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PaperclipPerfector  5d ago (text post)   2642 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 16, 2025

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I'm finished up Different Seasons, four novellas by Stephen King. TL;DR: I very much enjoyed it.

King has a utilitarian style. So much of what I read is really not that. When you're so clear with your communication, there's less room for evoking emotion. He is still able to do that. Breaking the fourth wall a bit, the fact that he can when putting out so much content is undeniably impressive. This is the last time I'll connect the work with his politics, but it's just sad that he created art of this caliber just a handful of years ago, and now he's essentially an NPC.

The first Novella is essentially the Shawshank redemption. There's nothing crazy about the book, even "the twist", but it's a satisfying read that stays largely positive. I've heard critiques on this board that King focuses on the reality of prison with a bit of a sadists eye and would respectfully disagree. It's just well done.

The next is "Apt Pupil". Light psychological horror. One thing I really respected about this was that there was a focus on details and continuity.

Then there was "The Body" which turned into "Stand by Me". There are frankly dozens of important sections, but the one that stuck with me the most was when the boys were discussing precisely why they were taking the journey to see the body described in the title. It reminded me distinctly of how we would walk through the woods as kids, following the creek for hours with air rifles in hand and chips in backpack to make it to a spot minutes away by car. Some things deserve to be hard.

Last but certainly not least was "The Breathing Method" which was purposefully evocative of Lovecraft which I have always enjoyed.

All in all, a diverse set of stories with enough highs and lows to make it an even-keeled read. I very much enjoyed it.

Now starting in on "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", "Conversations with Friends", and "Incurable Graphomania"

Different Seasons is one of King's best. If someone asked me which Stephen King book they should start with to get an idea of his style, I would recommend this one or Misery.

Did you read the Dark Tower series? I'm considering it

I have read the Dark Tower series. The first four books of the Dark Tower are awesome. Book 4, Wizard and Glass is actually my favorite Stephen King book. After book 4 though, things really fell off a cliff. SK was seriously injured in a car collision in 1999 and it feels like him coming face to face with his own mortality caused him to race to finish the series. He pushed out books 5, 6, and 7 in the span of like three years after it took him 20 years to release the first 4.

I'll never not recommend Stephen King, regardless of the book, but I'm not the biggest fan of how The Dark Tower ended up. The good news is that you can plow through those books in a couple months or less.

Which did you prefer, the movie of Shawshank Redemption or the novella?

I think the Novella. Books have an advantage by default for me though it should be said

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