Different Seasons by Stephen King
1982 / 527 pgs Fiction

Different Seasons is a collection of four Novella’s that depart from the horror world that has made Mr. King infamous. The first three novels have a minor link between them. The last one is a good shock-an-ah horror-ish story. Interestingly, all four have been adapted into movies.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption      
The movie The Shawshank Redemption has all the highlights in this story. The plot from both is almost the same. Unlike most books, more is added to the movie to build the story. The story is still a good read even if you’ve seen the movie, as there are details in the story that are not in the film. Also, I prefer some parts of the film, like what happens to Capt Hadly and Sam Norton, over how they end up in the book. 

Apt Pupil
Todd, an inspiring teenager, all A’s in school, confronts an elderly gentleman that, through research, has discovered he is a former SS man that was a concentration camp commandant. Todd demands that to keep his secret; the SS man must tell him all the details about the camps that are not in the history books. This sends them both down a path that they will never return.

This story has one of the best scenes I’ve read that made me sit up and think, WOW…    

“Unless there were dreams. The thought shocked him. Dreams? Please God, no. Not those dreams. Not for eternity, not with all possibility of awakening gone. Not— In sudden terror, he tried to struggle awake. It seemed that hands were reaching eagerly up out of the bed to grab him, hands with hungry fingers. (!NO!) His thoughts broke up in a steepening spiral of darkness, and he rode down that spiral as if down a greased slide, down and down, to whatever dreams there are.” – King, Stephen. Different Seasons: Four Novellas (p. 308). Scribner.

The Body
Another movie classic for the teens of the ’80s, Stand by Me, is based on The Body. Four young teens travel down a rail track to see a body of a dead teenage boy that was hit by a train. This is a coming-of-age story. 

The Breathing Method
A lawyer is invited to attend a club with just a few members. At the club, there are drinks, conversation, and books. Members play pool and chess. The highlight is that a member will tell a story ranging from weird to disturbing macabre. The story on Thursday before Christmas is always the highlight of the year. An elderly doctor tells a story about a young pregnant single woman who he teaches the Breathing Method to assist with the birth.  

All four stories are great reads! I enjoyed each one. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Body show that Mr. King can write more than just horror. I would count this collection as a classic that I would recommend. 

Enjoy a good cup of coffee and a good book!

Lopaka