Stephen King manages to pack in four completely different, equally fascinating stories in this great book. For those that have seen the incredible movie, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption is an old story, but just as engrossing as the movie. You really feel for Andy and his position and there is that sweet tinge of justice at the end of the book when he finally escapes. For those that haven’t seen the movie, even more reason to read it.
Apt Pupil stands as the darkest story I have read to date. Dussander and Todds’ characters take on a very interesting shape as they grow closer, and although I often grit my teeth at the events occurring, I kept reading because I had to know how the story would end. This story is only for those with a strong will, and ideally, a forgetful memory. I would skip if reading again.
The Body is a fantastic coming-of-age story. The book manages to capture the essence of being a young boy in the summer; the way King describes the thoughts and behaviors of each child illuminates how the characters grow through their countless struggles to find The Body. Certainly the children’s behavior is quote dated when compared to most children of today and perhaps even when it was written, but this is besides the point. To watch the children struggle and scream and cry but learn and grow and listen and help, is so incredible.
Although each short story is quite different from the others, in my mind The Breathing Method stands separately from the other 3 stories in the book. The Breathing Method fulfills the “mystery” portion of Different Seasons; each page answers a question halfway and proposes many more. I appreciated the bit of magic King puts into this story. It brings the world a bit higher and more merry than the other stories, and one of the main characters, a pregnant mother, brings a strong will. The story has an interesting ending and leaves me wishing I could read more stories that were told inside that strange club.