Maciek’s review of Different Seasons > Likes and Comments

Fantastic novellas in this book. Although I thought "The Breathing Method" was the weakest. "Apt Pupil" is amazing.

I think these are some of his strongest pieces. Funny, I always thought that "The Breathming Method" was severely underrated - it's incredibly eerie and just plain stylish. I was surprised when I saw how many people didn't enjoy it. It stayed with me for years.

I think on its own it would stand out, but alongside "Rita Hayworth...," "The Body," and "Apt Pupil" it pales in comparison. Not to say it's not a good story, but it was just lukewarm for me.

Well, to each his own I guess. I think it's an ideal closure for this volume - these novellas truly do reflect the seasons and themes they are supposed to represent. I can't imagine reading them in any different order, and I think they all work best read one after another.

Agreed.

I didn't much care for The Breathing Method, but the other three stories were outstanding. Some of his best work, without a doubt.
Nice review!

Another great set of novellas is Dan Simmon's Lovedeath

Thanks Bill. I don't know what it is about The Breathing Method that puts people off. I think it's wonderfully atmospheric and elegantly borders and urban tale with the gothic genre - think John Cheever meets Henry James.
I'd be sure to check out the Simmons recommendation. I always enjoy reading novellas and short stories.

I think the other three stories are so amazing that it puts a shadow over The Breathing Method, which probably isn't fair to it. But for me it's just not memorable at all; I've never forgotten the other three, though.

I remembered the closing scenes of The Breathing Method for years. I still get shivers when I think about it.

great review mace. i especially liked your take on Apt Pupil. this is such a classic collection; however i have to agree with tressa...i've forgotten all about The Breathing Method and i still remember the other stories perfectly. guess i'll have to re-read that one.

Thanks Mark. I seem to be one of the few persons who appreciate The Breathing Method so much. I wonder why it wasn't made into a film - it could be an excellent gothic chiller.

Cześć Maciek,

I haven't read this collection, but listened to the audio version of Apt Pupil narrated by Frank Muller. Even though I read it quite a few years ago, I agree it was one of King's most disturbing works. The film version was just OK, not nearly as memorable.

Hi Nancy :) I strongly recommend this collection - all novellas are special and work best when read one after another. If I'm not mistaken, Frank Muller narrated all four novellas, so if you enjoyed his narration you can give this collection a spin.

Nice review, Maciek! I would appear to fall into the mainstream camp in that I found the first three stories absolutely marvellous but I have no recollection of the fourth story at all! I somehow doubt that I didn't read 'The Breathing Method' but I just can't recall doing so. The good thing, potentially, about this is that I could possibly return to that novella and read it as if it were fresh but, like Tressa, I avoid re-reading books.

I'm not sure if 'The Breathing Method' was adapted for film or not but (as I'm sure everyone who has commented here knows) two of the other three were turned into outstanding movies - The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by me. I think the latter movie, which I saw when I was 19, is what encouraged me to buy the book! I found it to be a very moving film when I saw it and it inspired me to try to get my gang of high school (as opposed to my relatively new college) friends to go camping one last time before we were all in our twenties and beginning to pursue our careers. Regrettably, nobody wanted to go camping and I still feel that it was a missed opportunity to celebrate the end of our adolescence. Oh well.

'Apt Pupil' was made into a film as well, but I was much less impressed by it, and perhaps a little disappointed that it couldn't stay true to the novella and deal with the sexual stimulation that the boy got from the stories he heard. There has long been an association between sex and violence but I guess a 13 year-old getting off on concentration camp stories (or at least the sexual fantasies he drew from them) is understandably a bit too hot to handle for the screen. I don't necessarily think, by the way, that films need to follow the text of a book slavishly, as Stanley Kubrick's take on The Shining is now a classic horror movie (even if King didn't like how he handled the topiary/maze).

And The Shawshank Redemption brought together two exceptional actors - Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins - to make a memorable film. It's interesting when you say, Maciek, that writing novellas 'seems to be the field where [King] is at his best' as both Shawhsank and Stand by me represent two of the best film adaptations of his writing.

Thanks Greg. From the adaptations of these stories I've only seen "The Shawshank Redemption". I already have "Stand By Me" and look forward to seeing it.

"Apt Pupil" was directed by Bryan Singer, the driector who did one of my favorite films - "The Ususal Suspects". I'm curious about it, and propably will see it one day. I agree with your stance on adaptations, though disagree on "The Shining" - Kubrick omitted many elements and themes that were important. While it is a classic film, it's not a good adaptations because of these ommisions.

The opinion of King's novellas is not mine alone. His collections are almost always praised, so there must be something to it.

I understand your point about Kubrick's version of The Shining deviating from the book (which I've never read incidentally) but it works so well as good horror that it's difficult to criticise it for not being faithful to King's text. There are many adaptations of King's works that, sadly, while being closer to the text are very poor movies (e.g. the TV movie of IT).

I never saw the movie of IT, simply because I don't know how it could possibly be filmed. It was a television project too - I might see it one day because I enjoyed the book so much.

i advise you to never watch it. it will leave a bad taste.

Noooooo! Don't watch that movie! Seriously, it's painful to watch!

LOL guys.I propably won't watch it. There is simply no way to keep the structure of the novel and include all themes and events and make a coherent film that's under 50 hours of running time.

Maciek wrote: "LOL guys.I propably won't watch it. There is simply no way to keep the structure of the novel and include all themes and events and make a coherent film that's under 50 hours of running time."

Well it worked with Lord of the Rings! I compared portions of the text with the LOTR movies and there were,of course, corners cut and some alterations made to the storyline but without doing these things (for the most part) I don't think the movies could have been made. I think it would be possible to make IT into a great movie if it were to get a similar kind of treatment to that of LOTR and - after 20 years - maybe it's time for that remake to be made. ;)

About the movie Shawshank Redemption, I always thought it was weird that "Red"--an Irish man in the novella--was played by Morgan Freeman and still called Red. Oh, Hollywood.

Like The Godfather (I & II), whenever I see Shawshank on TV, no matter if it just started or it's almost over, I will sit and watch it because it's just that good. I love the part where Tim Robbins locks the door and plays that piece from The Marriage of Figaro.

I hated the It series. I love the movie The Shining for just what it is. Doesn't matter to me that it isn't so faithful to the book, which I immensely enjoy as a separate entity.

Good point about 'Red', Tressa, but I guess it didn't matter too much for the movie to work. ;)

I haven't seen the remake of The Shining - do you know if it's any good?

LOTR took three instalments, and still things were omitted. I think if a faithful movie of IT was to be made it'd take at least 4 or 5 episodes. Sadly, I don't think that there's a market for such material nowadays.

I always watch Shawshank too. There's a reason why it's the nr 1 movie on IMDB - it's just that good.

Oh, Morgan Freeman being called Red didn't take away from the movie at all. I just think it's funny that the nickname is explained in the book, and in the movie it's like, "Yes, I'm black but my name is Red."

Parts of The Shining Remake were good, but I didn't like the casting at all, especially the sniffling boy who needed his adenoids removed.

Tressa, "Red" is an extremely common nickname among black people. If you notice, a lot of racial intermixing frequently results in reddish hair among nominally black people.-- "Red" was, in fact, Malcolm X's "street name."

Well, that's news to me. Never heard that Red was a common nickname among black people. But in the story, if I remember correctly, Red is called Red because he's Irish and has red hair.

You're right. "Apt Pupil" freaked me out more as a teen than any of the horror novels ;-)

There's a great scene in Apt Pupil where Kurt Dussander puts on the Nazi uniform, and looks at himself in the mirror. It's amazingly tense, especially when you consider that almost nothing happens. The whole novella is like a wound up clock - ticking, ticking. An excellent book, neglected to often.

I hated that scene with the animals. And that rape dream.

Yeah, me too. But they're there for a reason, and play their role well - I now want to re-read the whole book!

I know. This is one of my favorite King books.

Mine too. I have always liked all these stories and keep returning to them.

Great review. This collection is really reason enough to keep reading other King books. This collection just doesn't seem to have hardly any missteps, the mood and pace are incredible.

Thank you, Jason! I absolutely agree and think it is one of his best works in general. Surprisingly underrated!

Great review!