5-6-2025 Besonen Breakdowns

Today's breakdown is for "Different Seasons" by Stephen King:

I had read 3/4 of these a decade and a half ago and decided to revisit them and finally get around to the final novella. I will rate and review each story individually for this collection just as I did previously with the Bachman Books.

Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption: An absolute gem of a story that instantly makes me think of the word, "classic". Great rather read in this book or watched on a TV, I really enjoy the grand prison escape tale of one Andy Dufresne and would rank it as a SK favorite of mine. Might be one of the few cases where I preferred some of the changes the movie made, but it takes nothing away from the print version and I loved it just as much as I always have. 5/5.

Apt Pupil: I think the journey presented here is both powerful and terrifying. A killer in the making meets a fugitive SS Officer and things go dark and stay that way. I think this is one of King's darkest outputs, but I do wish the ending had been slightly extended (although I'm sure he had very good reason for not doing so), still 5/5.

The Body: I may be in the minority here, but I didn't like this one in the book and really think that the filmed version exceeds it quite a bit. The main thing that contributes to that is that the film doesn't include Gordie's story "Stud City", I never cared much for it and it takes a lot away from an otherwise neat plot for me. That aside, I have always liked the premise, and the part about the rain falling in the dead boy's open eyes has always stuck with me. 3/5.

The Breathing Method: Wow, I'm ashamed I overlooked this one for so long. A study of the determination of a soon-to-be mother who somehow(a shining?) knows an untimely fate awaits her. It follows the doctor who was by her side until the tragic end, this one will remind you that Stephen knows how to play on the human experience to turn the tides of Horror on so that the wave is crushing. The crash presented here isn't without some heart behind it and that is something I adore about the author's work. Also cool to revisit the club from Skeleton Crew, the place gives me strong Crouch End vibes. 5/5.

4/5 stars.

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