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Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: A Story from Different Seasons

Stephen King (Goodreads Author)

4.52 · Rating details · 17,278 ratings · 1,070 reviews

Andy Dufresne, a banker, was convicted of killing his wife and her lover and sent to Shawshank Prison. He maintains his innocence over the decades he spends at Shawshank during which time he forms a friendship with "Red", a fellow inmate.

Source: stephenking.com

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Hardcover, Large print, 181 pages

Published 1982 by Thorndike Press

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4.52 ·

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· 17,278 ratings · 1,070 reviews

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Apr 05, 2017 david rated it it was amazing

very kool story !!

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Feb 18, 2018 Glitterbomb rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star, audio-book, historical-fiction, reviews, all-time-favorites

Excellent

I listened to the audio and it was an outstanding experience.

I highly recommend!

5 Stars

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Jan 15, 2018 Arezoo h rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Some birds aren’t meant to be caged...

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Apr 28, 2011 A.J. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This is not a review for the entire collection, Different Seasons. I intend to read it at some point, but when I came across this audiobook I couldn't pass it up.

The enduring fame of Shawshank is in large part thanks to the film. I've found many people are surprised to hear that Stephen King wrote it. I'm guessing these are the same people that believe he's just a horror writer, and here you can almost hear the strained twang of elitism in the voice. But sorry, Charlie, Uncle Steve has a bag and This is not a review for the entire collection, Different Seasons. I intend to read it at some point, but when I came across this audiobook I couldn't pass it up.

The enduring fame of Shawshank is in large part thanks to the film. I've found many people are surprised to hear that Stephen King wrote it. I'm guessing these are the same people that believe he's just a horror writer, and here you can almost hear the strained twang of elitism in the voice. But sorry, Charlie, Uncle Steve has a bag and it's full of tricks. For my part, I sort of assumed before listening to the novella that sure, the story would be okay, but the film was obviously going to be a major improvement. You could say I was right and wrong about that.

Frank Darabont's 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest films ever made. It's also one of the most watchable. Directed, casted, shot, scored, and scripted to near perfection, there's hardly a naysayer willing to show his face. Sometimes in a group project like filmmaking the parts just come together, and like a good symphony it creates something truly special. It's not surprising, then, that some folks might approach the novella with suspicion. It's a legitimate fear: how the hell could anything possibly compete with something that good, even if it is the friggin source material?

The bridge, I believe, is that the two were very close. Yes, the film had the opportunity to smooth over and rearrange the plot a little. The novella strikes me as slightly more plausible and realistic in retrospect, and seems more bent on character than a prison break story. There were a few minor alterations such as the character of Warden Norton––who is a composite of three characters from the novella––being given a more substantial role as a villain. But in general the differences were mild.

I enjoyed the reader. He captured the smooth rolling quality of King's prose, and even though he was attempting to compete in a sense with Morgan Freeman's Ellis Redding––or suicide, as I would normally call it––there weren't many times aside from the final monologue where I thought a change of cast was in order.

I once again stop shy of five stars because the novella, while a wonderfully engrossing read, was not quite as good as the movie. I reserve the sacred five star rating for things like the film, the unforgettable, the near numinous works of art that go unfazed by time and use. They were close, but there is a gap between them. And so I would say that while the film was an improvement, it was not a major one. Read the story, and be merry.

"I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope...." ...more

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Oct 15, 2017 Lostaccount rated it it was ok

I'm one of the few people who hasn't seen the film. I had some idea going into this what it was going to be about obviously but still it was too predictable for my liking. I didn't much like the way it was told either, seemed a lot of hearsay instead of scenes you could really get into, and long-winded - there was a lot of this kind of stuff, "... that was in 1954, when Herb Whatshisname met Bart Whatshisname and the thing about Bart Whatshisname is that he knew Joe Whatshisname when he was a ni ...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Veronika Duritzdeschain rated it really liked it

One of the few books in history that was actually as good as its on screen counterpart, although how they managed to squeeze so much screen time out of such a short story still amazes me. I originally read this book when I was 16, missing my school prom to finish it and I loved it then as I love it now. The true mark of a good story is one that can be told time and time again without you ever realising that you have read it before. This is certainly one of those great stories, from an equally gr ...more

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Feb 15, 2016 Donna rated it really liked it

I liked this. It was probably 3 stars for me, but just because I loved the writing, I will add an extra star. I love Stephen King's writing. His characters are richly drawn. There is so much vivid detail that makes them leap from the page. I always love that. There is always a special emphasis on the emotions as well. These details didn't just apply to the characters, but they were also poured into the setting so that you could truly see it.

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Jan 23, 2011 Gwen (The Gwendolyn Reading Method) rated it liked it

Can see why it's a classic

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Apr 06, 2016 Eirini Proikaki rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Εξαιρετικό βιβλίο,μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ!Είναι έξυπνο,είναι καλογραμμένο,περιγράφει συγκλονιστικα τη ζωή στις φυλακές,δημιουργεί έντονα συναισθήματα,και έχει και χιούμορ σε μικρές δόσεις.

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Aug 17, 2017 Tatevik Najaryan rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2017, format-kindle

It turns out I like Stephen King's writing when the story is not filled with supernatural and horror, well except for Green Mile. Looking forward to finding more books like this written by him.

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Feb 10, 2019 Jammin Jenny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-books, 2019-uno-shelf, king-family-recommends, short-stories, thriller

I love this short story by Stephen King. Andy Dufrenes is a great character and I loved how he continued to be himself in prison. Red is also a great character and I loved his story telling. Story teaches you to not give up hope.

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Jan 18, 2015 Kelsey rated it it was amazing

Yet another winning piece from Stephen King. Pitch perfect from start to finish.

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Jan 18, 2018 Nermeen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: united-states-literature, actually-reading, favorites, stephen-king

خمس نجوم أمر لابد منه ..
طوال القراءة في هذه الرواية الصغيرة
Novella
و صورة مورجان فريمان في الفيلم لا تفارق خيالي ..

انا فعليا لم اشاهد الفيلم كاملا ابدا ، و لكن لا انكر معرفتي به فقد كنت اشاهد مقتطفات سريعة منه فقط ، و بالطبع سمعت عن انه من افضل أفلام السينما الامريكية و انه من أهم الافلام التي يجب مشاهدتها قبل الموت ..!!

في الواقع ابتسامة مورجان فريمان الساخرة بجانب الشفاه لا تفارق خيالى ابدا

و انا اقراء الرواية التي تدور على لسان (ريد) الأحمر،مجهول الاسم و الهوية - و الذي لم يكن أسود البشرة - خمس نجوم أمر لابد منه ..
طوال القراءة في هذه الرواية الصغيرة
Novella
و صورة مورجان فريمان في الفيلم لا تفارق خيالي ..

و انا اقراء الرواية التي تدور على لسان (ريد) الأحمر،مجهول الاسم و الهوية - و الذي لم يكن أسود البشرة -ابداً- في الرواية بل انه حتى أحمر (كستنائي الشعر) الا ان اختيارهم لمورجان كان افضل الاختيارات اطلاقا فمن سواه كان يستطيع تجسيد الراوي ذو الحس الساخر، الذي وصف موسسة شاوشانك التأهيلية ، بـ(بيت العائلة الصغيرة السعيدة)!! ،
"It's not unusual to hear some new member of our happy little family bang on the bars of his cell and screaming to be let out"

لست من هواة هذا النوع من الأدب اطلاقا ، ادب المعاناة و الظلم و الحرمان ، أدب السجون ، حيث اللواط و الشذوذ و التصرفات المقززة امر يحدث يوميا حتى ليتحول الى روتين معتاد لا يثير الدهشة اطلاقا .. و لكن هذا هو الملك و هذه أول رواية غير ذات طابع (ماورائي) ينشرها الملك ، و كالعادة حصدت اعلى المبعات و تحولت لفيلم من انجح الافلام و برغم الرواية قصيرة لا تزيد عن 150 صفحة الا ان مدة الفيلم تخطت الساعتين .
بالطبع بعد مقارنة الفيلم بالرواية تفوز الرواية لان لها ابعاد درامية خاصة مختلفة عن الفيلم و متنوعة ، مع عدم انكار وجود روح خاصة جدا للفيلم ..
نهاية الرواية مفتوحة نوعا ما |، مع عدم ايفاء من اخطأوا مثل (المأمور نورتون ) حقهم من العقاب و الانتقام العدالي الكافي ، الأمر الذي تلافاه مخرج و كاتب السيناريو في الفيلم ، فجاءت النهاية مليئة بالعدالة الشعرية المحببة للنفس التي تجعل المشاهد لا يتوقف عن الضحك المختلط بالبكاء ..
في الرواية يوجد المشهد الانتقامي ايضا من (نورتون) حيث يحمر كعرف الديك لاعنا غباء الحراس الذي جعل اندي يملك كافة الوقت للهرب و هم لا يكتشفوا الطريقة الا بعد اكثر من 18 ساعة ، و مشهد الضحك العنيف الذي اطلقه (ريد) الأمر الذي جعلني انفجر في الضحك بدوري على براعة هذا الجزء في الرواية ..
هى رواية صغيرة جدا مليئة بالألم و السخرية و الأمل ..
...more

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Jan 03, 2019 mina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2019

3.5

It happened! I enjoyed a Stephen King book. It’s a miracle, if I may say so myself. As a person that couldn’t get into King’s books, but was stubborn and was still trying, I decided this book/story will be my last try and I was so surprised when I actually liked it. Even if I liked one story that won’t make me commit to reading his other works, I barely finished this one and it has only 120 pages. Plus, I cheated a bit and started listening to the story after the first part, that way I cou ...more

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Mar 06, 2016 Reemi rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks

This book gave me all the feels OH MY GOD !
The main reason why i decided to read this book is because i watched the movie For the first time ! a couple of days ago and after it ended immediately, i wished i could go back in time and watch it for the first time AGAIN ! , that's why i read this , to re-live those incredible feeling the movie gave me , and of course i wasn't disappointed ❤❤❤.

It's been ages since i read anything by Stephen King , and appearently am missing too much !!
my two favorite ...more

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Jan 19, 2017 Stratos rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Από τα πλέον γνωστά βιβλία του πολυγραφότατου συγγραφέα. Ενα βιβλίο του το οποίο ευτύχησε μια από τις καλύτερες κινηματογραφικές μεταφορές.

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Sep 24, 2017 Joyce rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, inspirational, relationships, reread, sense-of-place

I recently re-listened to this. Again. Frank Muller's narration is so fine--it reminds us how good it is as adults to sit back and listen to a grand story expertly told. The movie is wonderful too, and I confess I see Morgan Freeman as Muller relates the story of Andy Dufresne, Maine banker in Shawshank prison (perhaps unjustly) for killing his cheating wife and her lover. Red (Freeman's character in the movie) is the prisoner who, for a price, can get you anything. He's our omniscient narrator ...more

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May 28, 2017 Siddharth rated it really liked it

Shelves: psychology

This book is worth all the hype surrounding the book, the movie and Stephen King. I haven't seen the movie yet, so I think I had a rather unique experience with reading the book of an insanely popular and very very well received movie.

I won't watch the movie now, because it's probably way too graphic. If you have read the book, you know what I mean. Also, I don't want to lose the Andy Dufresne that I have made up in my head and replace him with whoever the director and the screenwriter for the m ...more

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Jun 20, 2018 Billie Lawson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Loved the movie and the book was just as good!!

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Nov 17, 2017 Pickle Farmer rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I read the pdf of this on my phone while on the train coz I just wanted something easy and mindless to read. Interesting to contrast it with the movie - the movie makers made good decisions, esp. in terms of reducing all the different wardens just to one. Yeah, the movie really made the story a whole lot better.

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Sep 24, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Talented author, good characters, interesting story.

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 for the Shawshank story, not the others in the anthology.

I don’t like prison stories because prisoners are helpless victims. But if I’m going to read one, this is probably one of the best. I was surprised that I wasn’t as depressed as I expected to be. It kept my interest. The ending w Talented author, good characters, interesting story.

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 for the Shawshank story, not the others in the anthology.

I don’t like prison stories because prisoners are helpless victims. But if I’m going to read one, this is probably one of the best. I was surprised that I wasn’t as depressed as I expected to be. It kept my interest. The ending was good if you don’t think about the huge chunk of life spent in prison. I liked the ending. I liked the hope at the end.

I love reading suspense thrillers. Usually there is evil or bad in those books which is not so different from gang rapes and evil wardens. So the problem with prison stories is the victim part, not the evil part. I can’t give this book 5 stars because it doesn’t have enough feel good, wow, or depth of effect for me. But it is definitely above average, so I’m at 4 stars.

What’s good? characters, dialogue, and plot. Andy is unforgettable due to his patience and internal strength. He survived gang rapes better than most because he chose to fight every time. He got hurt worse by fighting, but so did the attackers.

What’s bad? The depressing subject matter of evil in prison: gang rapes which the guards don’t stop and things done by an evil warden. He’d punish men with a bread and water diet, causing their teeth to fall out. He wanted Andy under his thumb and to lose heart. He did something terrible to Andy which was depressing, but I can’t mention it to avoid spoilers.

I wish the author would have explained what happened to warden Norton at the end. Why did he leave the prison? Was he fired? Were any of his illegal activities found out? Why was he so dejected/down when he left?

The narrator Frank Muller was great - as always.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Red (a fellow inmate). Unabridged audiobook reading time: 3 hrs and 58 mins. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual content: none. Setting: 1948 to 1977 mostly at Shawshank prison in Maine. Book copyright: 1982. Genre: prison fiction. Ending: good for the main characters.

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/...
...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Kali Srikanth rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adapted-to-screen, books-changed-the-way-i-see-life, i-recommend, short-shots

Shawshank Redemption has been my most favorite movie and this will always be (perhaps this is the best film they ever made in Hollywood. No doubt it still holds no.1 position on IMDb’s list).

I wonder why I liked this book so much. After all, it’s just about a man who is brought to the prison for the double murders (view spoiler) He spends 27 years in there (view spoiler) That’s it. Whole book happens wit ...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Kathleen Dunn rated it really liked it

The movie may have been better, and I never think that.

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Jan 25, 2016 Juliet Marvelli rated it it was amazing

I don't even know where to begin. Wow. Just... wow. Stephen King is no doubt my favorite author and I've been pestered for over a year now to watch Shawshank Redemption. "No, not until I read it!" I say every time. The only problem, I didn't have it. Finally, I got Different Seasons for Christmas and just got around to reading Shawshank. What in the world have I been waiting for? The movie must be the best movie in the world if it's true that it's better than the story, which I've been told, bec ...more

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Nov 24, 2014 Elizabeth A rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014, stories

This novella by King was the inspiration for the fantastic movie The Shawshank Redemption. If you have yet to see it you must rectify that asap.

I've been distracted as I prepared for an upcoming trip, and found that nothing was holding my interest. Whenever that happens, I invariably end up on King's stoop. He hardly ever disappoints, and he does not this time either. A fast and engrossing read set in a prison in Maine.

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May 21, 2017 Angela Navatta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

There are very few movies out there as good as their book counterpart but I can honestly say after reading the short story--- it was just as wonderful! If you love the movie you NEED to read the short story. The original story does have some differences but also adds some details that the movie could not get to. I was just as ridiculously emotional reading the story as I was watching the movie.

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Sep 23, 2017 Samantha rated it liked it

Probably one of the only people to give this 3 stars. It's just that I liked it, but didn't love it like I thought I would. There are so many good reviews. I thought i'd love it like I love the movie, but it just not my type of book I guess. It was good though.

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Oct 25, 2017 Aliaa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017, stephen-king, perfect

one of the best stories I've ever read. ❤❤👏👏

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Feb 21, 2016 Euge rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves

This is the first novel of "Different seasons" and omg it will stay with me for a while. How can such a short and simple book be so amazing?!

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Feb 18, 2014 Brian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: listened

Love the movie and now the story as well. Movie is probably 90% true to original. Enjoyed it very much, good narration as well.

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About Stephen King

Stephen King

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Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, 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, M Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, 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 them. 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 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 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 met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. 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 were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English 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. ...more

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Trivia About Rita Hayworth and...

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Quotes from Rita Hayworth and...

“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.” — 4107 likes

“It always comes down to just two choices. Get busy living, or get busy dying.” — 148 likes

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