The Shawshank Redemption

get busy living or get busy dying

Like the many others before me, I too have seen the movie "The Shawshank Redemption". And like them all, I too was in tears at the end of the movie. The book and the movie is not that different except for some few minor changes(Red is white, and that's maybe a big change?). The novella is just over 100 pages which is in my opinion way too short for a book making, in my opinion, the greatest movie of perhaps all time. That is my only minus with this novella. The story is about a man named Andy Dufresne, imprisoned for a killing his wife and her lover. In the prison of Shawshank he suffers terrible crimes of inhumanity. Over the years he befriends a few convicts, who as it turns out is not as inhumane as the rest of the convicted beasts and guards. With his friends, especially Red, a great friendship is forged and through common acts of humanity hope is finally born. The thing about this story is that it's so human. It's not complex or simple, it's pure and utterly human. That draws you in, you cannot resist Stephen King's writing as it is so beautiful. The story shows you the most darkest of human deeds and the noblest of acts. One of my favorite parts of the story is when they drink beer and how the Red explains that they were as free men for one day. The feeling I get while reading that chapter is so joyously good. As you read this novella you will feel the film score of Thomas Newman graciously following. If you have not watched the movie, I strongly suggest you see it. The bottom point is that you will be moved by this story, not simply because it's written so well but simply put because it's so human. Everyone can relate to the characters in some way. I strongly suggest buying this novella. And I am a huge advocate of watching the movie which is probably the best movie-book adoption in many years to come. Read the redemption, feel the redemption, see the redemption. "Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

I just love Stephen King's books, okay? I've read them all, except RIDING THE BULLET, because I'm on the computer enough already, and I personally like to have a book with paper pages to pour over while I'm on a plane or a couch or a beach. So I have read King--in hardback--for years. I always buy his books as soon as they are published. Then I buy them in paperback for tote-ability. They don't weigh as much, and therefore don't load me down when I'm walking mile-long concourses, nor hurt my stomach when I am (re)-reading them on the beach.To me, all of his books are marvelous. But SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION is his best story EVER.This story is actually one of four in King's book, DIFFERENT SEASONS. And it is actually entitled "HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL RITA HAYWORTH AND THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION." Preceding the story, there is a single page with a single sentence which says, "It is in the tale, not he who tells it." Oh, and this tale does tell itself, but if King had not put it down for us, (pen to paper, so to speak) we would never have had the gift of this masterpiece to even consider.When you realize the King of Horror has written a work that would catapult most authors into the galaxy of writers' stardom, and that it is just one of his many, many works, you just have to appreciate what a great WRITER King is. Sound silly? Well, as we all know, there are best-selling authors out there who are not particularly good writers. King sets this story down with a writing skill so superior that it is difficult to imagine something more perfectly written. Of course I saw the movie, and it was fairly true to the book. But not until you let the actual words of this story envelope you and enthrall you do you get the full-tilt emotional fulfillment of reading a thoroughly engrossing story. King does a beautiful job of giving us the substance of the characters, both in the realm of the facade a prisoner must maintain to survive, and of the inner anguish a prisoner struggles against to stay whole. We get to know the two main characters -- Andy and Red -- inside and out, and this is what makes the book so very compelling.And I have never, ever, read a story in which the last sentence takes my breath away, causes my heart to beat faster, and makes my eyes tear, as this story does. Some of the scenes are hard to take--particularly the prison rape scenes--but they are necessary for us to understand just what makes the wrongly-incarcerated Andy Dufresne so unique. And if he were not so unique, if his character were not so brilliantly disected in King's writing, there would be no story at all. Events happen around Andy, but what happens inside Andy is what gives this story wings.I hope you will read this tale. I hope you will be inspired by it. I hope you will be as enthralled by the writing as I am. I hope you will love it, for your own sake.

A few years ago my uncle up in Maine, who is a huge Stephen King fan, made me sit down and watch the movie from start to finish. At first I was bored with it. I wanted the movie to turn into a tale of demons or aliens or freaky Stephen King stuff. Turned out the movie didnt need any of that to make it my favorite movie of all time. After the movie was over I could not believe that it was based on a book by King. Shortly after watching the movie i decided to go out and get myself the book, which turned out to be just as good. When Andy escaped and had his armed raised up towards the sky with the rain pouring down on him really made me tingle inside. What an extraordinary and epic book an movie. I recommend them to anybody who appreciates life.

I read this story back in 1985, and I later saw the movie. They were both excellent. In February, 1997, I had to do quite a bit of travelling between Nashville and Atlanta, and bought the audio book. I listened to it about 8 times. Frank Muller reads the story with style and ease, and though I was very familiar with the story, I still enjoyed it every time I listened to it. If you're travelling any distance by car, I highly suggest getting this book, unless you have kids in the car with you; the prison rape depictions, though not overly graphic, will still leave you answering some uncomfortable questions.

From the very beginning of this book, I felt as though I was there. Many books make you an observer, but I could almost feel myself aging with Red. I felt an extreme joy when he made the choice to "get busy living" and went to be with his old and dear friend. This displaced "The Stand" as my favorite King book, I Keeping hoping to read another like this but this is the BEST!!!!!!!!!