Different Seasons: Four Novellas by Stephen King (EPUB)

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.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I don’t usually write reviews (I don’t think I have ever written one) but I am compelled to on this book because I can’t get the stories out of my head! I keep thinking about them. I have watched both movies “Shawshank Redemption” and “Stand By Me” so I wanted to read those novelettes. I know that Stephen King is more famous for his horror books, but I’m sure I couldn’t get thru any of those because I just can’t handle those types of stories. However, I had heard he was a very good writer and I wanted to read some of his work. All 4 of these stories were fantastic and had a bit of horrific and disturbing content in them. The other two stories in this collection “Apt Pupil” and “Breathing “Lessons” were even more gripping stories that the other two. I don’t think you will be disappointed in any of these stories.

⭐This book was 4 novellas: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body, and The Breathing Method.I enjoyed all 4 novellas, but will rate them separately and I can’t help but compare them to the movies.1. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption: This was a suspenseful, brilliantly written story. The novella and the movie align almost exactly, with the story having more details. I loved the movie and the book and give it 5 stars.2. Apt Pupil: The story differed from the movie and was definitely darker and contained more violence, which is not surprising. I would give the story 4 stars as I didn’t find it as entertaining as the others.3. The Body: This is the story on which the movie Stand By Me was based. I loved the movie and I love the story. The story definitely provide much more detail and it differs from the book in some significant ways. I give this story 5 stars.4. The Breathing Method: There is no movie for this one and I’m not surprised. The material just doesn’t seem to be suitable to being made into a movie. There is a long lead up describing the life of a man and how he is invited to a club by his boss. In the end the club has some magical qualities which are never expanded upon. The focus is on a story told by a character in the story which is interesting and ends with a nice supernatural twist. I would give this story 4 stars.

⭐As a fan, I had to get this for my kindle as I already own a first edition. If you are new to the writings of Stephen King, this would be a great introduction to this author’s early style. He can build a story line that leaves you turning the pages. One of my favorites was the “Breathing Method” chilling, graphic, and believable. King, in spinning this tale, uses the main characters in a setting which in a clever way tells the story to a small audience gathered in a annual meeting in a setting that is mysterious, yet comforting for both the reader and the characters. I will not spoil the ending, but it is classic King.The remaining 3 stories will not fail you, one was made into a major motion picture. So, curl up on dark night and be prepared for some classic horror, not just to shock you but to make you use your imagination as a reader.That is what separates the good from the great in this genre.

⭐I haven’t wrapped this book up yet, but am most of the way through. I saw the movies based on these stories at various times throughout my life, and I always enjoyed them. I had never read King and was completely unaware that these stories were actually “short stories”. I like short stories as a way to test drive an author, so I picked this up. King’s writing is simple and easy to follow, but he manages to tell vivid stories despite the lack of fluff and flowery language. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in an intro to King or just short stories in general.

⭐I bought this for my eleven-year old nephew after forcing him to watch ‘Stand by Me.’ I love introducing to him to 80’s flicks even though he rolls his eyes and says: “Auntie not another old movie! I hate old movies!” To date I’ve forced him to watch ‘The Terminator, ‘Commando,’ ‘The Running Man,’ ‘Rambo,’ ‘Indiana Jones’ and other great action classics. And after each film he ends up loving them. So after we watched ‘Stand By Me’ I told him that it was based on a book and he asked me how I liked the book. That’s when I realized – I have never read the book. So I ordered two of these books; one for me & one for him. When he finishes it, we’re going to watch ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ because he hasn’t’ seen it.’Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption’Wow. I really enjoy this movie, I’ll watch it any time it is on. The book is even better! The book goes right along as the movie does but reading it was very enjoyable. Red’s “voice” is just so true and very enjoyable to read, even at sad parts in the book. Stephen King really tells a great story here; pulling in the reader from the beginning & holding the reader until the very end.’Apt Pupil’ – spoilers!This is also a movie, but I had not seen it until after I read the book. We meet a young boy who discovers that his elderly neighbor has been hiding out in American suburbia as an average citizen when in fact the man is wanted for war crimes relating to WW2 in Germany. The kid is curious about what the man did to prisoners in the concentration camps and threatens to turn in the man if he doesn’t tell the kid, in great detail, what he did. The curiosity turns into obsession and we watch as the kid comes apart then turns numb and finally acts out his own crimes. Meanwhile, the monster sleeping within the old man is awoken by reliving his horrific acts and he too turns to grisly crime to satisfy his own obsession. The build-up of each character’s homicidal crimes was obvious to me, but in a good way. This was an unsettling read, because I wasn’t sure if the old man corrupted the kid or if the kid was corrupt from the start and the old man finely tuned the kid into a killer. Still, I enjoyed reading it and after seeing the movie I will say I enjoyed the book more.’The Body’ (aka ‘Stand by Me’)A great coming-of-age story about four boys who set out to find a missing kid that is presumed to be dead. Nostalgic and light-hearted at times but serious and thought-provoking at other times…this was a great read. Gordy’s point of view, his thoughts and feelings come across so vividly across the pages; I really enjoyed reading this book. The character Chris was actually my favorite character because he has a good heart and is much smarter (about people at least) than he lets on. He really ‘gets’ people and he is perfectly aware of how he is perceived and while it isn’t fair, he accepts it and he is still always pushing Gordy to write and to excel – because it’s as if Gordy succeeds then in a way Chris does too.’The Breathing Method’This one was different than the other three stories, though I can’t really put my finger on how. We meet a man who gets invited to a secret club in New York by his boss. In the club there are drinks and as much entertainment as you please: books, a billiard room, etc. Every now and then the members sit by the fire and one of them shares a story. The story told in this book is from an elderly doctor who was one of the first to introduce his pregnant patients to Lamaze breathing which was simply called ‘The Breathing Method’ back then. One patient in particular he is taken with, not so much in love with but more so in awe of her. I won’t ruin the ending but I do wish we could have explored ‘the clubhouse’ more. It was mentioned that there were many other rooms but we never get to read about them, it’s very secretive and even the club’s butler is reluctant to discuss them. For a few moments here & there I was reminded of the movie ‘Eyes Wide Shut,’ because it wasn’t clear what was going on in those rooms but it felt like to know what was going on meant danger.I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope that my nephew does too!

⭐I originally bought this as I was looking for some short stories to enjoy at night time and early morning. Due to chronic pain, I often keep ridiculous sleep patterns. I also really enjoy Stephen Kings writing and the matter of fact way, he spins a good story.I was keen to read Shawshank Redemption and Apt Pupil. Both of which I have enjoyed the movies of.I found Shawshank to have a much more emotional depth regarding the bond between the two central characters. Also Apt Pupil was far far more sinister than the movie.Although i am torn to pic a favourite it would have to be Apt Pupil or The Breathing Method. Both left me reeling and in deep thought, for very different reasons.A huge 5* and Stephen King remains a writing hero of mine.

⭐It come packed well and clearly brand new. Since then I have read the entire book. Absolutely fantastic book! Shawshank was a brilliant story (although I only heard Morgan Freemans voice despite Red being Irish in the book). It makes you realise how good the adaptation is so it’s worth a read even if you’ve seen the film.Apt pupil is my favourite. Really dark but absolutely captivating! The film DOES NOT do this book justice. If you are a fan of a darker story this ones for you.The Body is a coming of age tale and it’s a fantastic read. Not usually my thing but it was a brilliant read. (Havent seen Stand by Me)The Breathing Method is the worst one but still intriguing.While reading focus on the message of each season. It is really important to the overall experience of the book.

⭐Stephen King’s stock as a writer has grown over the years. From being labelled horror writer, he is more likely these days to be compared to Dickens with the sweep and skill of his storytelling. By his own admission in the afterword to this edition of “Different Seasons”, back in 1982 he called his work the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries, and had no pretentions that he was writing great literature.But “Different Seasons” reveals King’s genius as a storyteller. There is so much going on here in the 3 novellas and one short story that takes the writing beyond throwaway popular fiction. Insights into being young, being old, not fitting in to society, being frightened, having hope – all these things and more are themes that run through these wonderful stories. Moving, engaging, gripping and thought-provoking, “Different Seasons” packs considerable punch and offers the reader huge entertainment. In the afterword, King hopes that what he does takes his readers out of themselves and into different worlds. Right now we need that more than ever, and “Different Seasons” really delivers on this. Superb – and a reminder of the brilliance of King’s earlier work.

⭐Amazing book, great condition and I also received a free bookmark! This book contains 4 short stories, 2 being long short stories, but that’s okay cause I didn’t want them to end! They feature the stories of 2 of the most beloved films; Shawshank Redemption & The Body (Stand By Me), and whether not you’ve seen the films, nothing beats reading them! Apt Pupil is one of the longer ones and it really made my skin crawl, it was very unsettling and realistic, I think that would be a great concept for a movie. A must read for sure!

⭐Just reread different seasons, and it must be 30 years since I last read it. Then I quite liked shawshank redemption but now I see it as partially copied from Escape from Alcatraz, the escape was identical. Apt pupil then as now is perhaps King’s most disturbing story, but not technically horror. The body/stand by me I’ve always liked. It’s not so much a coming of age story as a man reflecting on his childhood. The breathing method first time around I thought was a bit silly, the headless woman giving birth, but now I think that’s the best story. I love the strange club with the slithery bump noise and the hidden threat Mr Stevens the host gives off. It’s a bit like the line in the eagles hotel California song “they stab it with their steely knifes but they just can’t kill the beast”.

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