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libbyxreads 's review for:
Different Seasons
by Stephen King
I'll be rating and commenting on each novella individually
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - 3.5/5 stars
I've seen the movie years ago back in high school and I loved it (this was before I knew it was a novella by Stephen King). King's writing was great here. So far I've read three of his horror works and have come to really like his non-horror stories. This is not just a story about life in prison, it's a story about friendship, unrelenting hope and a strength of a man with several odds stacked against him.
Content notes: physical violence, sexual assault/rape, language
Apt Pupil - 3/5 stars
I appreciate King's story telling and character work in this particular novella. It is a very disturbing and uncomfortable read. It was difficult to enjoy the story overall because of how gruesome and sick-minded both the main characters were. Both Dusender and Todd slowly descend into psychopathic violence in such terrible ways as the story progresses. I guess that shows how skilled King is in portraying utter evil and darkness. I did feel that the story dragged on at times and could've done without certain scenes. The ending was done really well and left me feeling angry and disturbed (I would've loved a sequel just to see how Todd's community would react to what had happened and to all the other awful crimes that would be uncovered).
Content notes: language, physical violence, animal abuse, murder, anti-Semitic sentiments, descriptions of torture methods during the Holocaust
The Body - 3.5/5 stars
So I've also seen the movie Stand by Me (which is based on this novella) and I can't remember what impression it had on me because it's been a while since I've seen it. However, now that I've read the body I realize that the actors portrayed each boy's personality pretty well. Anyway, I thought this was a good coming of age story. Some of adult Gordie's reflections on his friendships really pulled at my heartstrings especially the ones about Chris. Chris is someone who realizes at a very young age that he's at a huge disadvantage due to his upbringing and is determined to escape the shadow of his dysfunctional family. I felt bad for all four boys but Chris's character resonated with me the most. I did feel that the inclusion of Gordie's stories weren't really necessary and simply served as filler content.
Content notes: physical violence/abuse, descriptions of a dead body, language
The Breathing Method - 2/5 stars
This is definitely the weakest of the four and my least favourite. I had a hard time keeping my attention up while listening to this story. The only time I was mildly interested was when the old doctor was describing how he saved the poor dead woman's baby after the car accident.
Content notes: descriptions of a car accident, descriptions of a dying person, some language
Final thoughts: Interesting collection overall. I think King's writing skills still shines even outside of horror as I mentioned before. I also have to commend Frank Muller's narration. He did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption - 3.5/5 stars
I've seen the movie years ago back in high school and I loved it (this was before I knew it was a novella by Stephen King). King's writing was great here. So far I've read three of his horror works and have come to really like his non-horror stories. This is not just a story about life in prison, it's a story about friendship, unrelenting hope and a strength of a man with several odds stacked against him.
Content notes: physical violence, sexual assault/rape, language
Apt Pupil - 3/5 stars
I appreciate King's story telling and character work in this particular novella. It is a very disturbing and uncomfortable read. It was difficult to enjoy the story overall because of how gruesome and sick-minded both the main characters were. Both Dusender and Todd slowly descend into psychopathic violence in such terrible ways as the story progresses. I guess that shows how skilled King is in portraying utter evil and darkness. I did feel that the story dragged on at times and could've done without certain scenes. The ending was done really well and left me feeling angry and disturbed (I would've loved a sequel just to see how Todd's community would react to what had happened and to all the other awful crimes that would be uncovered).
Content notes: language, physical violence, animal abuse, murder, anti-Semitic sentiments, descriptions of torture methods during the Holocaust
The Body - 3.5/5 stars
So I've also seen the movie Stand by Me (which is based on this novella) and I can't remember what impression it had on me because it's been a while since I've seen it. However, now that I've read the body I realize that the actors portrayed each boy's personality pretty well. Anyway, I thought this was a good coming of age story. Some of adult Gordie's reflections on his friendships really pulled at my heartstrings especially the ones about Chris. Chris is someone who realizes at a very young age that he's at a huge disadvantage due to his upbringing and is determined to escape the shadow of his dysfunctional family. I felt bad for all four boys but Chris's character resonated with me the most. I did feel that the inclusion of Gordie's stories weren't really necessary and simply served as filler content.
Content notes: physical violence/abuse, descriptions of a dead body, language
The Breathing Method - 2/5 stars
This is definitely the weakest of the four and my least favourite. I had a hard time keeping my attention up while listening to this story. The only time I was mildly interested was when the old doctor was describing how he saved the poor dead woman's baby after the car accident.
Content notes: descriptions of a car accident, descriptions of a dying person, some language
Final thoughts: Interesting collection overall. I think King's writing skills still shines even outside of horror as I mentioned before. I also have to commend Frank Muller's narration. He did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life.