Book for March: Different Seasons

[Stephanie]

Beginning March 5th we will be discussing Different Seasons, one of King's most popular books of short stories.

Join us with your thoughts, ideas and questions, as it is your contributions that make the book club discussions interesting. You are truly an excellent group!

[sandie]

i am looking forward to this book..haven't read it since i bought the book.(1982) since then,it has been passed around to my friends,my sons friends,traveled from victorville ca. and back,so it will be nice to visit it again..

[Bookend]

I have devoured this book so many times. I read it because of the movie Stand By Me and ironically that's not even my favorite story. I love The Breathing Method. Just the idea of that much desire, power and strength. It's quite frightening. And you can't even touch Rita Hayworth... it's just such a great piece on every level.

I think the book on the whole book is so unlike King's M.O. that you can't help but admire his courage to put out something so different.

[Stephanie]

You know, sometimes when I'm thinking about King's different works, I wonder if he really has an M.O. It's thinking about the differences between Dolores Claiborne, Hearts in Atlantis, The Shining, Lisey's Story, The Stand, etc., that blows me away. Whenever a new book comes out I think, what will it be now? And I think it's fair to say he's sewed up the short story scene - I don't know of any other popular novelist who has had such success with his short stories as King. I cannot imagine what it must like to live inside his head. He's brilliant - it's normal for him of course, he doesn't know what it's like to be the rest of us. I just can't fathom what it would be like to have that many stories and characters rattling around in my brain. Crowded, I suppose.

[Vampyre]

From what he has written about himself, I understand he had a problem with substance abuse for a while. He has since recovered from that but I can understand why it may be a problem for him. He may have used it to silence all those voices trying to get out into print. While I do admire him and his talent, I don't think I'd want to be him.

One of my favorite things that he does do is when he shares the origin of the story with us, the constant reader. It often amazes me to find out how a story came into being.

I have heard rumors that he is retiring. While he may slow down, I don't think he can fully give up writing any more than us mere mortals could give up breathing.