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cstanovich's review
3.0
My first Stephen King. I can appreciate this book and King's writing craft (which is so widely talked about), but I wouldn't say this book was for me. The language was pretty overtly crude. Outside of that (i.e. in a more tame way), it feels like a story my dad would have told me of his childhood with his buddies. That was a familiar part of reading this novel. One thing that I really loved about the writing was that it felt like reading a still life picture (in a good way). Everything was so simply described.
"Whether it was harmless or whether it turned out to have to power to murder sleep with a hundred mangled dreams, we wanted to see it. I think we had come to believe we deserved to see it" (125).
"So if I say summer to you, you get one set of private, personal images that are all the way different from mine. That's cool. But for me, summer is always going to mean running down the road to the Florida Market with change jingling in my pockets..." (60).
"Whether it was harmless or whether it turned out to have to power to murder sleep with a hundred mangled dreams, we wanted to see it. I think we had come to believe we deserved to see it" (125).
"So if I say summer to you, you get one set of private, personal images that are all the way different from mine. That's cool. But for me, summer is always going to mean running down the road to the Florida Market with change jingling in my pockets..." (60).
benny_g's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
While there is nostalgic simplicity to King’s novella “The Body” where the fading days of summer and the crisp purple/orange haze of dusk reign supreme. There is also an underlying maturity to this tale of friends seeking something beyond their average neighborhood ballgame or corner store dime crime novel. King weaves this maturity through the stories of Gordie’s life as well as his published/unpublished pieces of fiction he writes in his later years as an author, and while the first wall-break of a story did shake my focus from the main story at hand I did come to realize it’s importance later on. While we may not have lived in the same period of time, there are always similarities we can draw upon from Kings reflection of juvenile innocence. Whether it be a group of friends, a meeting spot to the shoot the shit, or even just a little adventure that to other may seem small but to our childish minds seems like the adventure of a lifetime. All of this wrapped up in an ever fading hue of summer with the taste of a rocket pop for good measure.
While there is nostalgic simplicity to King’s novella “The Body” where the fading days of summer and the crisp purple/orange haze of dusk reign supreme. There is also an underlying maturity to this tale of friends seeking something beyond their average neighborhood ballgame or corner store dime crime novel. King weaves this maturity through the stories of Gordie’s life as well as his published/unpublished pieces of fiction he writes in his later years as an author, and while the first wall-break of a story did shake my focus from the main story at hand I did come to realize it’s importance later on. While we may not have lived in the same period of time, there are always similarities we can draw upon from Kings reflection of juvenile innocence. Whether it be a group of friends, a meeting spot to the shoot the shit, or even just a little adventure that to other may seem small but to our childish minds seems like the adventure of a lifetime. All of this wrapped up in an ever fading hue of summer with the taste of a rocket pop for good measure.
livsparks01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
zoth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
patricknight's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Review: The Body by Stephen King
Quotes: "I was alive and glad to be. Everything seemed to stand out with a special dearness, and although I never could have said that out loud, I didn't think it mattered—maybe that sense of dearness was something I wanted just for myself."
"The most important things are the hardest to say because words diminish them. It's hard to make strangers care about the good things in your life."
"Love has teeth; they bite; the wounds never close. No word, no combination of words, can close those lovebites."
Review: My first experience of this story was the Iconic film "Stand by Me." The story is told through one of the boys in the group, Gordie.
Who grows up to be a writer. I feel like King put a little bit of himself into this character. Just something in how he's written.
King is able to write about the memories of one summer seeming like it lasted years. The memories and moments seemingly lasting for a longer time than it was. How it does when you're still young on the verge of growing up.
Teddy's tragic abuse from his father. The funny part about Vern's four year search for his "booty." A jar of pennies that he buried and made a map that his mother disposed of a month later.
Gordie's grief over the loss of a brother that he wasn't close to. Or, more accurately, grieving the loss of what his family life was like before his passing. Chris's foresight is far beyond his years. His seemingly more mature view on life.
A group of friends who mostly all go their separate ways, as most childhood friends do. But they are forever linked together by one ill-advised adventure of going to see a dead body.
It's a good story. However, there's language and terms in here that I'll just say have aged horribly. And aren't ok.
The writing has a way of conveying good times but with realization with age how bad things were. Good memories tinged in sadness. That's how I'd describe it.
I give this 4 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for reading 📚
Quotes: "I was alive and glad to be. Everything seemed to stand out with a special dearness, and although I never could have said that out loud, I didn't think it mattered—maybe that sense of dearness was something I wanted just for myself."
"The most important things are the hardest to say because words diminish them. It's hard to make strangers care about the good things in your life."
"Love has teeth; they bite; the wounds never close. No word, no combination of words, can close those lovebites."
Review: My first experience of this story was the Iconic film "Stand by Me." The story is told through one of the boys in the group, Gordie.
Who grows up to be a writer. I feel like King put a little bit of himself into this character. Just something in how he's written.
King is able to write about the memories of one summer seeming like it lasted years. The memories and moments seemingly lasting for a longer time than it was. How it does when you're still young on the verge of growing up.
Teddy's tragic abuse from his father. The funny part about Vern's four year search for his "booty." A jar of pennies that he buried and made a map that his mother disposed of a month later.
Gordie's grief over the loss of a brother that he wasn't close to. Or, more accurately, grieving the loss of what his family life was like before his passing. Chris's foresight is far beyond his years. His seemingly more mature view on life.
A group of friends who mostly all go their separate ways, as most childhood friends do. But they are forever linked together by one ill-advised adventure of going to see a dead body.
It's a good story. However, there's language and terms in here that I'll just say have aged horribly. And aren't ok.
The writing has a way of conveying good times but with realization with age how bad things were. Good memories tinged in sadness. That's how I'd describe it.
I give this 4 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for reading 📚
flowersofstfrancis's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0