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op3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I think it’s a good story, I don’t entirely agree with some of the terminology used but that’s just me and prison is tough so I guess you gotta use the tough words to portray that.
I feel the story starts out fast (
Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Car accident, and Alcohol
epeolatrist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Car accident
andyweather's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Car accident and Murder
maddiefight's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
rachel_here's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Remember that hope is a good thing, Red, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.
The Shawshank Redemption being one of my favorite movies of all times, I had to get around to reading the novella at some point.
Here, Stephen King delivers a fascinating tale about prison life and what it can do to men. Andy Dufresne, former banker, is condemned for the murder of his wife and her lover despite pleading his innocence. As the years go by and Andy is confronted with corruption, sexual assault, and prison violence, he still wishes to attain freedom - in whatever little ways he can.
Although he does many things in the years that follow his incarceration, the story really is about Red: the only guilty man of Shawshank, the man who can "get it for you", the man who says he's changed while really, he's nothing more than a low-key criminal only looking out for himself to survive prison. From his point of view as a guilty veteran of prison life, we observe his meeting with fresh fish Andy and the way their unlikely frienship grows.
The novella allows for a deep-dive into the life and state of mind of Red, an institutionalized man documenting his experiences as he slowly regains hope and a desire for freedom thanks to Andy. And in a way, I think everyone can relate to being a cog in a machine, feeling trapped but secure in a repetitive life, and fearing but longing for a way to break free. I think this is why this story is so powerful, and still endures today. Just like it does Red, it fills us with hope.
Now I'll say I still prefer the movie, but the novella is a must-read either way for those looking to explore Red's psyche a bit more, and for those who generally enjoy reading Stephen King's works.
Graphic: Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Rape and Violence
Minor: Car accident
meaghanelizabook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Car accident