Stephen King Fans discussion

Discuss Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption here. Please mark all spoiler so that others who are reading along can enjoy.

Major spoilers:

(view spoiler)[ Andy Dufresne is arrested for the double murder of his philandering wife and her lover. He is sent to Shawshank Prison for life. At the prison, he meets a prisoner named Red, who specializes in getting prisoners items from the outside world.

As a free man, Andy had been a rockhound, so he asks Red to get him a rock hammer, a tool he uses to shape the rocks he finds in the exercise yard into small sculptures. One of the next items he orders from Red is a large poster of Rita Hayworth. When taking the order, Red reflects that Andy is uncharacteristically excited about the poster, but does not think more of it at the time.

One spring day, Andy and Red and some other prisoners are tarring a roof when Andy overhears a particularly nasty guard griping over the amount of tax he will have to pay on a sum of money bequeathed to him by a long-estranged brother. Andy approaches the guard, almost getting thrown off the roof in the process, and tells him that he can legally shelter the money from taxation by giving it to his wife. Andy offers to help the guard to prepare the necessary paperwork for the transaction in exchange for some beer for the other prisoners on the roof. The guard agrees, and as word spreads, more of the prison staff discovers that they can use Andy's help for tax returns, loan applications and other financial advice. He quickly becomes an asset to the prison staff.

A gang of sexually aggressive prisoners called "The Sisters," led by Bogs Diamond, rapes any prisoners they feel they can handle, and Andy is no exception. However, when Andy makes himself useful to the guards, they protect him from "The Sisters." One night Bogs is found in his cell 'inexplicably' unconscious and severely beaten. Andy is also allowed to stay alone in his cell instead of having a cellmate like most other prisoners. For a short period, he shares a cell with an Indian called Normaden, but is soon alone again, Normaden having complained about a "bad draft" in the cell.

Andy's work assignment is shifted from the laundry to the prison's small library, previously under the stewardship of Brooks Hatlen, one of the few other prisoners with a college degree. Red dryly notes that Brooks' degree is in animal husbandry, "but beggars can't be choosers." The new assignment also allows Andy to spend more time doing financial paperwork for the staff. Andy applies to the Maine State Senate for funding to expand the library. For years he gets no response to his weekly letters until the Senate finally sends him $200, thinking Andy will stop requesting funds. Instead of ceasing his letter writing, he starts writing twice as often. His diligent work results in a major expansion of the library's collection, and he also helps a number of prisoners earn equivalency diplomas, preparing them for life after parole.

The warden of Shawshank, Norton, also realizes that a man of Andy's skills is useful. He has started a program called "Inside-Out" where convicts do work outside the prison for slave wages. Normal companies outside cannot compete with the cost of Inside-Out workers, so they offer Norton bribes not to bid for contracts. This cash has to be laundered somehow, and Andy makes himself useful here as well.

One day, Andy hears from another prisoner, Tommy Williams, whose former cellmate had bragged about killing a rich golfer and a lawyer's wife (Andy latches onto the idea that the word "lawyer" could easily have been mixed up with "banker," the professions being similarly viewed by the general public), and framing the lawyer for the crime. Upon hearing Tommy's story, Andy realizes that if this evidence could be brought before a court, he could be given a new trial and a chance at freedom. Norton scoffs at the story, however, and as soon as possible he makes sure Tommy is moved to another, lower security prison, presumably as compensation for promising that he never talks about this anymore. Andy is too useful to Norton to be allowed to go free; furthermore, he knows details about Norton's corrupt dealings. After losing his customary cool with the warden over the issue, and spending a couple of months in solitary confinement as a result, Andy resigns himself to the fact that the prospect for his legal vindication has become non-existent.

Before he was sentenced to life, Andy managed, with the help of his closest friend, to sell off his assets and invest the proceeds under a pseudonym. This alias, Peter Stevens, has a driver's license, Social Security card and other credentials. The documents required to claim Stevens' assets and assume his identity are in a safe deposit box in a Portland bank; the key to the box is hidden under a black volcanic rock along a rock wall lining a hay field in the small town of Buxton, not far from Shawshank.

After eighteen years in prison, Andy shares the information with Red, describing exactly how to find the place and how one day "Peter Stevens" will own a small seaside resort hotel in Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Andy also tells Red that he could use a man who knows how to get things. Red, confused about why Andy has confided this information in him, reflects on Andy's continued ability to surprise.

One morning, after he has been incarcerated for nearly 27 years, Andy disappears from his locked cell. After searching the prison grounds and surrounding area without finding any sign of him, the warden looks in Andy's cell and discovers that the poster on his wall (now showing a young Linda Ronstadt) covers a man-sized hole. Andy had used his rock hammer — and a replacement when the original wore down — not just to shape rocks, but to carve a hole through the wall. Once through the wall, he broke into a sewage pipe, crawled through it for some 500 yards, emerged into a field beyond the prison's outer perimeter and vanished. His prison uniform is found two miles away from the outfall. How he made good his escape with no equipment, clothing or known accomplices, nobody can determine.

A few weeks later, Red gets a blank postcard from a small Texas town near the Mexican border, and surmises that Andy crossed the border there. Shortly afterwards, Red is paroled. After nearly 40 years' imprisonment, he finds the transition to life "outside" a difficult process. On the weekends, he hitchhikes to Buxton, searching for suitable hay fields from Andy's "directions." After several months of wandering the rural town roads, he finds a field with a rock wall on the correct side, with a black rock in it. Under this rock, he finds a letter addressed to him from "Peter Stevens" inviting him to join Peter in Mexico. With the letter are 20 $50 bills. The story ends with Red violating his parole to follow Andy to Mexico. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

An unlikely friendship and interesting characters make this story stick with you

The Movie is what made me love this story. I thought the story itself was good, but the movie, while deviant, was great. One of The best adaptations of any of his works to film, right with "the Green Mile"

I loved this story, great characters, fast, enjoyable read,

Movie "deviant", Amy? How so?

I've just finished reading 'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption' from 'Different Seasons'.

I have to say I really enjoyed it.

*Spoiler Alert*

I was surprised at how loyal the film was to the book.

In a way this disappointed me because I realised that there wasn't going to be much happening in the book that would surprise me.

But it did, however, have a few nice changes in it from the film, like the Native Indian that shared the cell with Andy and mentioned how it was, "always cold" in Andy's cell.
Things like that made the book a bit more refreshing to read.

Also, another positive thing I found about the book was that I found the ending was much more emotional as opposed to the movie's ending.

In the book Red describes how he felt when he found the rock by the wall and how he felt like he was going to cry. It's the little things like that, that is the reason books often have an advantage over movies.

One of the thing I really love about King's writing is the way he deals so deftly with two sides of one situation or emotion. (view spoiler)[Even in the way the story is set up in the collection, it's a story about hope. But there are places where it reads more like a tragedy, particularly at the end. Andy spent so many years of his life wrongly imprisoned and escapes with likely only enough of his lifetime left to start contemplating old age and death. His closest and perhaps only friend in the world, certainly the only person who truly knows his experience, is a cold-blooded murderer. Phrased like that, I don't feel quite so much hope in the story. And that's where I think King's writing excels -- the story looks so different simply depending on the viewing angle. (hide spoiler)]

I haven't read this in a very long time, I am absolutely loving reading it again. Although I have seen the movie countless times and love it everytime, the words on the page are even more special. There are no surprises here for me except my renewed joy in this book. One of my favorites of all time.

Just finished this story. Amazed that such a short story makes such a long movie.

I have just finished reading this and I love it. It's definitely one of my favourite stories of all time. Being a "newbie" in reading Stephen King's books, I still can't believe that he wrote this. It had a lot of memorable lines about hope and friendship that really touched me.

The single best story by King, one of my absolute favourite stories by any author, and easily my second or third favourite movie. IMO one of the few cases where the movie is better than the book. Not much better, but better. I think mostly because of Morgan freeman and Tim Robbins. I couldn't have picked better actors for most of the roles. The casting was spot on.

I read Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption while I was in highschool, before the movie came out, and heard it in my voice. Since then I've read it a few more times and it is, inevitably, Morgan Freeman's voice I hear.

Amazingly, I've never seen the movie or read the book and I had no idea what it was about. I loved this story, I couldn't put it down. The ending was beautiful.

It's amazing how SK can make characters who have done terrible things so likable! What Red did to end up in Shawshank was terrible and in real life I don't think I'd like someone like that to get out of prison, but King makes him seem like such a great guy and all I wanted was for him to be free!! I think this would have to be up there as one of my fav SK reads (after DT of course) ;)

Michelle wrote: "Amazingly, I've never seen the movie or read the book and I had no idea what it was about. I loved this story, I couldn't put it down. The ending was beautiful.

It's amazing how SK can make chara..."

Michelle, you have to watch the movie, It is in my top 5 all time favorites. Seriously go and get it now!

Mike wrote: "Since then I've read it a few more times and it is, inevitably, Morgan Freeman's voice I hear."

Same here! I hadn't realized it until you mentioned it, but that definitely makes reading the story a greatly improved experience.

Tracy wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Amazingly, I've never seen the movie or read the book and I had no idea what it was about. I loved this story, I couldn't put it down. The ending was beautiful.

It's amazing how ..."

Guess what I'll be doing on Saturday night ;)

I really hate how the New York prison escape is being compared to the Shawshank Redemption.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/...

Andy Dufresne was innocent and these guys are murderers. They aren't folk heroes or lovable rogues in a Guy Ritchie movie.

This is a great story. It doesn't scream Stephen King, when people think of typical SK books, but it's just great. The way he writes the characters...I can't even describe it. He can make us love a killer. I can't decide if I like the book or movie best. The book is better when it comes to adding more emotional aspects to the story, and of course it's nice to know what Andy is thinking. However, Freeman and Robbins did such a great job, they really nailed this movie. They add something special too.