Oct 17, 2005 03:19 AM
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(Updated Oct 17, 2005 03:19 AM)
I'm not a fan of Steven King because most of his books scare me. The Green Mile is the only book I liked that was written by him. I did see the movie and when I saw the pocket book in a market in Frankfurt I bought is for 1€, (fifty cents). It was published by Simon & Schester Inc. in 1996. The illustrations were drawn by Mark Geyer. The ISNB number is 0671041789.
I believe he intended it to be six short stories but he liked it so much he expanded it to be come a fabulous 465 paged novel.
My Review
The year is 1996 when an old man, (Paul Edgecombe who is 104), narrates this book as he looks back on events that happened years ago.
The story begins in the state of Georgia which is in the southern part of the U.S.A. in a prison. It is 1932 and there are people on death house row.
You will learn about the guards, (many were good men), the inmates who were waiting to die, some horrible inmates and a few evil guards, (i.e. Percy) and most important an Afro American prisoner, John Coffey.
There lives were mostly quite until the day that John Coffey arrives. His trial was over and he had been convicted of killing twin girls.
John is a bit mentally retarded and a timid man. How could he possibly have murdered anyone?
He is a healer and can cure people by putting his hands on them. The first person he cured was a guard, (the old man who is narrating this book). The Prison Warden hears about this and he asks John to come to visit him.
When John arrives the Warren asks him to remove the brain tumor in his wife.
What happens next? What is the Green Mile? You'll have to read the book to find out.
My Thoughts
I must have cried a million tears as I read this book. I have Afro American friends whose parents lived in Georgia during the 1930's. No Afro American man was safe living there and they were accused of doing things that white men did.
There is one gruesome scene, (that's what Steven King writes about best).
I thought the best section was ''The Bad Death Of Eduard Delacroix''.
The biggest question Steven King leaves us with is can a 104 man have a mind that could remember all of this.
My Conclusion
Even if you have seen the film the book is much better. I hope you will find a chance to read it.
Thanks for reading my review.
©LL2005
