Stephen King is one of my favorite writers, and my favorite work of his is, surprisingly, not a horror novel. It is not really a novel at all. And it is number 54 of my books for the year.
In the afterword of the book, Stephen King states that Different Seasons, an anthology, rather than a novel, was created from four short stories (or novellas) that he wrote after finishing some of his hit novels such as Carrie and The Shining. He writes about his concerns of being typecast in the afterword, and that the idea of the title "Different Seasons" was to show that he could write something "different", something that wasn't horror. Each of the four novellas represent one of the four seasons, and all are strikingly different in nature and tone. Three of the four have been made into films. I just read the fourth one today for the first time.
1. Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufresne is a young banker who has just received a life sentence in Shawshank Maximum Security Prison for a crime he claims he didn't commit. Told through the eyes of "Red", one of his fellow inmates, Shawshank Redemption is a tale about a human being who refused to let his hopes be killed, and who inspired many to follow along with his philosophy. It is probably the most recognizable film adaptation of the four novellas, The Shawshank Redemption starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
2. Summer of Corruption: Apt Pupil. The only one of the stories to be told in the third person narrative. Twelve-year-old Todd Bowden discovers that his elderly neighbor is the fugitive Nazi officer Kurt Dussander. Intrigued, Todd blackmails Dussander to tell him stories about the internment camps and the Holocaust...but over a period of months, Todd realizes that he is no longer the one in control. Made into a film several years ago starring the late Brad Renfro and Ian McKellan.
3. Fall From Innocence: The Body. Four boys strike out on a hiking trip in search of a dead body. The most classic coming-of-age tale possibly ever written. Made into a film in the 1980s called Stand By Me, starring the late River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Will Wheaton, and Jerry O'Connell.
4. A Winter's Tale: The Breathing Method. The protagonist, a businessman named David, is invited to a gentlemens' club where the members tell each other tales. One Christmas evening, one member, a doctor, tells a group of his contemporaries the story of a young woman's determination to triumph over the adversity she has encountered. Not made into a film to date.
This anthology is a winner. All four of the novellas are brilliantly written. I couldn't pick a favorite, but if I had to, it would be a tie between Shawshank Redemption and The Body. The first I think is just an incredible story of hope and justice. The second I have personal ties to; it was the first of these stories I ever read. The Breathing Method was difficult for me to get into before now (the first twenty pages or so are relatively dull), but once I got into it I had trouble putting it down.
Having read several of Stephen King's books (including Dolores Claiborne and 'Salem's Lot, to name two), I have to say that I like this anthology better. I love King's prose and his open, imaginative style. I would give five stars to Shawshank and The Body, four and a half to Apt Pupil, and four to The Breathing Method, so we'll put this in at four and a half stars. Great book.
Rating: **** and 1/2
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.
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