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The Body (Different Seasons - fall)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 13,007 ratings · 274 reviews

In 1960s America, four young boys go on a journey to search for the body of a boy killed by a train. As they travel, they discover how cruel the world can be, but also how wondrous.

"Penguin Readers" is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for...more

Paperback, Penguin Reader: Level 5, 80 pages

Published December 20th 1999 by Penguin Books (first published 1982)

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Nov 08, 2012 Nataliya rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who's looking for a well-written character-based story

Shelves: stephen-king, favorites, excellent-reads, 2012-reads, i-also-saw-the-film

For all of those who keep insisting that Stephen King is a literary equivalent of Big Mac and fries, writing in the comfortable confines of the frequently-despised 'genre' - please take a look at The Body: The Fall from Innocence, which is much more familiar to public in the quite faithful adaptation by Rob Reiner - 'Stand by Me'.

It's not King's trademark horror; it is actually free of the constraints of any so-called 'genre'. It is a coming-of-age character-study novella set in 1960 Maine wher...more

******

This is a story of four boys on the brink of adolescence; the last moments of childhood told with occasional almost Bradbury-esque nostalgia but with the rose-tinted glasses mercilessly torn off. The blue-collar childhood in a small Maine town in 1960 is not a place of magic and wonder - these boys are no strangers to abandonment and abuse and prejudice.

Hot-tempered and volatile Teddy Duchamp has been physically mutilated by his mentally ill father whom he still worships. Childish and not-too-bright Vern Tessio lives in fear of his brother. Gordie Lachance, whose adult writer self is telling us this story, is little but a stranger to his parents who never got over the death of his older brother. Smart and tough Chris Chambers, a kid from a family that supplies Castle Rock with alcoholics and juvenile delinquents, is being seriously abused by his father and is seen as a worthless and even dangerous person because of his family.

"Chris didn't talk much about his dad, but we all knew he hated him like poison. Chris was marked up every two weeks or so, bruises on his cheeks and neck or one eye swelled up and as colorful as a sunset, and once he came to school with a big clumsy bandage on the back of his head. Other times he never got to school at all. His mom would call him in sick because he was too lamed up to come in. Chris was smart, really smart, but he played truant a lot, and Mr. Halliburton, the town truant officer, was always showing up at Chris's house, driving his old black Chevrolet with the NO RIDERS sticker in the corner of the windshield. If Chris was being truant and Bertie (as we called him - always behind his back, of course) caught him, he would haul him back to school and see that Chris got detention for a week. But if Bertie found out that Chris was home because his father had beaten the shit out of him, Bertie just went away and didn't say boo to a cuckoo bird. It never occurred to me to question this set of priorities until about twenty years later."

But childhood, even though not at all sheltered, still gives them something of a shield against the world - that sense of invulnerability that only the young children have, the love for adventure, and the protection of sincere and lighthearted friendship.

"Everything was there and around us. We knew exactly who we were and exactly where we were going. It was grand."

*****

*****

But we meet them right at the time when they are about to leave the protection of childhood behind them, when in the miserably hot summer of 196 they set out on a trip to find a body of a boy who disappeared in the woods - a trip that makes at least two of them go through quite significant emotional turmoil and reevaluate their priorities and see the strengthening of one friendship while the others fall apart as the realization sets in that there is more to friendship than just fun and leisure. This is a trip that uncovers both the steel and the vulnerability in the characters of Chris and Gordie, and shoves them from the haven of childhood into the world where things take work and sacrifice and pain, the world that is often cruel and cynical and unavoidable.

"But he said: "Your friends drag you down, Gordie. Don't you know that? [...] Your friends do. They're like drowning guys that are holding onto your legs. You can't save them. You can only drown with them."

**

This is a scary realization when you are young - that your friends are not good for you. I remember getting that feeling at around twelve, the age the boys in this book are, and I remember how unsettling that realization was. At that time it feels like friendships are forever, and that things that connect you to other people are there to stay - and realizing how easy and even necessary it can be to break those bonds is quite unsettling.

"You always know the truth, because when you cut yourself or someone else with it, there's always a bloody show."

***

***

And some of this is present here - but on the other hand we are also treated to the strengthening of the true friendship between Gordie and Chris. Gordie, a kid who is emotionally neglected by his family, acutely feels the sincerity and kindness that Chris brings into the world, despite his 'tough' origins - Chris, the center of this ragtag group, is grown up beyond his years, and has some hard-earned wisdom for his twelve years of age, sprinkled with a bit of pain and bitterness but grounded in common sense.

"But it was only survival. We were clinging to each other in deep water. I've explained about Chris, I think; my reasons for clinging to him were less definable. His desire to get away from Castle Rock and out of the mill's shadow seemed to me to be my best part, and I could not just leave him to sink or swim on his own. If he had drowned, that part of me would have drowned with him, I think."

*****

*****

I love the narrative voice of this story - the narration by a young but accomplished writer Gordon Lachance, bringing the perspective that the few decades that have passed since that summer of 1960 have given him - but yet conveying the feelings and the attitudes of a twelve-year-old boy who feels both resentment and love and experiences profound beauty and the low of human ugliness. There are lyrical parts and trademark-King unflinching gory parts, and social commentary without the slightest sugar-coating. The story is peppered in places with the stories written by older Gordon and full of reflections of the adult man reflecting on the important and defining experience of the end of his childhood.

"The most important things are hardest to say, because words diminish them."

It is a fascinating, engrossing read, the one that is well worth several hours of your time, even if you have never been a fan of King. 5 stars and highly recommend!(less)

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Mar 08, 2011 J.C. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: movie

I feel like I just watched an audio-only version of the film "Stand By Me". Which makes sense as this was the original story that inspired the movie. And its surprising how much the movie not only followed the original story, but captured much of its spirit. Certainly the King version is much more vulgar and up front, but the wonder of youth and the harsh reality of time is there, in the film.

I've always wanted to read this. I've always been a huge fan of the film and was always curious as to K...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ htgkvkkviholmvobsvzighxofyyzmw rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: maxwell-s-silver-hammer, i-me-mine, a-day-in-the-life

With a Little Help from My Friends by The Beatles

What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

What do I do when my love is away
Does it worry you to be alone?
How do I feel by the end of the day
Are you sad because you're on your own

No, I get by...more With a Little Help from My Friends by The Beatles

What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

What do I do when my love is away
Does it worry you to be alone?
How do I feel by the end of the day
Are you sad because you're on your own

No, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody
I need somebody to love
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love

Would you believe in a love at first sight
Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time
What do you see when you turn out the light
I can't tell you but I know it's mine

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

Do you need anybody
I just need someone to love
Could it be anybody
I want somebody to love

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends
With a little help from my friends

An amazing and remarkable story about friendship. what is a friendship? Friendship is like the sun above thats always shining bright, Friendship is like a golden smile that warms the coldest night, Friendship is a priceless gift of faithfullness and grace, and nothing in this world could ever take true friendships place...

The story is so sobering but touchful, u'll learn more about how to be a good friend, to be a good man for your brother even he was dead. how to be a meaningfulman in short life.

Gosh, I love this short novel so much. Unforgettable characters and absolutely magnificient story. something in this book will make me read it again, and again, and again. haunts me by a warm feeling.

and... this book has made me remembered my old friend who's dead :(

Wonderful people are carefully created by God
Wonderful moments are carefully planned by God,
Wonderful friends like you are carefully gifted by God
Hundred words does not give pain.
But a true friend silence makes more tears in heart.
Make your life a house your heart can live in.
With a door that is open to receive friends.
And a garden full of memories.... of many good things
But friendship is precious,
not only in the shade,
but in the sunshine of life;
and thanks to a benevolent
arrangement of things,
the greater part of life is sunshine

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Feb 19, 2010 Juan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 10, 2013 Kike Sandman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Una historia realmente genial. Inmediatamente después de terminar el libro me enchufé la película y realmente me gustó. Una magnífica adaptación (en contra de lo que suele pasar con Stephen King).

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Sep 24, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: relationships-fiction, friendship

Engaging wonderful experience watching and listening to some twelve-year-old boys. But the ending was a downer.

This novella was first published in the anthology “Different Seasons.” It is available individually as an audiobook, which is how I heard/read it. This review is solely for The Body, not the others in the anthology. The Body was also made into the movie “Stand By Me.”

This is a novella, but it didn’t feel like a short story. The characters were wonderfully developed. I was frequently smi...more Engaging wonderful experience watching and listening to some twelve-year-old boys. But the ending was a downer.

This novella was first published in the anthology “Different Seasons.” It is available individually as an audiobook, which is how I heard/read it. This review is solely for The Body, not the others in the anthology. The Body was also made into the movie “Stand By Me.”

This is a novella, but it didn’t feel like a short story. The characters were wonderfully developed. I was frequently smiling as I listened to these four twelve-year-old boys hanging out and taking a sixteen hour walk. This book is alive. You feel like you’re right there with them. I loved the dialogue. Things they liked they called “boss.” No one wanted to be a pu*** (wimp). They did stupid things. They did heroic things (that also were stupid). They were brave. They cried. They were loyal to each other. One of them was slow mentally. All of them came from troubled homes. Gordon’s parents weren’t physically abusive, but they were emotionally gone. Chris’ alcoholic father beat him frequently and severely. The abuse parts were not the main story, but it’s behind things. The best part was the kids’ friendship, interaction, and doing things together. Some events were a cheating grocery store owner, a junkyard dog and his owner, crossing a railroad trestle, swimming in a pond, and a pie eating contest.

The only reason I did not give this 5 stars was because the ending was depressing in two ways. Something bad happened to the boys at the end of their journey, although they survived. The second was Gordon ends up having a good life as an adult, but the other three don’t. What happened to one of them was depressing. I was walking around in a funk. I want to be entertained and feel good, which I was during most of the book, but the ending took me down. I was reminded of a comment in another S. King book “God doesn’t care.” But, I’m still glad I read it.

Note on stupidity. I frequently dislike characters doing stupid things for the sake of the plot - when the stupidity does not fit the character - for example an intelligent adult. That does not apply here. The kids’ stupidity fits them and is natural. And it’s funny.

(view spoiler)

The narrator Frank Muller was excellent - as always.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Gordon. Unabridged audiobook reading time: 5 hrs and 50 mins. Swearing language: strong. Sexual content: one sex scene referred to, no details shown. Setting: 1960 Castle Rock, Maine. Book copyright: 1982. Genre: relationships fiction, friendship. Ending: Happy for one, depressing for others.

OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Stephen King books, see my 5 star review of Carrie.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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Feb 23, 2012 Letisia added it

I read the novella “The Body” by Stephen King. The theme I picked for this novella is friendship. The reason why I picked this theme is because it shows a lot of different ways a friend can be.
The four main characters of this book are Gordie, he is the narrator, his family barely talks to him ever since his brother died. Then there’s Chris, the leader, his father is a drunk and his older brother is Eyeball which is one of the bad guys in the book. Vern aka Pennies, he looks under the porch loo...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Daniel Villines rated it 4 of 5 stars

Since I’ve stated my views of Different Seasons, I am now free to review The Body on its own merits.

In writing The Body, Stephen King managed to reverse his typical formula for writing in which humanity is primarily included to serve the macabre. In The Body, King fills the book with the humanity of four boys who lived in a time and place that afforded them the true opportunity to explore life on their own terms. The setting is rural Maine where downtown offers a few central streets of small sho...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stephen King grabs adolescence- and even early adulthood by the reigns and doesn't let go in this unflinching, brutally honest, 'fake memoir' style novella of a young man re-telling his accounts of growing up in a small, shit-splat fictional town in Maine known as Castle Rock.
Four young boys head out on a somewhat innocent adventure to see the dead body of a boy their age that went missing about a week prior. What ensues is something I consider to be some of King's best writing to date. Sincer...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Margot rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like this book because it's original. I have never read a Stephen king's book before because I don't really enjoy horror and science fiction, however i like the body.
Definitely the story side of the story is the dead boy who has never been found and lies somewhere. The four boy live an unforgettable adventure. My feeling is that those friends are brave: they are about to die several times but their termination save them. although everything can happen to the boys, their friendship is strong; I...more

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Jul 17, 2009 Steven Kent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: absolute-favorites, light-reading, features-an-evil-republican

Before Rob Reiner renamed it Stand By Me and made it into one of the finest movies of the eighties, only Stephen King fans knew about this truly astound novella.

Here is a coming of age story that traces the footsteps of four boys ending their days as they graduate into their next stage in school.

One boy comes from what had been a model home with a football hero older brother and great parents, except the football player has died and the parents have given up on the world.

One boy is considered a...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Aditya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Different Seasons consists of 4 novellas & all of them are basically character studies.It firmly established King as a pure literary genius & quashed all naysayers who had him typecast ed as a horror writer.It shows off the width & variety of human emotions that King could easily write about without ever sounding cheesy or unrealistic & how his style makes us care for characters whom we otherwise would have hated.I would provide a brief synopsis of each of the 4 novellas & wh...more Different Seasons consists of 4 novellas & all of them are basically character studies.It firmly established King as a pure literary genius & quashed all naysayers who had him typecast ed as a horror writer.It shows off the width & variety of human emotions that King could easily write about without ever sounding cheesy or unrealistic & how his style makes us care for characters whom we otherwise would have hated.I would provide a brief synopsis of each of the 4 novellas & what i thought about them instead of writing a detailed review for all of them as they are so mufti-layered & deep that the effort would be too long & seem futile.

1)Rita Hayworth & Shawshank redemption - It deals with an atypical prison break of a person wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit.Giving a greater synopsis seems redundant as most have already watched the movie(those who are yet to must drop whatever they are doing & get a blu-ray copy of the film which has to be in the top 3 movies i have ever seen in my life). Though the book stands tall on its own merit but when compared to a far better movie it feels a bit tedious & the ending seems a bit of a letdown.The movie had a far better ending with a more satisfying payoff & as i had already seen a superior version of the story i felt this was the weakest of the 4 novellas.My rating - 3.5/5.

2)Apt Pupil - This book is about a young boy who gets so enthralled with a Nazi war criminal that he loses all sight of what is right & how their mutual association brings out the worst in both of them.It seems closer to King's Richard Bachman persona as it explores the most negative ones of all human emotions & sometimes the book is so bleak & disturbing that it might not be fitting to all tastes.However if one can look past the Nihilistic outlook of the book one gets an acute picture of how seducing the allure of evil can turn out to be.There is not a single redeeming quality in either of its 2 main characters and it is a testament to King's writing ability that he can yet make it a fascinating read.However what stops the book from true greatness is a folly often associated with King that it is a bit too long in the middle & has an abrupt ending.This was also made into a movie but most of the part that made the book great was left out as it was too dark to appeal to casual movie-goers.My rating - 4.5/5.

3)The Body - This one is about a group of 12 year old boys setting out to find a dead body of a kid run over by a train in search of an adventure of a lifetime & in hope of a reward for finding it.The tale is all about growing up & how boys in space of a couple of days become men.They come to realize the true meaning of friendship,loss,betrayal & for the first time they feel a sense of achievement & how in those couple of days they as though find a concrete purpose in life which they want to achieve or succeed in at all costs.Their journey to the body is fraught with challenges & when they reach the body they meet a group of bullies who had come to claim it as their own.This leads to a standoff & one of the best pieces of writing in King's career.Though some can argue that nothing of note happens for a long part in the book,the writing style is so lucid & engrossing that it was never a problem for me.
King should be complimented because of the manner in which he had given each of the 4 kids a distinct personality as most authors struggle to provide distinct personalities to protagonists of their different books, forget providing four such relate able personalities in a single story.The narrative is compelling & the ending is also fitting but it is difficult to explain why reading the book is such a tour de force.It is safe to say this is one of those books that stay with you long after the read is over.It was made into a critically acclaimed movie - Stand By Me but i am yet to watch it so i don't know if it is any good (it is in the list of top 250 movies ever made on IMDB). This undoubtedly is the best novella in the compilation & my rating - 5/5.

4)The Breathing Method - The last one is the shortest of the lot & more in-keeping with what we had to come to expect from King.It is a horror story in an unique format where the titular story is told within another story.An elderly lawyer joins a club where everything seems surreal & dreamy & every Thursday before Christmas an eerie story is told by one of its members.The Breathing Method is told on one such evening & is about a maiden woman who would go to any length to give birth to her child which the society does not want to accept as it is a bastard.The titular story is chilling & thought-provoking & at the same time having a great ending.However the ending of the overall novella seems a bit rushed as the mystery of the club is never explicitly stated & only hints & clues are given as to what it actually maybe.But i felt that King intentionally wanted to keep the ending vague though he makes the club such an interesting place that a proper conclusion would have been more befitting.My rating - 4/5.

Overall this book is more quintessential King than most King fans realize as it consists of all the King staples - Great & relate able characters, Stories that stay with you long after you have finished with them & (unluckily) Rushed endings.The biggest asset of the book is that there is something in it for all kind of readers & no one will walk away from it dissatisfied.I must add that there is also a very interesting afterword added at the end of the book which provides a wonderful insight into the mind of the author as well as on the art of writing.

However as none but one novella gets a perfect score from me i would have to say that Night Shift still remains the best collection of king stories & my final rating for Different Seasons is 4/5.

P.S. I originally wrote this review for Different Seasons but as that page sees very little traffic or viewers compared to the pages of the individual novellas i could not resist the temptation of copying & pasting the same review on the pages of all the four stories. (less)

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Sep 28, 2009 Adamramirez rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book,because it has so many great moments in it, and it has you turning the page so excited to find out what will happen next.You can feel yourself in their position on a journey to find the body.I love the way they are just having the time of their life with eachother,just friends enjoying the time they are having with eachother.I love the way gordy is such a great writer,but he just doesn't believe,but chris knows he is a great writer and he tells gordy man you are great and you sh...more

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May 18, 2013 Deanna Vader rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-all-time-fav

In my opinion, this is the best story Stephen King ever wrote. I saw the movie and loved it, but I love the book even more. It is a touching story of finding ourselves and finding out who are true friends, even the toughest of kids can be the truest of friends. This story has left an impact on me and I shall never forget it. I even highlighted quotes in the book so I will never forget the quote. This story is true and beautiful.

"I wish to fuck I was your father. You wouldn't go around talking ab...more

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Aug 15, 2010 Jason rated it 2 of 5 stars

I must admit that I had a hard time reading this without a lot of bias since one of my top 5 favorite movies, Stand By Me is based on it. I had seen the movie before reading the story, and I'm afraid this is one of the rare cases where the movie is better than the book. There were a couple of changes between the story and the movie. One is that Chris Chambers has the gun at the end instead of Gordy LeChance. And though I'm not a Rob Reiner fan, he is one hell of a director, and I like him giving...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Ben Campbell rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Body was a well written summary of what the late 50’s and early 60’s were like for a thirteen year old. Technology wasn’t as advanced in 1960 as it is today. Leading to nothing but face-to-face interactions for the average person. Society was also less advanced than now, giving the opportunity for a less controlled society. With those two combined, a man can simply walk up to another man, and kill him with probably a high chance of getting away. Reminding us that life or death situations cou...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Mike Ogilvie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction

I began this book somewhat hesitatingly. It was transformed into the movie Stand By Me which I've seen, albeit 15+ years ago. The movie was enjoyable, but I wasn't sure if I'd get much more out of the book.

Thankfully I was wrong - it was thoroughly enjoyable. The basic story is about a group of 4 boys that set off on an adventure to see the dead body of someone their age (but didn't know) who had died and was still being searched for. Written from the perspective of one of the boys 15 or so year...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who enjoy adventure and mystery books.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 05, 2010 Renee Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

The movie Stand By Me was based on this novella, my favorite Stephen King story. I've read it so many times and talked about it so much that certain sentences have become part of our family's lexicon -- those little inside jokes that become catchphrases: "That's when a cigarette tastes best," Chris said. "After supper." No one in our family smokes, but we get it, and following a particularly tasty bowl of pasta, someone will invariably say this.

The only distractions are the stories within the st...more

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Jun 04, 2011 T. Greenwood rated it 4 of 5 stars

I initially picked this up from the library, because I've been thinking of putting a dead body in my next book; this was the first story with a dead body in it that came to mind. I actually had never read "The Body" before, but I have seen "Stand by Me" (the movie adaptation) a half dozen times. I was looking for something atmospheric. Something nostalgic. And for as much flack as Stephen King gets, there is a certain brilliance to much of his work; he is an incredible storyteller. I loved this...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Anthony Cunningham rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I started reading this book I thought it was great. The whole book was just so intriguing. I couldn't put it down. My favorite part of the book was when Gordie was started to tell his story about Stud City. My least favorite character was Teddy because he seemed too hard headed and did whatever he wanted. The whole time I thought he was going to ruin the whole plan. I learned that the bond between friends is very special and when you set your mind to something, anything can be achieved. I w...more

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Sep 09, 2009 Tara Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: personal-favorites, booklist-for-2011

I'm a huge fan of King's short stories. The Body is one of thoes moving pieces that stays with you, despite it's length. Although I do really enjoy some of his novels, it's my belief that he really is the master of the brilliant short story.

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Feb 23, 2012 Jordan Collin is currently reading it

!!!SPOILERS!!!

The main theme in “The Body” by Stephen King is friendship. The story Is about a group of four boys who are best friends. They set off on a journey together to find a missing a body. After countless obstacles and adventures they all grow up and mature a little more. The story of there adventure is told for the first time as a memory by the main character Gordie.
In the beginning of the story you find out that Gordie, Teddy, Vern, and Chris all have similar home lives. All four boys...more !!!SPOILERS!!!

The main theme in “The Body” by Stephen King is friendship. The story Is about a group of four boys who are best friends. They set off on a journey together to find a missing a body. After countless obstacles and adventures they all grow up and mature a little more. The story of there adventure is told for the first time as a memory by the main character Gordie.
In the beginning of the story you find out that Gordie, Teddy, Vern, and Chris all have similar home lives. All four boys have a hard life in one way or another. They all meet at there tree house everyday just to get away. The tree house is a place just for them, a place where there are no problems just friends having a good time. It shows how close they can be, the fact that they trust each other to talk about what happens in there lives.
Midway through the story the boys are taking a shortcut across the train tracks. When they were halfway across a train comes speeding there way. Each boy ran for there lives with the support of there friends telling them to run. Even after the train passed they continued to support each other, asking if everyone is okay. This is another prime example of how close these boys are with each other.
Towards the end of the story Gordie, Teddy, Vern, and Chris jump in some water just to cool off for a little bit. When it was time to get out they notice that they are all covered in multiple leeches. Each boy helped get the leeches off one another, something only a true friend would do. Again, after this obstacle each boy looked out for one another, making sure everyone was okay.
Near the end of the story when they finally reach the body Ace’s gang showed up wanting to claim all the glory for finding it. Gordie didn’t like the idea of them claiming all the credit and Ace threatened to beat them all up for not giving in. As a way to protect Gordie, Vern, and Teddy, Chris pulls a gun and threatens to shoot Ace if he moves another muscle. I don’t know a group of friends that would go through all of this together and help eachother as much as Chris, Gordie, Teddy, and Vern.
In my opinion this story is very well written. “The Body” keeps my attention throughout the whole story, no dull moments. It has a very nice message to it and I would highly recommend it to everyone that enjoys a book packed with adventure, friendship, and journey of life.
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Feb 23, 2012 Tyler Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Spoiler Alert do not read if you don’t want it spoiled!!!!
In this novella “The Body” by Stephen King the main theme in my eyes is anger. One reason why anger stood out most to me was because there are many applications in the story that point this out, and I choose for of my favorite one from the book. One is when Gordie’s parents keep ignoring him. Another is the junkyard owner Milo tells Teddy that his dad is a loony. Third one is Teddy tries to dodge a train which was pretty stupid of him. La...more Spoiler Alert do not read if you don’t want it spoiled!!!!
In this novella “The Body” by Stephen King the main theme in my eyes is anger. One reason why anger stood out most to me was because there are many applications in the story that point this out, and I choose for of my favorite one from the book. One is when Gordie’s parents keep ignoring him. Another is the junkyard owner Milo tells Teddy that his dad is a loony. Third one is Teddy tries to dodge a train which was pretty stupid of him. Last one that I felt that was pretty major was when Ace Merrill and his gang tried stealing the body from Gordie, Vern, Teddy, and Chris.
Well the main overview of the book is basically four boys going out to find a dead body. They come across challenges on the way, and there are times where they do get a little frightened about certain things. So pretty much that’s what it’s about four boys with challenges and a mysterious dead body.
Now back to the four main explanations of the theme. First of all Gordie is just completely blind to his parents ever sense his big brother Denis passed away. Basically his parents are just giving him the old cold shoulder. Now Gordie gets pretty pissed about that he tries getting their attention, but it just don’t work. Secondly when the boys get to the junkyard the owner Milo, and Teddy get into a pretty good argument, and Milo calls Teddy’s father a loony. Then Teddy just flips out and says “My father stormed the beach of Normandy”. A third one is when Teddy tries to dodge a train and that makes the other three boys irate. They flip out on Teddy and they eventually forgive each other for fighting. Lastly Ace Merrill and his gang try to steal the dead body from the four boys. Then the boys stand up for themselves and eventually Ace and his gang end up walking away. That’s basically the four main things that go along with the anger theme.
My whole opinion on this book was I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a suspenseful book it kept you on your feet. My favorite character out of the whole book would defiantly be Chris. The reason is because he is a leader and he tries to make bad situations turn around so they are better. Chris is a good kid he’s surprisingly smart and has some good skills. That’s my review and thanks for reading.

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Feb 23, 2012 Megan Sylvester marked it as to-read

“The Body” by Stephen King has many themes that are involved. One theme that is incorporated into this novella is friendship. Four Young boys go on an adventure to find Ray Browser’s body. They think that by bringing back the body with them, it could result in them having fame. Gordie is the main character and tells the story. His three friends Vern, Teddy, and Chris, go along with him to find the missing body. Gordie and Chris are more of the leaders of the group. When the boys make their way t...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Felts rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: personal-fav-s

I don't give out 5 stars very often, especially to works that are the length of this novella. However, after rereading this story, I was reminded of what an amazing tale this is. King writes the main character, Gordie, as if he is writing about himself. It is very heartfelt and emotional and full of insight into what King himself is probably feeling when he sits down to write. One of my favorite lines from this novella is, "The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish...more

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May 04, 2009 Gouldma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-books

I loved this story! It was funny, sobering and real. I've never read a book by Stephen King before; I've seen movies based on his books and some were good others not, but this story was the best. I found myself in roll-on-the-floor laughing outbursts at times. It's a story that really reflects on life experiences as well. It may be a story about kids but we were there at one time.

The most important thing that made this story so memorable was the narrator, the late Frank Muller. He made that stor...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Becca Angert rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! One of my favorites. I saw the movie Stand By Me and I really enjoyed it and when I found out that it was based off a novel by Stephen King, I knew I would have to read it! The movie was good, but nothing beats the book. Also it is not the typical Stephen King novel. It is about these four boys that go on an adventure to see a dead body. There is nothing supernatural in the novel, but like the majority of King's novels it is well written. It's a great story about boy's growing...more

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May 06, 2013 Andris2575 added it

Es izlasīju Stefana Kinga grāmatu "The body". Šo grāmatu es lasīju angļu valodā, jo man tas bija vajadzīgs arī priekš angļu valodas. Grāmatu es izvēlējos bibliotēkā pavisam nejauši, jo domāju ka tā būs tikai kārtējā grāmata. Sākot lasīt šo grāmatu es sapratu, ka šī grāmata ir ļoti interesanta, tāpēc šī bija viena no dažām grāmatām kuru es izlasīju līdz galam.
Grāmatā bija rakstīts par 4 draugu notikumiem, kā viņi meklēja viņu vienaudža līķi. Kā arī par to, kas ar katru no viņiem notika pēc vair...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this. It has been a long time since I watched Stand By Me, so I had somewhat forgotten what happens in the story. Ultimately, this is a great coming of age story of four boys in a small town going on a big adventure. Like any King story, The Body has moments of fear and gore, but it is so well told. King is able to capture adolescence in a way that feels so relatable, even just in thinking about how at that age you feel so close to your friends and every moment is so important, even if you...more

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About Stephen King

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of the elderly couple. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and then Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He and Tabitha Spruce married in January of 1971. He met Tabitha in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono, where they both worked as students. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many of these were later gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.(less)

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Quotes from The Body

“The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are things you get ashamed of, because words make them smaller. When they were in your head they were limitless; but when they come out they seem to be no bigger than normal things. But that's not all. The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried; they are clues that could guide your enemies to a prize they would love to steal. It's hard and painful for you to talk about these things ... and then people just look at you strangely. They haven't understood what you've said at all, or why you almost cried while you were saying it.” — 51 people liked it

“Speech destroys the function of love, I think-that's a hell of a thing for a writer to say, I guess, but I believe it to be true. If you speak to tell a deer you mean it no harm, it glides away with a single flip of its tail. Love has teeth; they bite; the wounds never close. No word, no combination of words can close those love bites. it's the other way around, that's the joke. If those wounds dry up, the words die with them.” — 15 people liked it

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