Different SeasonsDifferent Seasons
Score Classic
What it's about
Stephen King's collection of four novellas mostly isn't horror. In "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption," a banker wrongly convicted of murder survives decades in a Maine prison. In "Apt Pupil," a teenage boy discovers that an old man in his neighborhood is a Nazi war criminal and becomes obsessed with him. In "The Body," four boys set out to see a dead body in the woods. "The Breathing Method" is a strange tale told at a gentlemen's club.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and three of its four novellas became films: The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me and Apt Pupil. It's King at his most humane.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
Apt Pupil is very dark, with graphic violence. The Shawshank and Stand by Me stories are a good place to start.
By the numbers
- Readers95 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #5 of the 86 horror books we rank
- #113 of the 762 classics we rank
- #350 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Gripping
More by Stephen King
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
The Stand
11/22/63
ItIf you like this, read next
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Exorcist
Blood Meridian
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Watchers
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Quick answers
Is Different Seasons worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller, and three of its four novellas became films: The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me and Apt Pupil. It ranks #350 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Different Seasons about?
Stephen King's collection of four novellas mostly isn't horror. In "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption," a banker wrongly convicted of murder survives decades in a Maine prison. In "Apt Pupil," a teenage boy discovers that an old man in his neighborhood is a Nazi war criminal and becomes obsessed with him. In "The Body," four boys set out to see a dead body in the woods. "The Breathing Method" is a strange tale told at a gentlemen's club.
How long does it take to read Different Seasons?
About 13 hours (507 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Different Seasons?
If you liked it, try The Green Mile by Stephen King, 11/22/63 by Stephen King or The Stand by Stephen King.