Rating: 
Summary: This is the best Stephen King book of them all!
Review: Normally I do not like all the graphic gore and sexual scenes of most Stephen King's stories. I was apprehensive when our reading group chose this as our October selection. Luckily, I was wonderfully surprised at how excellent the stories are! I did not know, or had forgotten, that Stephen King wrote 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption'. Hearing Morgan Freeman's voice in my head as the narrator of the story made this a most pleasurable read. The depth of character and unexpected twist in 'Apt Pupil' made it a surprisingly interesting story. I liked the small connection to 'Shawshank' by having Andy be Dussander's attorney! My favorite story, however, is 'The Breathing Method'. Most reviews I read say the opposite, but the lasting mystery and plausibility of the horrible ending of the story are quite gripping. Once again, I must say I feel this is the best Stephen King book there is!!!
Rating:
Summary: Four of his best
Review: A collection of stories that prove King is not just a horror writer. Each one is a treat. I especially love Shawshank Redemption and Apt Pupil. For any King lover and anyone who loves literature for that matter.
Rating: 
Summary: A Bit of a disappointment
Review: I bought this book because I enjoyed the film, "The Shawshank Redemption" so much. However, I found the novelette in this book to be lacking in the depth and feeling I felt while watching the movie.Apt Pupil, I felt was also a disappointment. I didn't really feel as though the reader was meant to be involved in the story and I never felt any sympathy for any of the, basically amoral, characters. However, I did feel that The Body and The Breathing Method were well written, had well developed characters and I felt as though I was drawn into both of these stories. I especially enjoyed the Breathing Method, with it's intricate mix of both mystery and horror. Overall, a mixed bag. Probably worth it if you're a die hard King fan, but it reminded me too much of why I quit reading Stephen King books in the first place: too much violence, and not much depth.
Rating: 
Summary: All four stories are great.
Review: I always associated Stephen King with horror (i.e. Pet Sematary), but this collection really opened my eyes. I read this because I loved "The Shawshank Redemption" film, but all four stories are exceptional. They were compelling and kept my interest throughout. Unlike most, I found "The Body" to be the weakest of the stories (I've never seen "Stand by Me"), but I still loved it. My favorite is "Apt Pupil". I'd recommend this to anyone who loves good stories and particularly to those who, ordinarily, would not read Stephen King.
Rating:
Summary: This is the best book I have ever read.
Review: This is definitly one of the most interesting books I have ever read. After reading one story I had to read the next and then the next. Three out of the four stories have gone on to be made into excellent movies that capture the true essence of the characters. If I were someone trying to pick a horror book I would most definitly recommend this one because it isn't the supernatural that is terrifying, it is the human nature and the picky little evil things in everyone and people you know.
Rating:
Summary: Very good read.
Review: Although I enjoyed reading Different Seasons, I felt like I was ripped off. Ok, so it was my own fault, but still... The first time I read Different Seasons, the front of the book said The Shawshank Redemption. A couple weeks ago, I see Different Seasons in the bookstore, featuring Apt Pupil. Since it had been YEARS since I first read the book, I thought it was a different Different Seasons and bought the book. I thought it was a little misleading, changing the cover like that. I still give the book a five star review because it is a good book, but I will pay more attention next time I buy a book!
Rating:
Summary: A rare treasure; stories and movies equally good
Review: King has outdone himself this time; instead of opting for the easy plots (mad dogs, killer cars, etc.), he comes up with stories that are truly horrifying because they are psychological thrillers. The majority of the characters play mind games with each other, and the general theme running through each "novelette" seems to be an endurance test. "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption", in spite of its unwieldy title, is a compelling tale of convicts and prison life. The narrator is Red, the "lifer" who has earned his keep and provides his fellow prisoners with the "extras" such as booze, cigarettes, and the poster of Rita Hayworth referred to in the title. He is the Greek chorus for the folk hero, a methodical, cool, impersonal accountant by the name of Andy DuFresne. Andy has been unjustly convicted of a crime he did not commit, and his scheming to improve his situation makes for riveting reading. "Apt Pupil" is by far the most fascinating--and profoundly disturbing--of the stories. A bright, seemingly innocent boy has managed to shadow an escaped Nazi while playing amateur detective. Todd doesn't want to turn in the Nazi, however; he wants to learn every detail of the torture endured by the captured Jews. Todd, of course, appears to be the All-American Kid; handsome, blond, athletic, and wholesome in appearance. As Dussander the Nazi relates his war horror stories, both he and Todd become obsessed with an intense, warped desire to inflict similar pain on others. "The Body" is more of a coming-of-age story than a true thriller. Gordy LaChance relates his adventures as he and his friends prepare to see a dead body that they happened to hear about from an older brother. The dead body represents a backdrop to the real tale, which involves card games, camping out, ghost stories and a series of conversations about social issues. This is not as dry as it sounds; each boy, in turn, worries about such things as leaving friends behind, going along with the crowd, being branded for life, and their feelings about their siblings and parents. It's easy to see how movies like "The Breakfast Club" were inspired by this story. "Breathing Lessons" involved the impending birth of an illegitimate child. I felt that this was the weakest of the stories, since it seemed rather flat and emotionless. It didn't seem to belong in this book. The one consistency throughout the book is the dialogue. All of King's characters have a "voice" that is uniquely their own, and the talk rarely, if ever, gets boring. In spite of the "Breathing Lessons" story, I still believe that this is one of King's best books, if not THE BEST. Definitely a choice pick for people who are "deserted on an island"
Rating:
Summary: Something for everyone, but not everything for someone
Review: Of all the King books I've read, I enjoyed Different Seaasons more than any other. Perhaps because I have a drawerful of novellas, ( I can't write a story longer than 200 pages to save my life)I felt a kinship with the author on this group of works. I doubt that anyone likes all four of the stories contained in the book, but I also think everyone who reads it likes at least one of them. I personally thought "The Body" was his best, possibly because it captured so beautifully the lives of young boys in the late 50's. I certainly knew someone like each of the characters, and proabably WAS one of them. (Or a combination of them.)And when I read Gordy's tale of the pie eating contest, I laughed out loud, to the point that my wife thought I was possessed. Apt Pupil and Rita Hayworth were good, but didn't really grab me, and Breathing Lessons reminded me of the old Monkey's Paw story that frightened me so as a child. But criticizing King's work is like second guessing a man in the batters-box. He's there, by God, and he writes AND gets published. One can point out his shortcomings, but there has never been a perfect author in this world, and never will be. Take this book for what it is... a collection of STORIES... not an effort to change the world, or revitalize the literary world. And, to all those English profs at obscure colleges who complain of King's fluff, when you've published as much as he has, I'll listen. Get in the batters-box, take a few cuts, then tell us King's not very good.
Rating:
Summary: Once you start you can't put it down!
Review: All 4 stories are great, but I especially liked Apt Pupil. The way it was written kept me hooked till the end, which gave me a hell of a surprise! Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Body are so different from King's usual stories that they just sank in. I knew it was gonna be good when i bought it, but not this good!
Rating:
Summary: Mixed bag
Review: Each of the four stories is entertaining and gets you in during the first few pages.The beauty of this book is that all of the characters are you and me and other than the last few pages of The Breathing Method there is nothing supernatural happening that King has to convince us to believe. The first three are all good stories but I found The Breathing Method interesting and disappointing as all the way through I was much more interested in the club than the story being told.How I would delight to come across another novella exploring further into the mysterious club.
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