Different Seasons
Published: 27, August 1982
Author: Stephen King
Genre: American, Classic, Coming Of Age, Drama, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Psychic, Psychological, Shape Shifter, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller, Werewolf, Witches, Wizard
Check the summary of this book here:
Different Seasons Summary
The Review
Different Seasons is a compilation of four Stephen King short stories that are more dramatic in tone than the horror fiction for which he is well known. The four novellas are linked by finer points related to each of the four seasons. The collection is significant for the fact that virtually all of its novellas have been adapted into Hollywood films, one of which, The Shawshank Redemption, was nominated for Best Picture at the 1994 Academy Awards.
There is also a small afterword written by King on January 4, 1982, at the conclusion of the book. He explains why he hadn't previously submitted the novellas (Essentially, all four were written at different times.) for publication in it.
Early in his career, his agents and editors voiced worry that he would be labeled as a horror writer. His horror works, on the other hand, proved to be highly popular, putting him in high demand as an author.
Novellas that did not deal largely with the supernatural, on the other hand, were extremely difficult to publish since there was no mass market for straight fiction stories in the 25,000 to 35,000 word range.
This book's short tales are as follows:
01 - Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
Subtitle: Hope Springs Eternal
This was an exciting and well-written story. The novella and the film are practically similar, with the novella having more details, as is almost typically the case with book versions.
I loved both the film and the book, which is uncommon for me to appreciate both the film and the book. The book was turned into a film, The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins as Andy and Morgan Freeman as Red, as well as a stage play of the same name.
A gritty, dramatic jail story that had me riveted from beginning to finish. I really enjoy this type of storytelling because it seems like you're sitting with someone and listening to a story that keeps you captivated by the narrator's voice.
The film adaptation is widely regarded as one of the most reputable films of all time, having been nominated for seven Academy Awards at the 67th Academy Awards in 1995, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Freeman. In an interview, Morgan Freeman remarked that this novella is his favorite book.
02 - Apt Pupil
Subtitle: Summer of Corruption
Apt Pupil is divided into 30 chapters, many of which are represented by months. The novel takes place across four years in a fictional Southern California neighborhood named "Santo Donato," with most of the action taking place in the first year and the latter months. It's the only novella in Different Seasons that's told in the third person.
A connection to "Strawberry Spring," a short tale published in the King collection Night Shift, is mentioned, which isn't anything major but is nevertheless an Easter egg for the faithful fans.
Another similarity is the hotel room number 217, which is the same as the famed Overlook Hotel room in The Shining.
Furthermore, in The Shining, Jack Torrance is working on a play with a character named Denker, which is the same name as Dussander's alter ego.
As a result, some fans believe Apt Pupil is Torrance's play. In the afterword to Different Seasons, King recounts writing Apt Pupil right after The Shining, which might explain why it has such a direct link.
The tale differed from the film in that it was darker and had more violence, which was typical. I thought it was almost perfect, but not quite on the level of Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, but it was still a fantastic book.
This is more in line with what we've come to expect from King. By no means a horror story, but rather a thriller; a psychological thriller. I couldn't exactly recall the narrative at first, but as I began to read, it all came flooding back to me. Because these are sick people, it might be difficult to read at times, but it is an extremely well-written read!
03 - The Body
Subtitle: Fall from Innocence
This is a coming-of-age narrative about four twelve-year-old boys who were searching for the body of a missing boy. It lacks the conclusion of the previous stories, it's a very well coming-of-age narrative with a lot of well-written language depicting childhood friendships, all situated in the heart of rural America.
This is the narrative that inspired the film Stand By Me. I enjoyed the film and the story. The plot clearly provides a lot more depth, and it departs significantly from the book in some areas.
The plot is, of course, fantastic, but it is quite lengthy and retrospective rather than action-packed. We are privy to the narrator's thoughts, and this is a work of literary coming of age.
I'm pleased I read it again since it made me feel nostalgic and sorrowful. This tale includes links to the Stephen King world, with Sheriff Bannerman named multiple times, however, given it takes place in the 1950s, he is just a Constable at this point, and Shawshank Prison is now part of the canon, being mentioned twice.
04 - The Breathing Method
Subtitle: A Winter's Tale
This is a horrific story that comes closest to what we would anticipate from King in this collection. There is a lengthy prelude outlining a man's life and how his employer invites him to a club.
Finally, the club has certain mystical properties that are never explored. The focus is on an engaging narrative recounted by a character in the story, which concludes with a great spooky twist.
I'm not surprised there isn't a film for this one. The content just does not appear to be fit for adaptation into a film. But film adaptation may occur soon, however, there has been no further news regarding the project since 2019.
By the time this book came out, Stephen King had established himself as a master of genre fiction up to this point in his career, including the Bachman volumes, which, although not horror (in my mind,) are nevertheless diverse genres.
With four novellas included in this book, King returns to straight fiction, offering some of his best work to date and demonstrating that he can write pure fiction and even literature.
Final Thoughts
First and foremost, you should not be comparing three of these novellas to Stephen King's more conventional tales. I think King is a wonderful writer, but there's a considerable difference between his horror stories and even his fantasy and this work, which I believe belongs more squarely in the area of literary fiction.
Some of the tale and location features remind me of Richard Russo, who has a number of stories where the setting or town is nearly part of the action, and the coming of age sections remind me of many Tobias Wolff short stories.
I believe that all four novels in this collection deserve full points and recommendations, but one additional opinion is that the first Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is deserving of that ranking, and makes the complete collection worthwhile to purchase.
Overall, this is a brilliantly written book with a variety of topic matter and storytelling methods... Three of these pieces have been adapted into films, some of which have been nominated for Academy Awards, and the writing is both sharp and memorable.
Synopsis
“Includes the stories “The Body” and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”—set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine
A “hypnotic” (The New York Times Book Review) collection of four novellas—including the inspirations behind the films Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption—from Stephen King, bound together by the changing of seasons, each taking on the theme of a journey with strikingly different tones and characters.
This gripping collection begins with “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” in which an unjustly imprisoned convict seeks a strange and startling revenge—the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award-nominee The Shawshank Redemption.
Next is “Apt Pupil,” the inspiration for the film of the same name about top high school student Todd Bowden and his obsession with the dark and deadly past of an older man in town.
In “The Body,” four rambunctious young boys plunge through the façade of a small town and come face-to-face with life, death, and intimations of their own mortality. This novella became the movie Stand By Me.
Finally, a disgraced woman is determined to triumph over death in “The Breathing Method.”
“The wondrous readability of his work, as well as the instant sense of communication with his characters, are what make Stephen King the consummate storyteller that he is,” hailed the Houston Chronicle about Different Seasons.”
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Rating: 100/100
Recommended: 100/100 Yes.
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