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The Green Mile #1
The Green Mile, Teil 1: Der Tod der jungen Mädchen
STEPHEN KING
ist der meistgelesene Schriftsteller der Gegenwart.
Sein neuestes Werk ist vielleicht sein bisher ehrgeizigstes:
Ein Roman in Fortsetzungen.
Sechs Teile wird "The Green Mile" umfassen, sie werden im monatlichen Rhythmus weltweit erscheinen.
The Green Mile - Teil 1
Der Tod der jungen Mädchen
erzählt der Gefängnisaufseher Paul Edgecombe über seine "Gäste".
Er ist verantwortlich für die Todeskandidaten und für die Hinrichtungen auf dem elektrischen Stuhl. Aber es geht nicht alles glatt im Todesblock.
Die unheimlichen Dinge begannen mit John Coffey, dem Mann, der die beiden Mädchen getötet hatte...
ist der meistgelesene Schriftsteller der Gegenwart.
Sein neuestes Werk ist vielleicht sein bisher ehrgeizigstes:
Ein Roman in Fortsetzungen.
Sechs Teile wird "The Green Mile" umfassen, sie werden im monatlichen Rhythmus weltweit erscheinen.
The Green Mile - Teil 1
Der Tod der jungen Mädchen
erzählt der Gefängnisaufseher Paul Edgecombe über seine "Gäste".
Er ist verantwortlich für die Todeskandidaten und für die Hinrichtungen auf dem elektrischen Stuhl. Aber es geht nicht alles glatt im Todesblock.
Die unheimlichen Dinge begannen mit John Coffey, dem Mann, der die beiden Mädchen getötet hatte...
94 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 28, 1996
273 people are currently reading
30983 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King
2,574 books886k followersStephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.
He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.
Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.
In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 644 reviews
May 26, 2020
What a starter into this famous novel series! I like the way that Stephen King does serialization of his novel just like Dickens (but better, without Dickens tedious parts). It's a great description of the main characters and you'll learn the story that led to John Coffey's imprisonment. The storytelling is magic. You'll even meet a mouse named Mr Jingles (I had to think about Alfred Jingle from Dickens Pickwick Papers). It's like you're walking through Death Row by yourself. An intriguing first installment that whet my appetite to read more. Only Stephen King can tell a story like this. Absolutely recommended. This already is a modern classic!
April 1, 2019
"Your name is John Coffey." "Yes sir boss, like the drink, only not spelled the same way."
Who doesn't love the gifted giant of a man in THE GREEN MILE?
When I purchased THE TWO DEAD GIRLS, I had already read THE GREEN MILE so I knew what was coming, but thought perhaps it would be a more detailed account of the incident....or should I say horror of what happened to the two young sisters, but it is indeed pretty much the same....if memory serves. One part I didn't recall though was mention of a woman ever being detained on the mile....in the novel or movie.
In the Forward, KING tells how he came to write THE GREEN MILE in paperback episodes in the 19th century chapbook style of Dickens, that he always loved stories told in this manner giving the reader time to figure out what would happen next....with no flipping ahead.
Appalled as a young boy of 12, he tells about catching his mother peeking at the end of an Agatha Christie novel telling him, "sometimes she just couldn't resist the temptation."
Anyway, it was good to revisit the mile, the gentle giant John Coffey....not spelled the same....nasty old Percy, Mr. Jingles, and, of course, Old Sparky!
If you haven't yet read THE GREEN MILE, you're really missing out!
First Published: March, 1996.
June 11, 2017
The start of a modern classic. Simple , smart, and breathtaking.
April 11, 2023
‘“I couldn’t help it, boss,” he said. “I tried to take it back, but it was too late.”
Despite the unconventional yet convincing non-linear structure, King religiously stuck to the III-Act Structure. Or so it appears, it’s hard to tell from the first part.
Anyway, given the format, the structure is something I’m encountering for the first time, and so far, I’m loving it. As usual, King doesn’t shy away from gore, even within these very few pages he has managed to give you some disturbing images to last a lifetime. But the ending still is weirdly emotional. Weird in the sense I was expecting the characters to feel that feeling on some different occasion. Not this, of course.
I’ve got kind of an unhealthy obsession with Stephen King now. So much so that I often doubt that I’m getting biased, for everything that I’m reading by him is getting a solid five. This one, though little more than an introduction, still has that typical magnetic quality as all his novels have, to make them unputdownable.
So, like, what can I do? I can’t find a single flaw!! Not in this one or the first half of the second part that I’ve already read. And I won't elaborate. Not in any of the individual reviews.
Despite the unconventional yet convincing non-linear structure, King religiously stuck to the III-Act Structure. Or so it appears, it’s hard to tell from the first part.
Anyway, given the format, the structure is something I’m encountering for the first time, and so far, I’m loving it. As usual, King doesn’t shy away from gore, even within these very few pages he has managed to give you some disturbing images to last a lifetime. But the ending still is weirdly emotional. Weird in the sense I was expecting the characters to feel that feeling on some different occasion. Not this, of course.
I’ve got kind of an unhealthy obsession with Stephen King now. So much so that I often doubt that I’m getting biased, for everything that I’m reading by him is getting a solid five. This one, though little more than an introduction, still has that typical magnetic quality as all his novels have, to make them unputdownable.
So, like, what can I do? I can’t find a single flaw!! Not in this one or the first half of the second part that I’ve already read. And I won't elaborate. Not in any of the individual reviews.
September 13, 2022
A man with the mind of a child named John Coffey brutally murders and assaults two little girls and he seems to have no idea why he did it. After the event, he cradles their dead, naked bodies in his arms while weeping over the horror and guilt of his actions. Needless to say, this is a very unusual crime committed by a very unusual man. Unfortunately, the first book only briefly touches on this man's traumatic story and mostly focuses on Paul Edgecomb and his group of fellow police officers that aren't all that likable or interesting, at least not yet. The first entry in the series is slow and doesn't delve into the meat and bones of the promised plot, but it seems to serve mostly as a setup for future events.
February 10, 2017
Movies! I remember watching this one when it came out! It's so odd to be reading the tale a few decades later without even having a desire to watch the movie. :)
It turns out that Hanks with a prostate problem was NOT the most memorable part of the movie. It's the mouse, of course. The main character is always the mouse, and I'm not even referring to Steamboat Willie.
The short story is mild and reflective, even with the scent of rape, murder and peppermint, which is odd, all considered. And yet, it is still quintessential SK.
It turns out that Hanks with a prostate problem was NOT the most memorable part of the movie. It's the mouse, of course. The main character is always the mouse, and I'm not even referring to Steamboat Willie.
The short story is mild and reflective, even with the scent of rape, murder and peppermint, which is odd, all considered. And yet, it is still quintessential SK.
March 29, 2015
A good set-up for what's later to come. I like the main character and some of the other guards, they seem like realistic characters, although hearing about the urinary tract infection so often made me wince. I'm not a fan of the death penalty and this book helps reinforce some of the reasons why. 'The Green Mile' is aptly named. The scene where they find Coffey holding the girls is sobering - the entire scene from discovering they're missing to finding the result was amazingly written. Since this is a start-up book, not much is happening yet other than establishing the structure.
November 24, 2020
It helped, and it didn't, to have seen the movie first. It helped because I could easily envision all the characters as i read, while still enjoying Mr. King's wonderful writing. And it helped that I knew what was coming, which is also what didn't help. I knew some bad and hard things were coming and almost couldn't make myself continue reading. That there is slight difference between book and movie is good then.
This is only #1 and I have the other five. Stephen King is one of the best writers there are, and is the best writer in this genre. This is a hard and a sad story, but there is a sweet and gentle and good tone beneath it all. Loving it.
This is only #1 and I have the other five. Stephen King is one of the best writers there are, and is the best writer in this genre. This is a hard and a sad story, but there is a sweet and gentle and good tone beneath it all. Loving it.
March 23, 2013
It was 1996 when I came across this, a happy accident, at my local 7-11, near the bat tree.
It is 1932 when we first meet Paul Edgecombe, head screw, and our narrator and walk The Green Mile at Cold Mountain, where men are sent to pay their final due to Old Sparky, the electric chair.
It is the year that John Coffey came to Cold Mountain, convicted of brutally raping and killing two, near nine year old twin girls, an enormous man, a mountain in his own right, with wet, dark eyes and a humble, gentle nature.
King’s characterization skills shine here.
Percy Wetmore announces his arrival. “ Dead Man Walking” while his own, inner being fairly oozes off the page.
I loved the narrator’s voice, and I thought a good deal about what it would be like to have such a job as that.
And what to hell is up with that mouse?
King had me; the purchase of the second book in this series was no accident.
It is 1932 when we first meet Paul Edgecombe, head screw, and our narrator and walk The Green Mile at Cold Mountain, where men are sent to pay their final due to Old Sparky, the electric chair.
It is the year that John Coffey came to Cold Mountain, convicted of brutally raping and killing two, near nine year old twin girls, an enormous man, a mountain in his own right, with wet, dark eyes and a humble, gentle nature.
King’s characterization skills shine here.
Percy Wetmore announces his arrival. “ Dead Man Walking” while his own, inner being fairly oozes off the page.
I loved the narrator’s voice, and I thought a good deal about what it would be like to have such a job as that.
And what to hell is up with that mouse?
King had me; the purchase of the second book in this series was no accident.
April 20, 2025
A strong start to the series. It introduces the main characters and gives a glimpse into life on the Green Mile—tense, quiet, and emotional.
Bummed that my book fell apart every time I turned the page. I anticipate the next five books will do the same.
Bummed that my book fell apart every time I turned the page. I anticipate the next five books will do the same.
April 8, 2020
Loved the first book of the green mile. Some things are different then the movie. Great, powerful writing that lets the imagination going. A modern classic story. Hope to enjoy part 2 even more!
October 18, 2016
My First Stephen King Novel and I'm glad that I started off with this series.
Despite its short length it was very intriguing. And though it ended kind of plainly rather than in a cliffhanger, the theme of the series would definitely pique your interest to read the sequels of the same. :)
The setting of the story vaguely reminds me of Shawshank Redemption though.
Despite its short length it was very intriguing. And though it ended kind of plainly rather than in a cliffhanger, the theme of the series would definitely pique your interest to read the sequels of the same. :)
The setting of the story vaguely reminds me of Shawshank Redemption though.
Read
December 14, 2017Om alsnog mijn Reading Challenge te halen heb ik besloten De Groene Mijl te lezen. Ik heb de box-set waar 6 losse delen in zitten van elk ongeveer 100 tot 150 bladzijden. Misschien een beetje valsspelen, maar goed. Ik heb vanavond dus het eerste deel gelezen en vind het erg goed. Uiteraard ga ik het vergelijken met de film, maar moet toegeven dat ik het tot nu toe een goeie verfilming vind.
January 23, 2022
Read years ago when this first installment was published
December 7, 2023
The Two Dead Girls was the first of six installments of The Green Mile, King's serial novel which appeared in consecutive months in 1996. It was, of course, published in a single volume in 1997 and was adapted into one of the very best films based on his work; it returned to the best-seller lists in 1999 as a result, and is now known almost exclusively in its collected form, but I think it loses some of its magic this way. I picked up The Two Dead Girls soon after it hit the stands, and then made a point of popping into B. Dalton's monthly on release day of the next five months. The serial format, as King points out in his introduction, forces the reader to wait and ponder what might happen next, and spreading the reading experience over a half-year with all of that pondering and speculation really makes it a much more memorable experience. It's a really fascinating story, with some of his best characterization, from Coffey to Delacroix to Elaine and on and on, and never forget Mr. Jingles, the coolest mouse in literature since the iconic Algernon and Brown's Mitkey. It's not a "typical" King story but is definitely one of his best.
October 20, 2021
The Green Mile was the first King story that I'd attempted to tackle as I wanted to start reading more 'grownup' books, the unique publication history of the serialized nature being a throwback to Dickens era was a tempting way for 13 year old me to try and read something more mature in short bursts.
Each month whilst still buying the latest Goosebumps (more out of loyalty at this point), I'd take a trip to the Cold Mountain Penitentiary and the events surrounding the condemned killers on death row.
King has always been strong on character and both Paul Edgecombe the stories narrator and death row supervisor alongside the massive figure of convinced John Coffey are the heartbeat of the novel.
King needed to work extra hard to establish a connection for his constant readers in hope they'd stick with them each month.
So much of the stories themes were clearly ill suited for this impressionable young reader first time around.
Whilst most of the novel focuses on the magical realism, there's plenty of horrific moments that you'd expect from King.
Firstly John's conviction of raping and murdering two young girls is brutal, it's the gruesome fate that awaits Eduarad Delacroix that's almost as shocking too.
The events of this novel certainly had more of an emotional impact this time around, especially during the sixth and final part.
It's a powerful gut punch of an ending for characters you've grown to love.
This is the highest rated King novel on Goodreads and it's completely justified and will now be my recommendation for anyone who wants to read King for the first time.
December 14, 2014
Man, I wish I was in to Stephen King when this came out in serialized fashion. I watched the movie back then, but hadn't read the book.
In the past 5 to 10 years, I've started reading King.
He's good. He's so good.
I guess the good part is, you know how people binge watch TV shows now? I can binge-read these. Yeah. I'll be doing that.
One thing to add: in book one, there is a great introduction about books and reading in general.
In the past 5 to 10 years, I've started reading King.
He's good. He's so good.
I guess the good part is, you know how people binge watch TV shows now? I can binge-read these. Yeah. I'll be doing that.
One thing to add: in book one, there is a great introduction about books and reading in general.
January 18, 2018
No one tells a story quite like Mr. King. Sad, heartbreaking and riveting!
June 20, 2018
It is a fantastic piece of the master Stephen King because the characters are well developed and the plot is amazing.
December 11, 2022
Can’t wait to experience the rest of this series!
November 8, 2016
Der erste Teil von sechs von The Green Mile. Ich LIEBE den Film abgöttisch, habe ihn schon einige Male seit meiner Kindheit gesehen und kann/muss immer noch an den selben Stellen weinen. Niemals hat mich ein Film so tief ergriffen wie dieser und niemals habe ich eine Hauptfigur so tief in mein Herz geschlossen, wie John Coffey. Ich liebe John Coffey... Stephen King hat mit dieser Geschichte nicht nur ein Meisterwerk erschaffen, sondern gleich zwei, denn John Coffey ist mit Sicherheit eines! Was der Film rüberbringt, ist unglaublich gewesen. Das Buch hingegen ist an manche Stellen etwas wirr, wegen verschiedener Einschübe aus anderen Zeiten, aber ansonsten wirklich gut geschrieben. Ich bin gespannt, wie die nächsten Teile werden.
January 12, 2018
A newsletter I love brought this re-release to my attention, and it warms my heart.
Back in 1996, Stephen King released The Green Mile in 6 installments. I was too young to read it in '96, but now I can experience the ebook releases as readers originally did, without the ability of skipping ahead. The parts are being released in two week increments so at least you know exactly when the next part will be released. Take note, George RR Martin!!! just kidding.
I watched the movie several years ago, but can only vaguely remember it. I have always wanted to read it, so this is the perfect time.
This is a great introduction to the story and I already like several characters. 5/5
Back in 1996, Stephen King released The Green Mile in 6 installments. I was too young to read it in '96, but now I can experience the ebook releases as readers originally did, without the ability of skipping ahead. The parts are being released in two week increments so at least you know exactly when the next part will be released. Take note, George RR Martin!!! just kidding.
I watched the movie several years ago, but can only vaguely remember it. I have always wanted to read it, so this is the perfect time.
This is a great introduction to the story and I already like several characters. 5/5
February 7, 2017
*Cliterary Genius 2017 Reading Challenge, January: Read a Stephen King book.
January 20, 2018
Late to the scene on reading this series. So glad I am finally reading it....In this first section we are introduced to some of the main characters, can't wait to continue with this!
June 1, 2020
”Do you have a name?” McGee asked.
“John Coffey,” he said in a thick and tear-clotted voice. “Coffey like the drink, only not spelled the same way.”
Easy start loving some guys and start hating others...
“John Coffey,” he said in a thick and tear-clotted voice. “Coffey like the drink, only not spelled the same way.”
Easy start loving some guys and start hating others...
September 11, 2017
Original review I wrote at 2:45 AM, exhausted: Very good start to the beginning of "The Green Mile" series. Enjoyed several different parts of the story and the set up for more. Can't wait for two!
More thorough review at 7:13 PM, sort of tired: I have really enjoyed the first part of this serial novel. I am also genuinely surprised by how much I've enjoyed the beginning of this book although I am a fan of the movie. I guess the reason I am so surprised is because I've always written Stephen King off as "just a storyteller", which you know is a fine title to have, but I have always thought that because of the write off he was unable to write stories of depth and meaning. Instead, to me, he just wrote stories that captivated people by plot and not by heart... What I've learned from just reading part one is that this is far from being true. There were many moments alone in the first part of this story that caught me to be breathless. The way he has written several characters with their thoughts, feelings, truths, along with his version of the truth as a subtle narrator is fascinating along with being, of course, thought - provoking. I love this book so far and I cannot wait to read more. In all honesty, this could possibly be the best book I've read of the RowRub Reading Club (the book club I'm apart of with my friends). I have so many thoughts and feelings that I hope continue to grow as I read more as well as share with my book club members, family, friends, and, of course, the awesome people of Goodreads!
More thorough review at 7:13 PM, sort of tired: I have really enjoyed the first part of this serial novel. I am also genuinely surprised by how much I've enjoyed the beginning of this book although I am a fan of the movie. I guess the reason I am so surprised is because I've always written Stephen King off as "just a storyteller", which you know is a fine title to have, but I have always thought that because of the write off he was unable to write stories of depth and meaning. Instead, to me, he just wrote stories that captivated people by plot and not by heart... What I've learned from just reading part one is that this is far from being true. There were many moments alone in the first part of this story that caught me to be breathless. The way he has written several characters with their thoughts, feelings, truths, along with his version of the truth as a subtle narrator is fascinating along with being, of course, thought - provoking. I love this book so far and I cannot wait to read more. In all honesty, this could possibly be the best book I've read of the RowRub Reading Club (the book club I'm apart of with my friends). I have so many thoughts and feelings that I hope continue to grow as I read more as well as share with my book club members, family, friends, and, of course, the awesome people of Goodreads!
March 8, 2011
I love this story, but I have never sat down to actually read it through before now. I am actually pretty surprised at how faithful the movie adaptation is to the story so far. I recall quite a bit of narration in the movie, but I know they do not go to the depths the books do. There is a bit more nebulous an idea of a solid timeline in the books than in the movie, which I think is probably more true to the idea of the story, since Paul is telling us the story from the standpoint of an older man looking back over his life. As he writes, he is sure of the details, but the 'when' is the hardest part for him to maintain. We see this distinctly in his details of Coffey's crime, that he uncovers only years after the story takes place. So rather than seeing the story as he saw it then, it has been altered by his later knowledge and retrospective analysis of himself and his men during that time.
October 10, 2018
I started seeing a lot of King’s books on my feed, and, naturally, I got pulled into the reading mania. Despite the fact that I know that I don’t enjoy his books, I looked up his work and picked a few books that seemed interesting. I decided to read only the first part of the Green mile solely because I knew I wouldn’t finish the whole book if started.
There’s just something with King’s books that isn’t for me. It took me 3 days to finish 60 pages, and I finished it only because it was 60 pages and not the whole book (that would’ve ended dnf-ed). I even finished watching the three hour movie (which was good) before I finished this part, that’s how much trouble I have with King’s works. I’m a bit bummed because movies/series based on his work are amazing and I like them a lot, but books… sadly not for me.
There’s just something with King’s books that isn’t for me. It took me 3 days to finish 60 pages, and I finished it only because it was 60 pages and not the whole book (that would’ve ended dnf-ed). I even finished watching the three hour movie (which was good) before I finished this part, that’s how much trouble I have with King’s works. I’m a bit bummed because movies/series based on his work are amazing and I like them a lot, but books… sadly not for me.
May 21, 2025
Got a bit scared...
"The Two Dead Girls" is the first installment of this series. The scene of their discovery, with Coffey found cradling the lifeless bodies and weeping is graphically depicted and deeply disturbing. However, as Paul and his fellow guards observe Coffey, they begin to sense something profoundly amiss. Despite the damning evidence, Coffey's childlike innocence and unusual demeanor spark doubt in Paul's mind and even in my mind...
"The Two Dead Girls" is the first installment of this series. The scene of their discovery, with Coffey found cradling the lifeless bodies and weeping is graphically depicted and deeply disturbing. However, as Paul and his fellow guards observe Coffey, they begin to sense something profoundly amiss. Despite the damning evidence, Coffey's childlike innocence and unusual demeanor spark doubt in Paul's mind and even in my mind...
August 26, 2019
No less masterfully crafted or instantly captivating all these years later. My heart’s in it now.
Spurred by a wild hair, spontaneous spring cleaning unearthed my copies of these serial novellas...and instantly taken back to the time I devoured each one, I made the mistake of opening—just to take a peek mind you—Two Dead Girls.
And there endeth the spring cleaning.
#ReRead
Spurred by a wild hair, spontaneous spring cleaning unearthed my copies of these serial novellas...and instantly taken back to the time I devoured each one, I made the mistake of opening—just to take a peek mind you—Two Dead Girls.
And there endeth the spring cleaning.
#ReRead
Displaying 1 - 30 of 644 reviews