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sweetlilly93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Did the story suck me in until the very last word and had me staring at a wall for two days (in a good way)? Yes.
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, and Racism
Moderate: Torture, Excrement, and Car accident
rat_leoo'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Hate crime, Slavery, Pedophilia, Blood, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Police brutality, Violence, Child death, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Cursing, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, and Murder
exeidur's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Animal cruelty, Gore, Racial slurs, Confinement, and Death
Moderate: Cursing, Physical abuse, Blood, Cancer, Excrement, Police brutality, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Drug use, Grief, Sexual assault, and Torture
a_augustine12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Drug use, Racial slurs, Car accident, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Body horror, Cancer, Grief, Rape, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Cursing, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Torture, Hate crime, and Death
gudrqa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Animal death, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence
tifftastic87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I really wish the only black character in the book hadn't been King's typically magical being and that we didn't have to have him be magical for his incarceration to be in question. I do like that King made some comments early on that minorities in prison are rarely given the same freedoms, or excuses, or even pardons that white people are. But some of the use of Coffey in this story is hard to hear because not only is he incredibly large, he's incredibly dim witted. He is simply a being of instinct with a deeper sense of the world than the rest of us. He is almost childlike in some aspects, being afraid of the dark, not being able to tie his shoes etc. It is uncomfortable at times to hear it that way.
The other thing is that listening to it as an adult versus reading it as a teen I really wanted Paul to stand up to Brad a bit more. There never was any consequences for him and that just didn't sit right with me. But then, rarely are there consequences in life.
Criticisms out of the way, the episodic writing really made the whole feel of the book different than most other King books. Usually we sit with the main character for half to two-thirds of the story before anything really happens and we just get to know them. But with an episodic story like this, you have to get to know them organically and to me that really felt like Paul was sitting down and telling me the story of the fall of 1932 on the green mile. It felt comforting, like a story my own grandparents would have told me around a campfire. Apart from all the brutal murdering that is.
It really felt King did some work here to make criticisms of our prison system, nepotism, and, of course, capitol punishment. There is some light commentary on how race plays into a lot of these things and I think for a book published in 1996 by an older white man, that is maybe not as common as it would be today. While the commentary was clunky and not without it's fair share of white saviourism, it was nevertheless, at least broached.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Cursing, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Cancer, Child death, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, and Car accident
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, and Vomit
Minor: Ableism
leila_reads_too_much's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Gore, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Murder, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child death, Confinement, Terminal illness, and Violence
jordan_uhden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Murder, Child death, Racism, Rape, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Sexual content, Police brutality, Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Death, Racial slurs, Cursing, and Animal cruelty
jackbifrost's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Gun violence, Homophobia, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
zakcebulski's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
FUCK.
What a read. What a story. What a goddamned soul dampening tale this is.
Upon finishing this book I have come to the conclusion that I am more a fan of Stephen King's less popular works- his "b-squad" books, if you will, than his "s-tier" books. I have a preference for Desperation, 'Salem's Lot and The Green Mile over things like Pet Sematary, The Stand and It. Though, I do fucking adore things like The Shining and Misery.
This book takes place from the point of view of an officer on death row- called the Green Mile for the hallway that leads to the electric chair which has distinctive green linoleum flooring- Paul Edgecombe. Paul is aged at the time of his reflection- 104 years old by his estimation. He is reflective upon a specific time period which is very tumultuous for his job, along with Brutal, Dean, Percy (fuucccccck) and Harry- his fellow officers.
This story follows Paul's day to day life and how he deals with his role of putting condemned men to death.
This carries on as normally as can such a job until he meets the special John Coffey (like the drink but spelled different).
John is on the Green Mile for the heinous crimes of the rape and murder of two young girls which he was literally caught red-handed holding their corpses.
Paul and his coworkers develop different relationships and dynamics with the prisoners on the Mile, which is a really interesting facet to see. It forms an interesting feeling within the reader because you are acutely aware that these characters are condemned to die for committing horrific acts, but, they are still written to be weirdly likable. It removes some of the vitriol that one would typically feel when reading about some monstrous people who kill for the sake of killing.
I think that these characters in this book may be some of my favorite characters in an of Kings works which I have read so far. Especially John Coffey, Paul and Brutal. They are just the best characters. John because he is such an endlessly tragic character- a man with such a good heart who just wants to help, but, is constantly met with hatred and derision and is ultimately put to death for a crime that he did not commit.
Paul is such a good narrator, as he doesn't shy away from the mistakes that he makes within his time, and doesn't stray away from showing the vulnerability that comes with the tragedy he endures.
Brutal is just a good guy- I constantly got a feeling of loyalty from him whenever he was on the page. He strikes me as the type of person who wants to do right even when he is in a precarious situation where morality is called in to question.
The villains in this book are so fucking good. William Wharton- a less than 20 year old sociopath with hyper-violent tendencies is able to wreak havoc mainly confined to his prison cell. He is the one who committed the horrible acts for which John is executed. I think that this villain being so fucking evil but restrained is such an interesting dichotomy- wherein he would truly be in league with the other great King villains if he was able to get out.
And then... there's fucking Percy. Percy might be one of the worst people I have read recently, and he is wonderfully written to be a cowardice little shitstain.
I fucking hated this guy from his introduction until his very satisfying end. He is one of those pieces of shit who will act in a very hateful and violent way because he is a little weeny. He is cruel and mean as can be, and I think that he might be one of the most blood boiling characters to fucking read about.
He kills Mr. Jingles and fucks up Del's ( another prisoner) execution which results in an absolutely horrific death, all because he is a sadistic coward.
John Coffey is special. He has the ability to heal, to revive, to extend life. I think that this reveal was so fucking well done and I have to commend King's restraint to have the reveal be a drip feed.
John heals Mr. Jingles after Percy's bitch-ass kills him, heals Paul's UTI and heals the warden's wife's brain tumor. He does all of this and is still put to death. I think that not only the fact that he was killed for someone else's crime, but because he had such an amazing gift and was still killed while people jeered at him and he died with so many people thinking him to be an abhorrent person is such a tragedy.
"I am sorry for what I am". Are the last words which John says.
It is such a terrible thing to read and I found myself constantly thinking that there would be some sort of deus ex machina to help him escape. Though, there never was.
I loved the subtext and the subtle meaning behind the story and how this potentially ties in to other works by King. I think that I am of the opinion that John has the Shine- he has a bit of telepathic powers in addition to his healing capabilities. I also wonder if he is a potential stand in for Christ. As he is sentenced to an unjust death and has the abilities to perform miracles? Thought this might be reading too far in to the character.
I thought that this book was not only tragic and tense, but it was also a wonderful story that was as enticing as it was sad.
I can highly recommend this story to anyone who is looking for a drama that has more layers than at first meets the eye.
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Child death, Gun violence, Rape, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism