stubborn_girl's review against another edition
4.0
Before I read The Green Mile I had no interest in it, then an admin of a Facebook group I belong to posted about it and I decided to see what all the fuss was about. It was a welcome change from the previous two books I had read, with a much slower pace and a more humanitarian theme. I didn't deliberately plan to read it in black history month, it just worked out that way.
One thing I have always praised about Stephen King as a writer is his ability to write black characters and write about black issues. He doesn't patronize or trivialize but tells it as it is. He has many strong black characters in his novels.
I could tell at 9% into the book the truth about John Coffey. I had never read any spoilers about the book. I do remember seeing an article posted many times about the true story the green mile was based on, but you could tell by the way the character was written what the truth of the situation was.
Another subject that Stephen King does well is marriage, and is in many of his books there is a strong marriage , Paul Edgecomb , the warden who is narrating the book, and his wife. I would say the green mile would be a good book for a young person to read who was preparing for marriage themselves to see what a good, strong long term relationship looked like.
Another subject that King writes well about is American history, and this book is set in the Depression era at a state prison. Its an interesting look into prison culture, both of the inmates and the guards.
The Green Mile is high quality writing, and a good book to talk about with people who ordinarily wouldn't discuss King.
One thing I have always praised about Stephen King as a writer is his ability to write black characters and write about black issues. He doesn't patronize or trivialize but tells it as it is. He has many strong black characters in his novels.
I could tell at 9% into the book the truth about John Coffey. I had never read any spoilers about the book. I do remember seeing an article posted many times about the true story the green mile was based on, but you could tell by the way the character was written what the truth of the situation was.
Another subject that Stephen King does well is marriage, and is in many of his books there is a strong marriage , Paul Edgecomb , the warden who is narrating the book, and his wife. I would say the green mile would be a good book for a young person to read who was preparing for marriage themselves to see what a good, strong long term relationship looked like.
Another subject that King writes well about is American history, and this book is set in the Depression era at a state prison. Its an interesting look into prison culture, both of the inmates and the guards.
The Green Mile is high quality writing, and a good book to talk about with people who ordinarily wouldn't discuss King.
sbone's review
3.0
3.5
The back and forth between his present and past is what bothered me most. Not because it's not a technique authors use often, obviously, but I didn't feel much for Old Paul when we were in his present. The ending, the last two chapters redeem Old Paul. The story of his past is an incredible one, one that is almost unbelievable. But it's a nice one. One I would like to believe. One that could possibly happen I suppose. Great last sentences: I lie here and wait. I think about Janice, how I lost her, how she ran away red through my fingers in the rain, and I wait. We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long.
And of course, Mr. Jingles.
The back and forth between his present and past is what bothered me most. Not because it's not a technique authors use often, obviously, but I didn't feel much for Old Paul when we were in his present. The ending, the last two chapters redeem Old Paul. The story of his past is an incredible one, one that is almost unbelievable. But it's a nice one. One I would like to believe. One that could possibly happen I suppose. Great last sentences: I lie here and wait. I think about Janice, how I lost her, how she ran away red through my fingers in the rain, and I wait. We each owe a death, there are no exceptions, I know that, but sometimes, oh God, the Green Mile is so long.
And of course, Mr. Jingles.
madijwhat's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
andulka's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
librosylagrimas's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
en general me pareció un buen libro y uno de los mejores trabajos de King. no siempre mezclar tantos géneros de forma tan ambiciosa funciona pero en este caso todos se complementaron e hicieron la historia más interesante. disfruté bastante el personaje de Coffey y los temas de racismo en el sistema penitenciario y la ética (o falta de ella) de la pena de muerte. no fui muy fan de Paul Edgecome como narrador pues se me hacía un poco aburrido y varios puntos de la historia los encontré precedibles, lo que en otro tipo de libro no tendría nada de malo pero personalmente afectó para mí todo el subtema de misterio. me habría gustado tener una explicación sobre los poderes de curación, como funcionaban y su origen ya que me pareció que estos nunca quedaron realmente claros y sentí que terminaron afectando un poco el flujo de la historia. la verdad me gustó el final, lo cual no menciono normalmente en las reseñas pero siempre siento la necesidad de hacerlo cuando leo a Stephen King porque todos dicen que sus finales son malos pero hasta ahora solo he encontrado 1 libro de él cuyo final no me haya gustado, y el de The Green Mile se sintió apropiado para la historia.
shuglen's review
emotional
lighthearted
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sarahheidmann's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
adamsfall's review against another edition
5.0
I read this in 3 short sittings. The Green Mile is a perfect example of Stephen King’s ability to write gripping and colorful characters. The fact that he made me care deeply about a mouse says something. I would rank this as easily in my top 5 Stephen King books along with IT, Pet Sematary, Salem’s Lot, and The Outsider