Books2Movies Club discussion

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Already a classic feature film, The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is based on a novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the story from Different Seasons by Stephen King.

No introduction is necessary, if you haven't seen the movie, check the trailer and see for yourself if it would be worth your time. My bet is it would, but who knows :) If you have seen the movie, you are welcome to post any comments about it. Read the novella too, and add here your thoughts about the both.

I love the movie. One of the few I can watch again and again. I wonder if it's true to the book?

An absolutely fantastic film and a very gripping book! I saw the film much before I read the book. I read the book recently and saw the film once again, to see how the book was adopted to suit the screen. The film retained the true spirit of the book!

The movie was a really good version of the book. The book had a more real quality and the movie had that almost makes you cry ending but it still stuck to the book for the most part. The changes were definitely for the better, from a cinematic viewpoint. The movie is a definite classic and the book is good.

I'm in the middle of the book, and I'm hearing Morgan Freeman's voice the whole way through. What an excellent adaptation! It stayed really true to the book.

caallas wrote: "I love the movie. One of the few I can watch again and again. I wonder if it's true to the book?"

I think Different Seasons was a great collection. I can read/watch Shawshank Redemption again and again and the same is true for The Body/Stand by Me. That's another great read that turned into a great movie.

I'm just starting the last story in Different Seasons . It's making me take back every snooty thing I've ever said about Stephen King. I think he's one of the masters of our time.

I saw the movie a while ago and now again - loved it! Absolutely masterful! Then I read the novella - I liked it - it was very interesting and the movie was true to the book in most part... Both the movie and the book make me NEVER, EVER want to go to prison :)

Although having seen the movie first - the story can't even begin to compare... so much emotion and the general "wow" factor is just missing from the written story (for me)... That is really strange, since Stephen King's books are always better than their TV adaptations... I guess this was a short story only and that's why I felt that it didn't seem as deep as it could have been...

I read the story in only two sittings, better say, walkings - I couldn't wait to complete it so much I read it (on my phone of course) while walking to the work. Amazing story, as Elena said. So many relatable feelings and beautifully drawn characters. I literally cheered for Dufresne and hoped for Red's redemption.

It was sad to realize that letting a man out after so many years of prison, it means basically to kill him, if there's nothing out there waiting for him. Not really comfortable comparison, but it's like to let the tame animal out to the wilderness in hope it'll learn to hunt for itself alone. Some do, but most don't.

I really wonder now how the story would sound like narrated by Morgan Freeman. It would be awesome I guess :)

Zeljka wrote: "Not really comfortable comparison, but it's like to let the tame animal out to the wilderness in hope it'll learn to hunt for itself alone. Some do, but most don't."

Apt analogy.

I didn't realize it was a Stephen King story when I first saw the movie years ago. The movie was excellent, though disturbing, of course. I was impressed how close to the original story it is, and I agree, the changes, cinematically, are for the best (but I almost always think that when I see the movie first).

I only planned to read this story out of the collection, since it is the one we're discussing, but I think I'm going to have to finish the rest of Different Seasons.