Different Seasons

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is at least a 4/5, but I was not particularly a fan of the other three stories. And as shocking as this will sound, The Body (Stand by Me film), was quite underwhelming after all the good I heard about it for years. 

Hope Springs Eternal

Shawshank Redemption is about hope.

I have problems writing this review because I like the movie better, it was way more memorable than the book so most things that I remember are from the movie.

We see what prison takes from people, not only their freedom for some amount of years, but it takes their will to be free. There is a nice metaphor: If you cage a bird, and years later you let it go. It will die because it doesnt know how to survive in the new world. So you rather stay locked forever because you are terrified of leaving and being alone. In the movie, they explain better the life of Brooks, and his sad ending, where he couldn't stand it, he couldn't survive in the new world, so he kills himself.

In the movies is also better the way Andy gets his money, by deceiving the guards and stealing everything from them. In the book it was something that he had outside, hidden under a rock. It was interesting that he didn't know if that was still out there, we just hope that is out there. The movie Andy outsmarting everyone else is perfect.

## Summer of Corruption

Apt Pupil is about being careful what you wish for

Todd is a really smart boy who gets obsessed with Nazis, like every kid his age. For his luck, he finds a Nazi commander in his neighborhood and blackmails him, into telling him everything about the concentration camps

The relationship between Dusander and Todd is really interesting; they are meant to be, you can consider them friends that pull each other down.

I like the movie better, especially the ending. In the movie Todd is really smart, you are amazed by the way he solves problems, but in the book, we find out that Dusander was the one telling him what to say, especially the part about the letter, I was in awe in that part, but finding out that it was Dussander´s idea is a bummer.

And the ending !! I am still mad about it. The ending of the movie is amazing. Todd is really smart, you realize that he is a monster. That all the influence of Dussander got to him, he is indeed an Apt Pupil. And in the book... he got carry away by his emotions and ruins everything. I really didn't like it.

## Fall from Innocence

The Body is about the journey more that the destination

A group of boys who want to see a dead body and deal with different emotions along the way. I also like the movie better in this one. We get to know everybody, their fears, how they interact with each other. The movie made few changes, the first one with Chris's character saving his friend, and he always has. That scene shows us that he is the leader, and why Gordi likes him so much. In the book, Gordi is the one who saves him, and that doesn't go much with his character. Another difference and the main one is the relationship between Gordi and his brother, who is dead. In the movie Gordi really loved his brother, and he misses him, he was the one protecting him, and the only one that supported him, because to his parents he was invisible, so you can see the dynamic. In the book, Gordi is invisible to everybody, even his brother and he doesnt feel sad about his death.

## A Winter's Tale

The breathing method is about determination

This was my favorite tale, maybe because there wasn't a movie to compare it to. I always enjoy stories between stories. And the story of giving birth after being decapitated is really gruesome, Stephen King's style. I like twitching as I read, it is the reason you read horror.

“When it comes down to it, you only have two choices. Get busy livin, or get busy dying.”

Okay so this is one of my favorite films ever and for some absurd reason, I have never read the original novella. It was fantastic. It's better, I think, after having seen the film, which is rare - but I could imbed so much of Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins' charm, but it doesn't really matter - this novella is just simply excellent. It is now my go to recommendation for people to try King if they don't like horror. Speaking of, any time I read King books like this, it makes me so sad that some people will never try any of his books because they don't like “horror books”. Their loss, though.

Shawshank Redemption 5 star remaining stories are OK OK

Uma excelente leitura: quatro novelas, nenhuma delas envolve fantasia e todas muito bem construídas.

Rita Hayworth e a Redenção de Shawshank: 4/5
É muito bom e muito parecido com o filme. O livro traça um pouco mais o personagem do Red em relação ao Dufresne, o filme é mais sobre a prisão como um todo e Dufresne. Nesse aspecto gosto mais do filme pois tem personagens secundários como o diretor da cadeira muito mais explorados. Ainda assim é um livro muito bem escrito do ponto de vista do Red.

Aluno inteligente: 5/5
A surpresa agradável do livro. Um garoto descobre que um nazi ex-SS e tenta extorqui-lo. A dinâmica entre o garoto e Dussander é excelente e cria um ar perturbador, tornando essa uma das obras de King que me deu mais desconforto e desgosto.
Os dois tem uma relação de dependência um para o outro que cria todo o clímax da novela, vale muito a leitura.

O Corpo: 5/5
Stand by Me é um dos meus filmes prediletos e essa novela não foi diferente. Igualmente emocionante, tocante e “relatable”. No filme as atuações carregam o filme, o livro é um pouco mais sutil, mas gostei muito como explora o personagem Gordie mais: os sonhos são mais elaborados e vemos a escrita dele evoluindo (com trechos dos contos e livros do personagem).
Muito emocionante e o filme figura como uma das melhores adaptações para mim.

O Método Respiratório: 3/5
A novela que menos gostei. Não chega a ser ruim, mas eu tive dificuldade grande em me relacionar com os personagens. Ainda assim tem coisas bem interessantes: começa com um conto-molde sobre um clube onde se contam histórias. Acredito que pelo contraste com as outras novelas que tinham personagens tão fortes: Red, Dufresne, Todd, Dussander, Chris, Gordie, Teddy, Vern. Essa novela perdeu muito o fôlego.

4.5/4.75 ⭐️

Wow! Thats pretty much all you can say! All four of these short stories were amazing even if Apt Pupil was maybe a bit much for my sensitive brain, it was so interesting.

My favourite of the four was probably The Body, it sums up for me what King does best (I'm no expert at all having only read 5 or 6 of his books) the coming of age, small town story with a dark twist!

Shawshank was a very very close second, a story that will stay with me forever and I will definitely come back to every so often and The Breathing Method was gripping, heartbreaking and haunting.

Would definitely recommend this!

I'm not a big fan of short stories and novellas. Often, they lack depth and a well-developed plot. I often find that a good story is better served when it's flashed out in a full-size novel. This is one of the reasons why, in general, I avoid story or novella collections. With this, I'm trying to justify why I hadn't read this book yet, even though I've consumed a significant portion of King's body of work by now. A novella is a snack; four novellas make a thick book.

How wrong can someone be when it comes to this bundling of four separate stories by Stephen King? Although each of these stories could have had the potential for a full-fledged novel, especially in the skillful hands of King, I never felt that depth was lacking anywhere.

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption:
It's a well-known story, of course, due to the world-famous adaptation. The story is masterful, but what struck me in particular is how good the adaptation actually is.

Apt Pupil:
Perhaps I found this to be the best, most gripping story. There is a film adaptation, but I haven't seen it. King brilliantly portrays how fascination can transform into an obsession that then has gruesome consequences. The characters of an elderly man and a schoolboy entangle themselves and hold each other in a stranglehold.

The Body:
King at his best when it comes to a group of outcast friends, coming of age, and us against the world. IT vibes all over.

The Breathing Method:
Maybe this is the only story that I found too short. It's the shortest of the four. And within it, the actual story is framed within a storytelling context. The mystery surrounding it calls for elaboration. Stories are told in a mysterious club. Hints are given about the secrets, but ultimately, it's about a story being told in the club. I would love to see a novel built around this club.

Normally, I don't quickly give novellas 5 stars. Novellas are not entirely my thing, but within this genre, this book is the absolute top. So, full marks after all, I can't deny it.

loved some stories more than others (especially apt pupil & shawshank : the storytelling, the tense atmosphere, the plot twists, everything was perfect ! apt pupil made me feel deeply scared of the human mind & the ending of shawshank restored my faith in humanity !!) but definitely a good reading experience!

gotta say though that stephen king just LOVES rambling and going on tangents, it gets very tiring at some point. like please get to the point i don't need to read an essay on the color of the sky

so -1 for that, but overall great book ^^

This is a collection of 4 short stories. We have Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil, The Body and last but not least The Breathing Method. The first story was my favorite out of all of them and each one I liked less and less. I can't really remember what I wanted to say about each of the stories individually but overall, I thought it was an ok collection. 

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemtpion - You know the story. If you don't, I'm sorry that you haven't seen maybe the best movie ever made. Hope is a good thing, and what the story does different from the movie is that you never know the fate of Andy, or if Red made it to the pacific. Everything being related from Red's perspective makes you hope that he will get to see his friend again and shake his hand. Undiscussed 5 stars.
Apt Pupil - A brilliant and smart preadolescent boy finds out that one of his neighbours is an old nazi officer. From there the two of them develop a toxic relationship that could ruin both of their lives. Eventually everything goes downhill, as you would expect. It's the kind of story where you know the consequences will get worse progresivelly, and that's exactly what happened. At the beginning the kid was a bit too smart for his age to me but otherwise a decent read, 4 stars.
The Body - A poor copy of IT, a bunch of kids from a rural area. Due to it's small small size I felt that four characters were way too many, but eventually we lost focus on two of them and redirected our attention to the other two. Kind of a coming of age story that teaches you to look for yourself first and not to let others drag you down. 4 stars.
The Breathing Method - Nothing too exciting about this one, except the eerie feeling that the butler gave away. 3 stars.
Overall, a good collection of Stephen King stories, 4 stars.

Desculpa mas bicho no forno é demais pra mim. Isso posto, são quatro histórias que provam que ele é incrível. As primeiras viraram filmes (Shawshank redemption, o aprendiz, conta comigo) e a última é boa e terrível.

Stagioni diverse, in originale “Different Seasons” è la seconda raccolta di racconti scritta da Stephen King e pubblicata nel 1982. Le novelle contenute sono:

L'eterna primavera della speranza - Rita Hayworth e la redenzione di Shawshank
L'estate della corruzione - Un ragazzo sveglio
L'autunno dell'innocenza - Il corpo (stand by me)
Una storia d'inverno - Il metodo di respirazione

Come la maggior parte dei libri del Re sono stati tratti degli adattamenti cinematografici dalle prime tre, rispettivamente Le ali della libertà (1994), L'allievo (1998) e Stand by Me - Ricordo di un'estate (1986).

Non so più quante volte ho detto che King a prescindere dell'etichetta del Re dell'orrore che gli è stata cucita addosso, è un grande scrittore, probabilmente uno dei più grandi racconta storie esistente, se scrivesse un libro di ricette di cucina probabilmente ne venderebbe chissà quante copie... ha il potere di far entrare il lettore nella storia, coinvolgerlo, trasportarlo dalla sua realtà che vive quotidianamente per portarlo nei mondi, nelle storie, da lui create. Si può chiedere di più ad uno scrittore?

Brevemente le trame e il mio giudizio dei racconti:

Rita Hayworth e la redenzione di Shawshank
Racconta la storia di un banchiere rinchiuso ingiustamente in carcere per l'assassinio di sua moglie e del suo amante. Nascerà una profonda amicizia nello sfondo squallido di un carcere dove i soprusi sono all'ordine del giorno e dove il protagonista grazie alla sua forza di carattere e intelligenza arriverà ad un riscatto finale inaspettato.

Mio Giudizio: **Un ragazzo sveglioE' la storia di un adolescente americano che scopre un fuggiasco nazista a capo di un campo di concentramento che si è rifatto una vita in una tranquilla città americana... nascerà un rapporto malato dove le psiche malate dei protagonisti faranno a gara per arrivare al tragico finale.Mio Giudizio: ***Il corpoAmbientato nel Maine con protagonisti un gruppo di amici sull'orlo dell'adolescenza che andranno alla ricerca di un cadavere di un loro coetaneo, si scontreranno con dei ragazzi più grandi e con le prime avvisaglie di una vita adulta che incombe su di loro.Mio Giudizio: **Il metodo di respirazioneUn club dove si è soci senza nessuna domanda di ammissione o nessuna quota da pagare, vi si raccontano storie particolari che hanno qualcosa di innaturale sotto la supervisione di un maggiordomo alquanto misterioso. Un club dalle molte stanze dovi ci si può perdere e non tornare. Mio Giudizio: **

È un King che esce dai suoi soliti connotati e che esplora terre lontane dai suoi soliti confini e in ogni caso riesce farsi riconoscere e apprezzare comunque. Il risultato è godibilissimo, tutti i racconti sono veramente belli, forse io ho apprezzato di meno “il corpo” perchè un po' lontano dalla mia infanzia e dalle mie esperienze personali. Ma in ogni caso lo zio Stephen dimostra di poter scrivere quello che vuole alla grande, al di là del genere al di là del contesto, e quindi di poter uscire da suoi soliti cliché.

E ora vi lascio con qualche curiosità su questo questo libro che saranno apprezzate dai fans più sfegatati di King:

In Un ragazzo sveglio Dussander ricorda di aver usato, dopo la guerra, una banca del Maine per acquistare dei titoli con uno pseudonimo. Afferma, inoltre, che il banchiere che glielo ha procurato è stato arrestato per l'omicidio della moglie un anno dopo l'acquisto. Tale personaggio è Andy Dufresne, protagonista del racconto Rita Hayworth e la redenzione di Shawshank.

In Un ragazzo sveglio quando si confronta con Todd riguardo ai suoi omicidi, Dussander menziona il serial killer Springheel Jack, personaggio del racconto Primavera da fragole nel libro A volte ritornano.

Sempre in Un ragazzo sveglio, Ed French menziona che il numero della sua camera è il 217, la stessa del famoso Overlook Hotel in Shining. Inoltre, in quest'ultimo romanzo, Jack Torrance lavora su un gioco che comprende un personaggio di nome Denker, come l'alter ego di Dussander.

Ne Il corpo viene menzionato Cujo, san Bernardo protagonista dell'omonimo romanzo.

Ne Il corpo il personaggio di Ace Merrill da adulto, verrà riproposto all'interno del romanzo Cose preziose.

It took me almost two years to finish this collection, given my forays into professorship and parenthood. It was the first bit of King's fiction I have read in several years. It didn't disappoint.

I picked up this particular collection to finally read the basis for one my favorite films, The Shawshank Redemption. The movie stuck closely to the story, and I'll admit I like the elements of the story that didn't make it to film. I also find myself unbothered by the liberties taken by the screenplay. I wish I could say the same for The Body and Stand by Me, but it's simply been too long since I've seen that film. Admittedly, I have not watched Apt Pupil, but I was familiar with the plot. That left the final tale as the one that was completely new to me.

The Breathing Method was a terrific story, but I felt it needed a little more (i.e., explore the club idea) or a little less (i.e., leave the club out entirely). Still, I read it with a sort of recklessness that a piece of fiction has not triggered in me for years.

Of course, I recommend this one.

Precise rating: 2.5 ⭐

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
3 ⭐

Apt Pupil
2 ⭐

The Body
3 ⭐

The Breathing Method
2.5 ⭐

I recently watched The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me with my wife and children. My wife and I had seen the movies when they first came out but our children had not seen either movie. The kids loved both movies and I was very pleased to see that the films held up beautifully with time. The movies are universally loved. If you don't believe me, then go look on Rotten Tomatoes (here and here).

I got to thinking (uh oh). The source material had to be great to make such fantastic movies. I read quite a bit of Stephen King in my teen years (Cujo, Carrie, Night Shift), but I hadn't read Different Seasons, the book of four novellas—two of which were the basis for these movies. My curiosity was piqued. Was it time for a personal reconsideration of Stephen King? I've recently discovered that there are a lot of critics doing this, particularly The Guardian's ‘Rereading Stephen King' column is giving it a go. I read their review of Different Seasons with great interest, although I disagreed with most of the James Smythe's assessments. But there is one thing he and I agree on: there is some literary greatness within the cover of Different Seasons. Unfortunately, there are some not so great moments, too.

I decided to buy the book through Audible. It is narrated by Frank Muller. I'll review his narration separately.

So, let's dive in!

The novellas “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” and “The Body” are both affecting literary depictions of the power of friendship, something I love to see in fiction. If you love the movies The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me—based on these novellas—then you will also love these stories. The movies are faithful to the novellas with only slight changes that streamline their cinematic versions. The narrators tell their stories with an affecting lilt, remembering the friendships that bound them, even through harrowing events. King shows great descriptive flair in both stories and the dialogue is snappy and true to life. Red (the narrator of Shawshank) and Gordie (the narrator of The Body) are both likeable and effective storytellers who reveal the goodness beneath the criminals and punks of both stories.

“Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” is perfect storytelling. Perfect!

“The Body” is great, too, with one exception. Two short stories are included—in full—within the novella that are examples of what Gordie publishes as an adult when he becomes a professional writer. Unfortunately, they do not add anything to the story of the four, young friends; and the “pie eating contest” could have more effectively been told by young Gordie as a campfire tale within the main narrative.

The novellas “The Apt Pupil” and “The Breathing Method” were less satisfying and, quite frankly, not worthy of inclusion with the other two novellas. In “The Apt Pupil,” neither main characters have any redeeming qualities whatsoever and reading this story was the equivalent of watching two rats devouring each other on a sinking ship. “The Breathing Method” is a Tales from the Crypt-inspired story told in long-form. This novella uses the “story within a story” structure, which can be fun if used effectively. Ultimately, this structure is used to only reveal a gruesome death, then the novella abruptly ends. Not much is revealed about either narrator and the “story within a story” structure is wasted for a salacious parlor trick.

“The Apt Pupil” is garbage. Complete garbage!

“The Breathing Method” is pointless, although a pared down version might make an effective script for a 1950s horror comic piece, if put in the hands of a great illustrator.

I enjoyed the Afterword of the book. In it, Stephen King tells the origins of each of the novellas and how they ended up in this compilation. In short, novellas were a hard sell to a publisher during that time in the 1970s and 80s, too short to sell as standalone works of fiction in bookstores and too long to sell to a magazine or literary journal. King's self-deprecating narration is in full-swing. He's funny, insightful, and self-effacing.

Finally, the narrator for this audiobook—Frank Muller—is excellent. His deep, baritone voice was pleasant to listen to and he barreled through the stories with conviction and vigor. His narration in “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” was comparable to that of Morgan Freeman and he effectively altered his tone to depict each of the boys in “The Body.” His narration is top-notch. My only complaint is the sound quality of this Audible edition is somewhat tinny and sometimes Muller sounds like he is being recorded using a tin can with string. Nevertheless, he is a great narrator.

Verdict: I recommend this book for “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” and “The Body” because they are both great literary works of fiction. You can skip “The Apt Pupil” and “The Breathing Method.” The Afterword is a fun addition and Frank Muller is a fantastic narrator.

Un recueil de récits courts de Stephen King, dont l'une en particulier “Un élève doué”, m'avait particulièrement marqué. Les autres ne sont pas restée dans ma mémoire.

Executive Summary: I generally don't like short stories or novellas. However this collection has 3 stories that were converted into movies I enjoyed, especially Shawshank.

I'm a big fan of Stephen King, though I've read very little of his horror novels. He's often relegated to a horror writer, but this collection shows what I feel is his real strength: writing great characters.

There is very little horror to speak of here, save for some of the awful things humans do to one another, though little of it occurs in great detail.

Next to Dark Tower, Shawshank might possibly be the best thing he's ever written, though of course everyone will have favorites of their own.

This is a really good collection, that is definitely worth picking up, whether you're a fan of King's other work or not.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
I don't know what to say about this one really. It's a prison story, but that's just the setting.

Really it's a story about strength and determination in the face of adversity. A lot of adversity. Andy Dufresne is a case study in making the best of a bad situation.

But really nothing I write will do this story justice. Read it. And watch the movie. The movie is excellent. Easily the best adaptation of any of King's work.

4.5 stars

Apt Pupil
This one is just too dark for me. I could only read it a little at a time. Then I'd have to watch something funny and light as a palate cleanser.

For fans of King's horror work, this one might be the most in that vein. However there are no evil clowns or demons here. It's just terrible people doing terrible things.

The story and the writing is quite good, it's just generally not the sort of story I enjoy reading. I know I watched the movie at some point, but don't really remember it. Unlike the others in this book, I don't plan to revisit the movie in the future though.

3.5 stars

The Body
My second favorite story of the collection. I remember seeing part of this movie what I was younger (probably too young to see the movie). The swimming scene has stuck with me all this time.

Reading the story made me appreciate the movie even more. The casting is so perfect. Maybe it colored my perception of the characters as I read it, but I think it's more a testament to the whoever cast the movie.

My only real complaint about the story, was the nested stories written by Gordie. The pie eating contest story was alright, but I can't even remember what the second story was about. That goes to show how unimportant it was to the overall plot.

I never had anything remotely close to the experiences of these four boys growing up, but that doesn't make it feel any less real to me. It's been long enough since I've seen the movie that I didn't really remember what happened.

Much like Shawshank, I'm hard pressed for what to say other than: read it, and watch the movie.

4 stars.

The Breathing Method
The weakest of the four stories, and maybe unsurprisingly the only one NOT to be made into a movie.

In fact I'm far more intrigued by the setting of the story, this mysterious club with books not found anywhere else. Old men gather to share strange and interesting stories.

The main story was certainly strange and interesting, but far less than the setting. As a big fan of the Dark Tower, it had me wondering if these books were from other levels of the tower. I kept looking around for Charlie the Choo Choo or something by Claudia y Inez Bachman.

I'd be very interested in reading a story that gives you more details about the club. I'll have to see if he ever wrote one.

3 stars.

An incredible good written book. It makes you appreciate life and freedom.

This is my first stab at Stephen King. Honestly, being the literary snob that I am, I wrote him off years ago as a hack genre writer. In recent times my snobbery has lessened—a little; I'd heard some good things about King so I thought I'd give him a chance. Although I'm not opposed to giving the author's horror a try, I wanted to start with something else; I chose Different Seasons, a collection of four novellas: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” “Apt Pupil,” “The Body,” and “The Breathing Method.”

Throughout these stories, it is clear that King is a wonderful storyteller. He is filled with original ideas and knows how to tell them in fresh ways that keep the reader nailed to the book. His stories move swiftly; it's clear why so many are made into successful movies. Story aside, craft sometimes eludes the author—lack of characterization, poor choices in narrative design, and overall wordiness plague many of these stories. They're very characteristic of the stories one may expect from a Master's level student in writing: great story by a writer with a decent grasp of the trade.

That being said, “The Body,” the story which was adapted into the film Stand by Me, is fabulous. Here King proves he has the talent. Excellent design. Wonderful narrative. Characters that are not easily forgotten. “The Body” is gritty and beautiful, juvenile and intelligent. [b:The Catcher in the Rye|5107|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1311457667s/5107.jpg|3036731] be damned, this is the story of growing up. This is the confessional coming of age story real people can relate to. Even if you didn't grow up in the sixties, or walk miles along a railroad track to view a dead body. Even if Gordon Lachance was played by Wil Wheaton in the film. Even if a bunch of literate people tell you that Holden Caulfield is God while pointing out that Stephen King wrote a story about a killer clown. Even so, “The Body” is real. And it's so much more entertaining than feeding ducks at the pond and searching the walls of the Museum of Natural History for graffiti. (For additional bagging on Catcher in the Rye, follow my reviews; there will be more to come.)

As for the other stories, “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” had a great premise, but lacked the characters and magic necessary to pull off a fabulous read. “Apt Pupil” was intriguing in theory, but droned on far too long. “The Breathing Method” was pretty good, but felt more like a short story unnecessarily stretched to accommodate the classification of novella.

All good stories, but only “The Body” was great in my opinion. Now which King book do I tackle next? I'm leaning toward The Stand, but I've also been eying On Writing and Duma Key.