Rating: 
Summary: His Greatest Display
Review: This book displays all the best of King's talents.King's brilliance of story orchestration is shown in Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, his orchestration of character utilized in Apt Pupil, his insight into a child's heart in The Body, and his ability to establish atmosphere and build terror is evidenced in The Breathing Method. Only the fourth and final story passes for horror, though all four contain horror elements. More importantly, each of the four novellas has resonance, something missing from most stories twice their length.
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Summary: Wonderful Yarns
Review: I read this book after seeing Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption and learning that they were both novellas written by Stephen King and published in the same book. Stand By Me was based on Stephen King's story The Body and The Shawshank Redemption was based on Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. Both of these novellas were extremely well written and show that Stephen King's primary talent is not for horror but for storytelling. The two stories grab you and keep you turning the pages until they are done and leave you wishing for more. The Body is a maturation story involving preteen boys who are on the cusp of throwing away their lives but two of whom have an excellent chance to mature into kind, happy adults. It is a poignant story of childhood. King manages what few authors can: he makes preteens sound like preteens rather than adults or babies. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is the story of an adult sent to prison for murdering his wife. In prison, he learns how to be truly human and also tutors his friends in how to make it through a prison term without losing the ability to live life on the outside. It is an outstanding story. Apt Pupil has also been made into a movie--this time one of the same name. It is the flip side of Stand By Me. It tells the story of a teenager who is at the cusp of maturing into a normal adult but gets seduced by evil. The boy discovers that a neighborhood man was once a Nazi war criminal. Rather than turning him in, he talks the man into reliving his experience with the boy. It is chilling to see how easy it is for someone who has discovered something evil to get caught up in the evil. However, the boy and the older man are not fleshed out well enough to make the story as good as it could have been. The last story is a supernatural tale. It is quirky and told in a different way from most of King's works. The edges are fuzzy; it is more atmosphere than plot. I enjoyed it, but it may not be for everyone.
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Summary: Here, there are always stories
Review: "Different Seasons" is an electrifying collection of Stephen King 'novellas', stories that fall into that literary twilight zone of being too hefty to be short stores, but also too short to be full novels. It was originally published in 1982, and all four of the stories within were knocked off by King after completion of larger works early in his career. All are stunning reads, consisting of some of the best stuff he's ever done. A linking theme loosely connects things, where each work represents a season of the year both in setting and in tone. Here is each one in a nutshell: HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL: RITA HAYWORTH AND SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
This one has the least horror, but even so it doesn't shy away from detailing the torture of life behind bars. It is told in the first person by Red, a lifer in Shawshank prison who is the "guy who can get it for you". As supplier to the various needs of his fellow prisoners he has developed a cynical view of his surroundings. That is, until Andy Dufresne becomes a guest in the stone hotel. In Dufresne, Red sees a man refusing to succumb to despair, even though he has been railroaded by extreme bad luck and a corrupt justice system. The story develops a feeling of legend around Dufresne, and through his ordeals and triumphs he wears a cloak of dignity that inspires Red to refuse to surrender to his situation as the years wear on. The microcosm of prison life allows for microscopic examinations of the players involved, and the characterizations here are the strongest in the four tales. Like the predictability of changing seasons we have an idea where things are going, and as we move to the seemingly inevitable conclusion the story develops an almost fairytale quality, set in a stone prison instead of a stone castle. What transpires in the final third would seem impossible, if not for King's greatest strength as a writer: the ability to make the impossible seem completely probable. SUMMER OF CORRUPTION: APT PUPIL
My favourite of the four, because it strikes a balance between a good story and shocking horror. It is largely contained to two characters: young, all-American Todd Bowden and the elderly Arthur Denker who closely guards a devastating secret. The chemistry between the two becomes this story's greatest asset as they enter into a hellish psychological dance. Forming a symbiotic relationship, they feed off each other in horrible ways as Denker aka Dussander starts as teacher to Todd's "apt pupil"...but perhaps Todd is teaching his instructor a few things as well? They provide two separate characterizations of evil that are played masterfully off each other by King: in Dussander we have an obvious atrocity of the past, and in Todd, American rot and deviousness gilded by a brilliant white smile. Again King telegraphs the ending for us, but as the story slides towards the inexorable conclusion, it's the journey of these characters through the Hell they've created for themselves, as opposed to their ultimate destination, that keeps us riveted. FALL FROM INNOCENCE: THE BODY
This story may not be usual bucket of guts one might be expecting from King, but it's not without its own form of fear and horror...fear of leaving the paradise of childhood behind, the horror of growing old, the terror of losing cherished friendships forever. Four young friends set out on an adventure to find a dead body in the woods, but what they really discover is the fact that their own lives are about to change with the inevitable coming of adulthood. The tale is told by one of the four as an adult, now a horror writer who has found brilliant success in both books and movies...sound familiar, anyone? It is easy to believe that King has taken real people from his own past as inspiration, as the characterizations here are as clear and vibrant as a frozen snapshot in time. Adding to the biographic nature are two stories-within-the-story that are proffered as works by the main character; they're really two works by King that were published in magazines very early in his career. When I read 'The Body', I always imagine the places of my own youth, the tree house, the back alleys, the train tracks, as the places in the story. A WINTER'S TALE: THE BREATHING METHOD
Where we return again to mysterious 249B East Thirty-fifth street, NYNY. First glimpsed in King's short-story collection 'Night Shift', it's a gentlemen's club where every Christmas season the members gather for a tale told of the uncanny, recited to the flickerings of strange colours in the hearth. We get two stories here along with two narrators; one is provided by barrister David Adley, and is currently the lengthiest portrait of the club and its shadowy existence we've had from King, along with the Christmas story presented by doctor Emlyn McCarron. 'The Breathing Method' is the most horrific work of the bunch as it comes to a crescendo of intensity and hovering madness at the end of McCarron's tale, but it is also a strangely touching story of grim resolve to bring new life forth in spite of a prejudiced, uncaring world. Four incredible stories, by a writer fully flexing his literary muscles. Out of the four, it's usually 'The Breathing Method' that gets the shortest shrift from reviewers. But any King fan will be thrilled by the lingering view it affords curious 249B. Both the club and the story McCarron relates have a beautiful, darkly ominous quality. One really can imagine the hallways behind those heavy wooden doors twisting off forever. But perhaps attendant Stevens was really talking about the great, seemingly endless reads that Stephen King has locked away behind his twisting psyche: "A man could get lost..."
Rating:
Summary: Compelling from beginning to end
Review: With many books of short stories there's always one that's your favourite and the rest as a result seem disappointing. This certainly isn't the case here as each of the four novellas is both original and compelling in their own way. The first 'Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption' is vastly different from the epic movie that it became, mostly due to its lack of subplots that the film inserted in (such as one prisoner's conditions after his release). It's difficult to say which is better - the movie is probably much more famous than the book - although the novella does have the advantage of being told entirely from the character Red's point of view, giving a distinct impression of isolation not only from events in the prison but also from the outside world. The second story, 'Apt Pupil', is possibly one of the most disturbing books ever written and I've actually heard it wasn't originally going to be included due to its disturbing content. It concerns a 13 year-old boy Todd's fall from innocence as he forces an undiscovered Nazi war criminal to tell him what really happened in the concentration camps during the War. Whilst this in itself is horrific, King really draws on the twisted and parasitic relationship between the two leads to create a very human horror that is very unlike anything I've ever read before. 'The Body', the third book, goes a long way in dispelling the myth that King is only capable of writing horror. A rites-of-passage sort of saga it's almost profound in the way that the central character looks back on his childhood and sees an experience of trekking with friends to see a dead body as not just a stroll through the woods but a lifechanging experience. The frequent, almost nervous, references to the future are beautifully and realistically done without ever falling into pomp or pretentiousness. Many readers have strangely said that 'The Breathing Method' isn't very good. Indeed, it's the only novella in the collection that hasn't been adapted into a film. However, it's story within a story about a young woman in the early 1900's who finds herself pregnant, her relationship with her doctor and her determination to keep her baby alive again comes right back to the human horror. Although jabs at the corsetted society of the day are clear, it is the woman's determination that King focuses on and the final to the story really is spectacular and highly original. To put it bluntly, I have never read a collection of short stories quite so unique and interesting as this one.
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Summary: Ages of Man - Stephen King Style
Review: This 1982 collection of three superb novellas and one also-ran is a valuable addition to your book collection. Insert Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" into the CD, settle in your favorite chair, and get ready to enjoy. "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" I am one of the few people I know that has not seen everyone's favorite movie, "The Shawshank Redemption." Yes, I do live on this planet, but I stubbornly avoid prison movies. After reading this life and hope-affirming story, I will have to break my rule and give Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman a chance to wend their magic. Wily old Red, a lifer who has seen it all, tells the story of Andy Dufresne, an innocent man who is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. Andy gradually wins the respect and finally awestruck admiration from the cynical Red by his patience, determination and understated kindness and true sense of self. As I approached the end of this story, I could think of at least six awful ways clever and manipulative King could end the story. I caught myself saying "not this time--please!" knowing that I was firmly caught in any web King cared to devise. "The Apt Pupil" I will state at the outset, was my favorite. Mysteries and thrillers are my preferred form of escapism; "The Apt Pupil" is a psychological thriller at its finest. Todd is frighteningly enough, every parent's dream child. Modest, polite, handsome, gifted student and athlete with a winning grin that melts teachers and friends alike. At 13, he has the world in front of him. He also has a peculiar interest in what went on in concentration camps in WWII. By sheer chance he discovers a neighboring old man, Mr. Henker aka Dussander is in fact one of the most brutal Nazi war criminals and who has been living under an alias for all these years. Rather than being shocked, Todd wants to hear all about it. Dussander does all he can to drive the boy away, but finally gives in from the very justified fear that Todd will turn him in. Thus begins a descent to the depths with Dussander's depravity reawakening and Todd's symbiotic parasitism of Dussander's soul. The novel is so well done, it gives you a series of small shocks until you are so weakened, the huge momentum of last big horror about does you in. What is interesting is you can't decide who is the more depraved, Dussander or the boy. Brilliantly conceived and executed. "The Body" made into that sleeper hit, "Stand By Me," is a coming of age story of one Labor Day weekend in the lives of four 12-year old boys. I suspect King is so excellent at this type of story is because there is still a great deal of the 12-year old boy remaining in him. That is my one criticism of this tale; King, the grown up narrator, interferes too much. A corpse of a 12-year old boy has been discovered and abandoned by the "big" boys of Castle Rock who fear they will get in trouble. The four youngsters decide they will "discover" the corpse themselves and become famous heroes in the local TV and newspaper. The boys are not morbid, and it is clear they see this as an adventure, camping out in the woods, hiking, and then their just rewards. The body is just incidental or a means to an end. A breathtaking example of King's lyric abilities is when he describes a wild scream heard by the boys in woods at night: "The scream climbed with a crazy ease through octave after octave, finally reaching a glassy, freezing edge. It hung there for a moment and then whirled back down again, disappearing into an impossible bass register that buzzed like a monstrous honeybee. This was followed by a burst of what sounded like mad laughter ...and then there was silence again." "The Breathing Method" I noticed was dedicated to Peter Straub and his wife Susan. Alas, I am afraid that is what "The Breathing Method" is. Bad Peter Straub. Old men gathering in a strange club telling chilling tales to one another. The title tale was almost comic in its horror, the type that makes me want to go, "Oh puh-leez." This is a 5-star book with one not so good story (and many people liked it). By all means, get the book, read it and then rewatch the DVDs.
Rating: 
Summary: My Big Mistake
Review: Basically, I can just offer you some advice. The best time to read this book is before you have seen any of the movies from which were based upon these stories. My favorite movie of all time is "The Shawshank Redemption" so I expected the story to be a million times better. I spent the entire time I read, comparing the two. The story and the movie are nothing alike with the exception of a handful of names. I found that to be true with the other stories as well for the most part. The most enjoyable story in the book (and possibly the most grusome) was "The Breathing Method." It starts out slow but ends very strongly. But overall, only read this book with the intention to watch the movies afterwards or not at all. That way it should be more enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: One of King's best works
Review: "Different Seasons" is a compilation of four King novels. Three ("Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption", "Apt Pupil", and "The Body") have been made into films, and it easy to see why. All three are outstanding stories, especially "Rita Hayworth" which tells of a wrongly convicted man trying to survive and keep his sanity in a brutal prison. The weakest of the four stories the last one, "Breathing Method". Everyone would be well-advised to skip it and only concentrate on the first three tales. For anyone who loves a good story, this collection is a must read.
Rating: 
Summary: Review of "The Body"
Review: "The Body"is a novel, written by Stephen King and it deals with four boys who strike out to find a dead body in the forest.
In the last holiday before high-school four boys get to know that there is a dead body in the forest. They want to find thebe body and become heros and so they strike out to find it.
In my oppinion, the author did a good job with this book and in some situations I can think myself into it.
Rating:
Summary: Master Review
Review: "The Body" is a novel written by Stephen King which shows the growing up of 4 boys from childhood to adulthood. The 4 boys go on a trip after they heard from a dead body lying in the forest. They think that they become heroes when they find the dead body, but in the end they did not become heroes , they become men.
On the trip the characters are confronted with many problems and Stephen King shows us that the 4 boys stay more and more together when they solve a problem. This story is written in a real way and the reader can think themself into the novel because everyone of us grew or will grow up from childhood to adulthood.
Rating:
Summary: "The Body"
Review: Reading "The Body" makes you feel thoughtful and some incidents are realy ugly . Four boys who live in a problematic situation are between childhood and adulthood and on their journey to find a dead boy they find themselves . If you want to read a novel which connects horror with big feelings like frindship you are right to read this story .
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