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catbrigand's review against another edition
3.0
As a short story collection, it isn’t much: if you’ve seen Stand By Me/Shawshank Redemption, then you’ve read The Body/Rita Hayworth, but in a more satisfying and less bloated way. The Breathing Method has more than a touch of the ridiculous and sounds way more exciting (“a disgraced woman determined to cheat death”) than it is. But you do need to read An Apt Pupil. Do you ever.
An Apt Pupil is suspenseful and more than a little horrifying. A perfectly ordinary all-American boy finds his passion is finding out about death camps, and through stalkerish observation, he deduces that an old man in his town is an SS officer in hiding. He leverages this information to get the old man to tell him everything, and things spiral out of control. Quickly.
An Apt Pupil is absolutely repugnant. The descriptions and acts are horrifying. The people are largely despicable even when they’re not monsters. It’s honestly King near his best.
An Apt Pupil is suspenseful and more than a little horrifying. A perfectly ordinary all-American boy finds his passion is finding out about death camps, and through stalkerish observation, he deduces that an old man in his town is an SS officer in hiding. He leverages this information to get the old man to tell him everything, and things spiral out of control. Quickly.
An Apt Pupil is absolutely repugnant. The descriptions and acts are horrifying. The people are largely despicable even when they’re not monsters. It’s honestly King near his best.
sparksoflynch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
kristendom's review against another edition
4.75
This is truly some of King's best writing - and that's saying something. Whether we're inside the prison walls at Shawshank, in the dank cellar of Arthur Denker nee Dussander, walking down the train trestle with the boys in "The Body," or enjoying the mysterious club in "The Breathing Method," King takes us on a journey in each of these stories and creates characters and plots that were memorable and visual enough to become movies. Thoroughly enjoyed this set of his stories.
jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
All four of these novellas are solid stories. I think this is the form that Stephen king excels best in.
eweckesser's review against another edition
2.0
Loved Shawshank, but the next story didn't hold my interest and I ended up not finishing the 3rd or 4th stories. Maybe I'll coke back to them someday
gumballgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
thejessiejoy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
asourceoffiction's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
slow-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
4.0
RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟/5
Just one of the best things King has ever written, in a little over 100 pages. The film does absolute justice to the story (though I'm pretty sure Red was originally a redhead, and Andy is supposed to be short 😂) and it lives rent-free in my heart.
It's amazing how much is packed into such a short story, given how long some of King's books go on (I'm looking at you, The Dead Zone). Andy Dufresne is almost deified the way Red tells it, because he represents hope when life is at its most hopeless. And that's what the whole novella is about, and how it ends. With hope.
APT PUPIL
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
In stark contrast to Shawshank, there's no hope to be found in Apt Pupil. It's a study of darkness, and it only gets darker as it goes on. As the longest of the four stories by far, it's heavy. Todd scares me a lot more than Dussander as he sets everything in motion, and their association just gets creepier. I'd forgotten almost everything about this story except that ending, which haunts me.
THE BODY
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The first half of this is 3⭐, the second half is a solid 5⭐. It's the classic coming of age story, but has so much beauty and melancholy as the boys get further into their journey and Gordie becomes more reflective. Chris is just a wonderful character.
THE BREATHING METHOD
⭐⭐⭐/5
Wow. I mean... I read this 20 years ago and didn't remember any part of it. I think I repressed it. Only in Stephen King's mind could the Lamaze Method = horror story...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Murder, Confinement, Rape, Car accident, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pregnancy, Child death, and Death