2/5 stars

Different Seasons by Stephen King

I wanted to read this book because I love the story with-in-a-story, “The Revenge of Lard-A** Hogan,” which is part of “The Body.” It’s a really fun story that I heard first as read by the King himself at “An evening with Harry, Carrie, and Garp.” (Wasn’t there, watched it online. Look that up if you don’t know what it is–it was very cool). Once I got Different Seasons, I even read “The Revenge . . .” to my kids, changing the name to “Lardy Hogan.” They thought it was fun. I was anxious to read the other well known short stories in the book too, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” and “Apt Pupil.” I’d never heard of “The Breathing Method,” but I figured it’d be worth a look as well.

Stephen King is as marvelous an auther as history has given us, but his books are hit and miss when it comes to the level of vulgarity. I expected to be shocked because that is what he does. So once I’d read “The Revenge . . .” I turned back the beginning and started reading the first story, “Shawshank.” It was gritty, but the language wasn’t too bad and the story was great. “Apt Pupil” came next, which was twisted and much harsher than the first. The story was extremely interesting, so I continued to the end. Next came “The Body,” (Stand by Me of movie fame). Only a few pages in I could tell this one was too much. The language is horrible, and there is even a sex scene that was over the top for me. This is a story about 13 year old boys! Anyway, the vulgarity overpowered the story, and I put “Different Seasons” down, I won’t be picking it up again.

I give “Shawshank” and “The Revenge of Lard[y] Hogan” my recommendation for those who are not too sensitive, but that’s as far as my recomendation will go. I do not recommend “Apt Pupil” or “The Body.”