Different Seasons is a collection of novellas by Stephen King. Many of these stories have famously been turned into movies - The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me, and Apt Pupil. None of these stories is a typical horror story, meaning there are no vampires, otherworldly creatures or anything supernatural. That being said, each story has it’s own type of horrors, the horrors that people can inflict on others, and one themselves. Since each story is different, I will address each one individually:

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

An old man named Red, who has been in prison for most of his life narrates this story about a fellow prison mate - Andy Dufresne. Andy is a man who’s been wrongly accused, but he does not let that define him. Andy befriends Red and together, the navigate the horrors of life in prison - abusive guards, violent inmates, and a system that just is not meant to help you succeed. I’ve seen the movie but still, reading about the way that the guards treat the prisoners, and how they look at them as something less than human is horrifying. This is the real life horror that I was referring too earlier. Reading this story, you can’t help but cheer for Andy. He’s written as such a seemingly nice person, that you want him to succeed and escape his life in prison. One of the big differences between the book and the movie, I think, is that occasionally, when Red is telling this story he sometimes says things that make you wonder if he is a reliable narrator or not. I like to think that he is though. Like the movie, Shawshank Redemption is the story of how “some birds are not meant to be caged”, and calls attention to a real life horror that we don’t often think about. This was probably my favorite story out of the bunch.

Apt Pupil

Apt Pupil is the story of teenage boy Todd who discovers that his elderly neighbor was once a Nazi Officer. At first, Todd basically blackmails his neighbor into telling him the horrors of his past, forcing him to relive his worst nightmares. But, as the two develop a deeper and deeper relationship, and get more involved in each-others lives, things begin to spiral out of control. This story is clearly engineered to be emotionally confusing. There is a constant tug and pull of who is the “worst character”, the old man with the horrible past, or the teenage boy committing new atrocities? Although they seem very different at first, as the story goes on they begin to show more and more horrifying similarities. I can’t really put into words all the different emotions I felt reading this story - shock, disgust, horror, confusion. While not a very pleasant read, it is an incredible thought provoking story so if you want something that is going to challenge you, give this one a go!

The Body

The Body is the story is a young group of boyhood friends who hear about a supposed dead body that’s been found. Together, they set out on a long adventure to try and find this body, which they believe will make them some sort of heroes. Instead, they discover more about themselves on this quest, both the good and the bad. A lot of the boys come from broken and or violent homes, and each experiences their own brand of violence during the course of their adventure. There are some seemingly random short stories inserted into this story, and I wasn’t really sure why they were there at first, but by the end it did make sense. Again, The Body is a coming of age story that I think everyone can relate to on some level. There are horrors that people can experience in their youth, and I think that this story does a good job of exploring those horrors.

The Breathing Method

The Breathing Method is a story within a story. An old man joins a mysterious gentleman’s club where member’s periodically share their stories. One such story is shared by a doctor, who tried to help a young single mother through a difficult pregnancy. Both aspects of this story feel like they are taking place during a different place, or in a different time. There is a lot of outdated language, medical procedures, and views on woman. I was also unsure at the end, if this tale was supposed to be about the pregnant woman, or the mysterious club. That being said, I actually feel that this is probably the most horrifying story of the bunch. What happens to the woman, as she tries to give birth, was shocking and horrifying. Again, no other elements needed here, except the horror of the human body. I can see why this is the one story that a movie has not been made out of yet, because of it’s two conflicting story-lines. The Club itself, was almost too mysterious, and left too many unanswered questions for me. Still, I’m glad I read it, even it I wasn’t entirely happy with the ending.

As I said above, each story has it’s own brand of horror that comes from real life human experiences. Horrors that anyone could, at one point experience, if they were unlucky. I did enjoy this break from the typical fantastical Stephen King books. Fascinating, challenging, thoughtful and horrifying, Different Seasons is a unique reading experience.