eweindesign's review against another edition
3.0
I liked Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, and tolerated The Body (the story which was adapted into the film The Walk. Those were the only two stories I wanted from this collection, and perusing the other two didn’t convince me to read them fully. I’m not a Stephen King fan yet.
sasdaly's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tcgarback's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫
Critical Score: B+
Personal Score: B
Reading Experience: 📘📘📘(3/5)
One of my earliest memories of reading Stephen King is riding in the car with my dad as a kid with a trade paperback of Different Seasons in my lap. I think in this particular memory we were on our way home from the Barnes and Noble where I (my dad) purchased said trade paperback. I can’t be sure, though. You never can with these things.
I didn’t get more than 20 or so pages into Shawshank back then. It was likely a matter of finding myself caught up in other books, as I tend to do even now, over ten years later.
Shawshank never called back to me because I’d seen pieces of the movie, so I already knew the story, and I was never crazy about it.
But the brevity and popularity of the novella has called me back now, in my King frenzy that’s taken me for a few weeks. Having read the full work, I can say that the last 30 pages (in my largish font edition, a different one than I bought all those years ago…another story) are incredibly moving and feel every bit as average Joe classic literature as you’d expect, given the way this story is so beloved by straight dads everywhere, lol.
No, but really, this is eventually a beautiful piece of literature. Eventually. The majority bored me. I failed to feel much for the characters and the general vibe of the piece for 100 pages. It’s quite dated in places and just not as progressive in others as I like my fiction. (Which might leave you scratching your head at my love for Stephen King, but I won’t get into all that now.)
This one is a gem, even if it took a long time—in years and pages—to win me over.
Critical Score: B+
Personal Score: B
Reading Experience: 📘📘📘(3/5)
One of my earliest memories of reading Stephen King is riding in the car with my dad as a kid with a trade paperback of Different Seasons in my lap. I think in this particular memory we were on our way home from the Barnes and Noble where I (my dad) purchased said trade paperback. I can’t be sure, though. You never can with these things.
I didn’t get more than 20 or so pages into Shawshank back then. It was likely a matter of finding myself caught up in other books, as I tend to do even now, over ten years later.
Shawshank never called back to me because I’d seen pieces of the movie, so I already knew the story, and I was never crazy about it.
But the brevity and popularity of the novella has called me back now, in my King frenzy that’s taken me for a few weeks. Having read the full work, I can say that the last 30 pages (in my largish font edition, a different one than I bought all those years ago…another story) are incredibly moving and feel every bit as average Joe classic literature as you’d expect, given the way this story is so beloved by straight dads everywhere, lol.
No, but really, this is eventually a beautiful piece of literature. Eventually. The majority bored me. I failed to feel much for the characters and the general vibe of the piece for 100 pages. It’s quite dated in places and just not as progressive in others as I like my fiction. (Which might leave you scratching your head at my love for Stephen King, but I won’t get into all that now.)
This one is a gem, even if it took a long time—in years and pages—to win me over.
dianacarmel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Fantastic collection of short stories. King’s epilogue that ties them together is a nice touch; even when he’s not writing fiction he’s a great storyteller. I’m surprised at the amount of typos in the ebook, though. It’s comical to the point of absurd.
abbie_bryant's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ljeisley's review against another edition
4.0
This one's a collection of four novellas, not horror themed at all. I picked it up for the original Shawshank Redemption, but The Body was what made it worth it.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - 3 stars - It was so similar to the movie that I didn't get much from it.
Apt Pupil - 3 stars - Such dark and evil characters. (Apparently this is also a movie?!)
The Body - 5 stars - I think I'm one of the only people my age that hasn't seen the movie Stand By Me, but I definitely will now!
The Breathing Method - 4 stars - A story full of characters telling stories. I liked it.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - 3 stars - It was so similar to the movie that I didn't get much from it.
Apt Pupil - 3 stars - Such dark and evil characters. (Apparently this is also a movie?!)
The Body - 5 stars - I think I'm one of the only people my age that hasn't seen the movie Stand By Me, but I definitely will now!
The Breathing Method - 4 stars - A story full of characters telling stories. I liked it.
nixonsscandal's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
dianacarmel's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Good lord, this story is dark and unsettling. Stephen King is a twisted mastermind.
laurelinwonder's review against another edition
5.0
I've read the novella "The Body" included in this collection before and loved it, as well as my long love of "Stand By Me". I figured it was about time to read the rest of this collection, and then I watched the films that I could. I really enjoyed this set of novellas, Shawshank Redemption was wonderful, and the film well done from this text. Apt Pupil was waaaaaaay better here, they really neutered the film of the original violence, and I find myself curious as to why, (I will be looking into this). Though the film does do a good job of showing the weird relationship between the two main characters, a lot is lost in the film. And finally, The Breathing Method has a mini series in production, so it was the only story I was not already familiar with, it was interesting. Not my favorite in the group, but I look forward to seeing it on the screen. Overall, a great Stephen King read, and if you don't love horror, this one isn't like much of his other work, and that is why it is titled as it is. It's early work, but so strong, and not epic-ly long, if that bothers you.