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The Book Club :
The Green Mile

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 Chilli (original poster member #47017) posted at 7:24 AM on Thursday, July 30th, 2015

By Stephen King.

The movie has been one of my favourites for a long time, but only just got around to reading the book. I was interested to see which I would like best.

I think this is a one time thing, and testimony to just how well written, cast, and directed etc the movie was.... I love both.

I've not watched the movie in a while, but I will again, and from what I can remember the main storyline stayed really true to the book.

What the book adds (I can't remember the movie adding as much) is just a bit more of the story of Paul Edgecombe being in the retirement home.

If I was still getting books in paperback, this one would be popped onto the shelf of books that I revisit and reread, probably many times in the future. As it is, it shall be popped into the 'favourites' file on my kindle :)

10/10

Some things can't be fixed...

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HFSSC ( member #33338) posted at 11:59 AM on Thursday, July 30th, 2015

I agree. I really loved this book and the movie. I also have Four Seasons on my Kindle. My favorite novella is actually the one they didn't make a movie from.

Me, 56
Him, 48 (JMSSC)
Married 26 years. Reconciled.

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 Chilli (original poster member #47017) posted at 7:45 PM on Thursday, July 30th, 2015

I've never read any of his others, I might have to look some up :)

Some things can't be fixed...

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HFSSC ( member #33338) posted at 1:50 AM on Friday, July 31st, 2015

Different Seasons (I had the name wrong) is a collection of 4 novellas. One was made into the Shawshank Redemption movie (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption), one was made into Stand By Me (The Body), one was made into Apt Pupil (same name) and my favorite is called The Breathing Method.

Me, 56
Him, 48 (JMSSC)
Married 26 years. Reconciled.

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Clarrissa ( member #21886) posted at 11:56 AM on Friday, July 31st, 2015

I have the book (somewhere) and the movie. Both are excellent. One of the very few times Hollywood didn't completely screw up the adaptation (Running Man, Maximum Overdrive [Trucks] Children of the Corn, etc.)

If you look in the extra features on the DVD you'll find a "making of" documentary which is inteesting. Evidently Tom Hanks gave quite a performance - *off* camera in the scene that took place not long before John Coffey's execution.

I'll have to watch it again soon.

BH Cee64D - 50
FWW (me) - 51


All affairs are variations on a theme. No one has 'Beethoven's 5th' to everyone else's 'Chopsticks'.

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 Chilli (original poster member #47017) posted at 10:33 AM on Saturday, August 1st, 2015

I will dig out the dvd and look at that

Tom Hanks was perfect for that role I think. The whole movie was so well cast and they really didn't miss much out. I'll watch it soon but heading off on a trip tomorrow night so probably not until I'm back.

Some things can't be fixed...

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honesttoafault ( member #27105) posted at 7:24 AM on Saturday, September 19th, 2015

I loved the Green Mile, which was very well adapted to the screen.

I actually read the Green Mile as it was first published: as a serial. King had written in his prologue that Charles Dickens had written many of his works in a series in papers and one had to wait to the next episode came out. King said that he was guilty ( as many of us) of turning to the last pages of a book to see what the ending was before reading the whole thing. He wanted to publish the Green Mile as a series like Dickens and also so the reader couldn't sneak a peek at the end. ( I'm so full of trivia!!)

The problem with King and the movie adaptations of the past is that they focused on the horror aspect or more the grossness, when the real horror is that King would put the average person in a horrific situation and what their reaction to that situation is.... that is the horror.

To me, his most horrific book was Cujo, because it could actually happen. My son was 4 when I read it and King described how the mother felt and acted so accurately, that is was horrible to me!!!!

I digress,

I loved the Green Mile. It was in keeping with Shawshank Redemption (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption)

Another of King's works that you might like is "Dolores Claiborne".

I swear, you will believe by the second or third page that a real WOMAN is narrating this story!! Very well written.

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Undefinabl3 ( member #36883) posted at 5:29 PM on Monday, September 21st, 2015

I grew up with Steven King books. My dad and I share this hobby.

I LOVED this movie. Other movie adaptations of his works just really didn't hit the mark from the book but this one really did.

I am so glad you liked it!

Me: 35 MH
Him: 41 MH
New online find 6/19/14 - shit
Phone Find 11/21/14 - I can't even right now.
1/26/15 - Started IC for me, DH won't go.
1/10/18 - Again?!? Online EA's

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gypsybird87 ( member #39193) posted at 10:13 PM on Monday, September 21st, 2015

Stephen King's genre in general is outside what I normally read, but I did love movie version of the Green Mile so much that I also read the book. I liked it a lot and enjoyed learning more about some of the other residents on death row. For instance, when watching the movie, I couldn't imagine what "Del", the seemingly harmless guy with the mouse, had possible done to land there. In the movie his crime is never mentioned. You have to read the book to find out.

FWIW, my favorite Stephen King novel is more of a fairytale. It's called Eyes of the Dragon. Suspenseful and of course extremely well written, but not horror.

[This message edited by gypsybird87 at 4:13 PM, September 21st (Monday)]

Me: Enjoying life
Him: Someone else's problem

Follow your heart, but take your brain with you. ~ Alfred Adler
Letting go of the outcome is about the most empowering thing you can do for yourself. ~ LosferWords

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honesttoafault ( member #27105) posted at 6:36 AM on Friday, September 25th, 2015

gypsy: If you like fantasy/sci fi, read King's Dark Tower series. Excellent!!!

But not wanting to get off the topic of this thread :)

I loved the movie adaptation of the book.

There is a lot of depth in this book, like that John Coffey an innocent, pure person, almost an angel is misunderstood with his gifts and is almost labeled as "evil" when he is just the opposite.

And Tom Hanks, as King's usual "hero" who is the average "John Doe", a basically good person, a human being with good and bad, but mostly good and put in an unusual situation.

That is the basic theme of most of King's books. That is the horror: most of us are fairly good people. The basically good person is put in an horrific situation and what ensues is the horror...... dealing with our morals with a crazy situation.

[This message edited by honesttoafault at 12:45 AM, September 25th (Friday)]

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wannabenormal ( member #19772) posted at 8:20 AM on Friday, September 25th, 2015

If I remember correctly, The Green Mile 'book' actually came out in several installments. I loved Stephen King at the time and wasn't thrilled about buying the story in pieces, but I did it.

I think it came out in 6 smaller books. I remember feeling like it was a cheap marketing ploy that I'd up end spending over $10 overall for a paperback (which was a high price at the time, lol!).

The movie was a good adaptation of the book.

I must admit I haven't read Stephen King in a long time, but I always favored his more 'real life' stories versus sci-fi ones. The scary ones are okay, but I didn't read the sci-fi stuff.



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LouG ( new member #49059) posted at 1:59 PM on Tuesday, September 29th, 2015

I read the book after the movie. The movie really followed the book closely. There are a few little surprises but I couldn't stop thinking of the movie scenes while reading it.

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LouG ( new member #49059) posted at 1:59 PM on Tuesday, September 29th, 2015

I read the book after the movie. The movie really followed the book closely. There are a few little surprises but I couldn't stop thinking of the movie scenes while reading it.

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workingonmyself ( member #49740) posted at 12:54 PM on Friday, October 2nd, 2015

I loved the book and was happy to see the movie followed the book fairly closely

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Topic is Sleeping.
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