September's SK Flavor of the Month - Different Seasons (The Body, The Breathing Method)

For September, we'll be finishing up Different Seasons.

I think that Different Seasons would be a good book to loan to someone who has never read King and doesn't necessarily like horror stories.

It's also a good example to show to people who think Stephen King's books are popular because they are cheap thrills.

You know, I have done exactly that - it helps that three of the stories have been made into films, two of which are very well thought of (I haven't seen Apt Pupil but I've been told it's very good). They are all top stories, King at his best, and each one different in tone. It's a shame he didn't do more novellas - I really think he would have been recognised as a great writer sooner if he had, and been more highly respected. He seems to have a knack for them.

Looking forward to The Body (although I remember the film making a bigger impression on me), and The Breathing Method, which I thought was excellent.

It's funny because a coworker saw me reading this the other day and wants to borrow it; so yes, it is a good one to pass around...

I'm reading "The Breathing Method" right now and I had to stop right before the story-within-a-story. I'm anxious to get back to it soon.

And I've seen the movie "Stand By Me" a million times so that story is pretty much ingrained, but I was surprised to find parts of "The Body" to be really funny, especially the train scene.

I finished 'The Body'. It was kinda cool finishing it on Labor Day.

I'm going to try and read all of 'The Breathing Method' tonight. It was nice to see it was dedicated to Peter Straub.

I just finished. I really enjoyed both of the stories. Of course I could see the movie 'Stand By Me' running in my head during 'The Body'. 'The Breathing Method' was such a good, horror, without knowing the horror story. Your imagination plays such an important role during this story.

I think Breathing Method might be an homage to Peter Straub's Ghost Story in the sense that it uses the vehicle of a group of elderly men in an informal club, and a story about a mysterious woman from the past.

Yeah, 'The Breathing Method' felt like a real tip of the hat to Peter Straub's Chowder Society.

I really enjoyed the story, but the structure of it is so strange. Is it about the mysteries of the 'club' or is all that a set-up for the tale of The Breathing Method? Either way he really captured the feel of sitting around a fire, telling spook stories.

Also, for those of you who are Dark Tower aficionados (I'm not myself), does that club ever show up in any of those books? I thought maybe that was what he was getting at towards the end with the narrator talking about the different worlds outside the club doors.

Reading 'The Body' it was nice to see how closely Carl Reiner adapted the story to the screen. Lots of the dialog in the book came out of the actors and the changes that were made were understandable ones.

It was weird how closely Gordie's (later) life resembled Stephen King's own. I don't want to confuse the author with his characters, but it is almost like King intended that to happen here. Like he's inserting himself into Castle Rock the way Garrison Keillor inserts himself into Lake Wobegon.

Well since strong writers write what they know, I'm not surprised about the similarity between Gordie and Stevie. And yeah, it struck me the first time I saw SBM how faithful Reiner was to the story. Plus those young actors gave it their all, too. And isn't Keifer the perfect Ace? I even picture him as an older Ace in Needful Things (helpful that Kiefer is actually older now).

I think all of the actors were perfect for their roles in Stand By Me and pictured each of them as their respective characters (even though Vern is mentioned as being skinny in the book...).

The funniest thing is that my brother has a friend named Vern. I was paired with him as a bridesmaid at his wedding. Up until that point, I thought his name really was Vern. Actually, it's Brian, but they call him Vern after the character in SBM. Weird kids.

I just had to put Stand by Me in the DVD player tonight. Still holds up. Rob Reiner let Teddy and Vern live. Softie.

I haven't watched the whole thing in a while, but it's one of those movies that if it's on TV and I notice, I just have to watch a scene or two. The last time it happened it was the leech scene. Ig. Shawshank, on the other hand, has to be watched as a whole. I still get all emotional over Brooks. I've wanted to watch Apt Pupil (isn't the wonderful Ian McKellan Dussander?), but haven't had the guts. The story is so wonderfully cold and twisted that I'm afraid there will be Reineresque soft touches in it that ruin the overall piece.

Yes, Ian McKellan is Dussander, and he is very good. So good that Dussander was Ian Mckellan in my mind as I read the book.

There are differences between the book and the movie, but the movie was done by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects), not Rob Reiner and I remember it being pretty dark.

Incidentally, don’t forgot Misery was a Rob Reiner flick and it wasn’t exactly soft.

Hey, you're the one who said Meathead was a softie. : )

Will be reading this at the weekend and I'm REALLY looking forward to it after the abysmal Cujo.

Completely forgot to add my thoughts!

Both stories are excellent, in fact the whole book is a joy to read. King on top form. Yes, King and Gordie were very similar. He said in Danse Macabre that he bounced ideas against Dracula to see what would come back when writing Salem's Lot (or words to that effect) - here it was like he was bouncing ideas off himself. Wonder how much he was inspired by his mum's story of how he came back pale and withdrawn after his little friend's train accident? Liked the nod to Harlan Ellison, and I'm sure someone in the story was called Robert Cormier. Plus all the usual Castle Rock crew - Bannerman, Aunt Evvie Chambers, Cujo, Ace Merrill. One thing I've noticed, with these references, is that they could be corny and obvious but they add a real richness and a sense of familiarity, probably because that sense of people and places you've known for years is such a strong theme throughout his work.

The Breathing Method is an old favourite. The story told in the club itself is a real old-fashioned ghost story, told at Christmas round the fire (and it literally is). But the real shiver comes from the club itself, and Stevens (was that his name?).

His Dear-Constant-Readers bit at the end was typical King. A little bit defensive, that need to explain himself/share things with his readership. I like the whole "Uncle Stevie" persona, it adds to the inclusiveness and homeliness of his work. He was right - he did end up pigeon-holed for a long, long time. He's made a mint from it though.