Different Seasons, by Stephen King
Would it be weird of me to tell you that, until this book, I had never read a Stephen King novel? He's one of the most popular writers out there right now, and I had never before read one of his books (spoiler alert: I've never read a James Patterson novel either).
Obviously, I knew about him. He's the king of horror, right? And i guess I had read one of these stories -- "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" -- in college. But I had never read a Stephen King book straight through. Until now.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Different Seasons is a collection of four novellas -- "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," "Apt Pupil," "The Body," and "The Breathing Method." What I enjoyed was that each story was completely different from the last. Some authors have a "type," right? Their writing all ends up relatively similar, if not exactly the same. Not with Mr. King.
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
Like I'd mentioned before, I had read this story before. I took a class in college about comparing books to movies, and this was one of the pieces we covered. Andy Dufresne as been sentenced to prison for the murder of his wife, but he doesn't go without a plan. If you've seen the movie The Shawshank Redemption you know what happens from there. Honestly, I thought I would like the movie more than the story. I tend to like whichever I experience first -- the book or the movie -- better. And the first time around, I did like the movie better. But when I reread the story I realized just how good the story is. Stephen King is known for horror, but he's such a good writer in general.
Apt Pupil
This is the story that probably gave me the most insight into why Stephen King's horror is so scary. Some authors and filmmakers rely on gore and cheap scare tactics to trigger the fright reflex in us, the consumer. But what Stephen King does is much more clever, and ultimately much scarier. Todd is you average kid: good-looking, smart, athletic, etc. He's also very curious, and he becomes interested in an older man in his town. His interest quickly becomes an obsession, and it begins to take over his life. I'm not typically a "scary story" person, and this one definitely disturbed me. But as much as it did disturb me I appreciated the writing because of how he creates those scary moments. What makes him so scary is because he taps into our most basic human instincts. It's not necessarily realistic when a monster jumps out of the closet, but to watch a decrepit Nazi start to relive those early moments of his life is reasonable to imagine. And that is more terrifying than some fantastical creature in our nightmares.
The Body
If you've seen Stand By Me, you know this story. Four young boys hear of another young boy that has died of an accident in the woods. More than a story of them and this boy, this is a story of the four of them together, and the friendships they experience with each other. Out of the four stories, I related to this one the least, but I could still appreciate the quality of writing and storytelling involved.
The Breathing Method
I liked this one the most. A young woman has found herself pregnant in less-than-ideal circumstances, and her doctor helps teach her methods of breathing to help ease the pain and anxiety around pregnancy and childbirth. At the time of this story, Lamaze breathing wasn't as common of an exercise as it is today, and for a doctor to suggest it was seen as quite progressive. But, in the same way I couldn't relate to "The Body," I could relate to Sandra and, therefore, I could relate to this story. I also have a soft spot for stories from the early twentieth-century. This pairing made "The Breathing Method" one of my favorite stories in the book.
Each story in Different Seasons covers a different stage of life. From "The Body"'s childhood curiosity to the haunting reflection of "Apt Pupil," these stories illustrate our experiences, for the good and bad. It's all-encompassing, an epic of sorts. At the end, I sort of felt like I had experienced a life from beginning to end. It was a bit moving, thinking back on it, and complete. It was satisfying to read.
Would it be weird of me to tell you that, until this book, I had never read a Stephen King novel? He's one of the most popular writers out there right now, and I had never before read one of his books (spoiler alert: I've never read a James Patterson novel either).
Obviously, I knew about him. He's the king of horror, right? And i guess I had read one of these stories -- "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" -- in college. But I had never read a Stephen King book straight through. Until now.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Different Seasons is a collection of four novellas -- "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," "Apt Pupil," "The Body," and "The Breathing Method." What I enjoyed was that each story was completely different from the last. Some authors have a "type," right? Their writing all ends up relatively similar, if not exactly the same. Not with Mr. King.
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
Like I'd mentioned before, I had read this story before. I took a class in college about comparing books to movies, and this was one of the pieces we covered. Andy Dufresne as been sentenced to prison for the murder of his wife, but he doesn't go without a plan. If you've seen the movie The Shawshank Redemption you know what happens from there. Honestly, I thought I would like the movie more than the story. I tend to like whichever I experience first -- the book or the movie -- better. And the first time around, I did like the movie better. But when I reread the story I realized just how good the story is. Stephen King is known for horror, but he's such a good writer in general.
Apt Pupil
This is the story that probably gave me the most insight into why Stephen King's horror is so scary. Some authors and filmmakers rely on gore and cheap scare tactics to trigger the fright reflex in us, the consumer. But what Stephen King does is much more clever, and ultimately much scarier. Todd is you average kid: good-looking, smart, athletic, etc. He's also very curious, and he becomes interested in an older man in his town. His interest quickly becomes an obsession, and it begins to take over his life. I'm not typically a "scary story" person, and this one definitely disturbed me. But as much as it did disturb me I appreciated the writing because of how he creates those scary moments. What makes him so scary is because he taps into our most basic human instincts. It's not necessarily realistic when a monster jumps out of the closet, but to watch a decrepit Nazi start to relive those early moments of his life is reasonable to imagine. And that is more terrifying than some fantastical creature in our nightmares.
The Body
If you've seen Stand By Me, you know this story. Four young boys hear of another young boy that has died of an accident in the woods. More than a story of them and this boy, this is a story of the four of them together, and the friendships they experience with each other. Out of the four stories, I related to this one the least, but I could still appreciate the quality of writing and storytelling involved.
The Breathing Method
I liked this one the most. A young woman has found herself pregnant in less-than-ideal circumstances, and her doctor helps teach her methods of breathing to help ease the pain and anxiety around pregnancy and childbirth. At the time of this story, Lamaze breathing wasn't as common of an exercise as it is today, and for a doctor to suggest it was seen as quite progressive. But, in the same way I couldn't relate to "The Body," I could relate to Sandra and, therefore, I could relate to this story. I also have a soft spot for stories from the early twentieth-century. This pairing made "The Breathing Method" one of my favorite stories in the book.
Each story in Different Seasons covers a different stage of life. From "The Body"'s childhood curiosity to the haunting reflection of "Apt Pupil," these stories illustrate our experiences, for the good and bad. It's all-encompassing, an epic of sorts. At the end, I sort of felt like I had experienced a life from beginning to end. It was a bit moving, thinking back on it, and complete. It was satisfying to read.
