and even then it's insanely good. Just a great explanation about how evil can "sleep" and be awaken by being exposed to other evil individuals. I bet some people show more might be slightly bothered by the way casualty brings the end of the story, but I still loved it. And I honestly do believe the kid was a sociopath from the start, even before meeting the old man.

The third one, The Body, is what "Stand by me" was based on. I also really liked this one, it's probably the second best and feels very personal. It's all about the logic of "being stuck in a bad place", both literally and figuratively, with both the idea of being around people that drag you down, even without intent, and how just being born in a bad place can be an inescapable prison.

The last one is the weakest of the bunch, the Breathing Method, but it's still really good. A story inside a story, but I really loved it. There's just a vague air of mystery around it that felt really satisfying. A great show of how King can develop what I can only call "casual supernatural", I wish he did work the mysterious club a bit more, though.

To conclude, this book is amazing and one of King's best work. It's a great introduction to his non-horror works. I don't think newcomers to his work should start with this book, but it's probably the first you should read after a couple of good horror stories. show less

This is a collection of four short stories/novellas, with seasonal divisions:
Hope Springs Eternal – Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
Summer of Corruption – Apt Pupil
Fall from Innocence – The Body
A Winter’s Tale – The Birthing Method

In the Afterword King writes: Although “Where do you get your ideas?” has always been the question I’m most frequently asked … the runner-up is undoubtedly this one: “Is horror all you write?” When I say it isn’t, it’s hard to tell if the questioner seems relieved or disappointed.

This was the first Stephen King book published which wasn’t specifically in the horror genre, and his publisher was hesitant. Of course, since publication, two of these stories have been show more immortalized in very popular films, so apparently readers WOULD buy and appreciate a non-horror novel by King. Make no mistake, however; the hallmarks of King’s writing are still here: tight plotting, graphically vivid scenes, memorable characters, great dialogue. There were times as I was reading that would I simply stop and exclaim aloud, “Damn, he can write!”

The two stories which have not been filmed were the two I found most disturbing. Apt Pupil shows two characters – a young boy and a frail old man – bound by a secret and a shared passion for inflicting pain. I was horrified, and mesmerized. I certainly don’t think it’s a coincidence that King gives his young character the same initials as Ted Bundy!

In The Breathing Method King has the members of an exclusive gentleman’s club meeting regularly to share stories. Their tradition is to save a particularly chilling horror story for their Christmas meeting. At one such meeting one member tells the story of a young, unmarried woman in 1935 who is determined to have her baby. The ending is tragic and horrific and disturbing.

I think my favorite of the four stories was The Body because of his descriptions of four boys’ adventure in the woods.
There’s something horrible and fascinating about the way dark comes to the woods, its coming unsoftened by headlights or streetlights or houselights or neon. It comes with no mothers’ voices, calling for their kids to leave off and come on in now, to herald it. If you’re used to the town, the coming of the dark in the woods seems more like a natural disaster than a natural phenomenon; it rises like the Castle River rises in the spring.
I couldn’t help but think of all the times when I was a child that my brother and I would join with friends to take off into the woods on our own – no parents hovering over us. Like the four boys in this story we had learned how to make a fire and find shelter, knew the plants and streams and hiding places of that environment from endless hours, days, seasons, years of exploring. And we had the capacity to scare ourselves silly with our own imaginations. Like most kids our imaginations were far more real to us than the actual dangers we might have encountered. And that, in a nutshell, is why I love reading fiction in general, and King in particular. show less