Coffey's Hands

I did not read this book in the original serialized aspect. Instead, I read this not too many years ago as the one book. And I do not believe that it hurt the book at all. I don’t think there is anything that could hurt this book.

The Ugly: As I said, there is hardly anything wrong with this book. The only thing I couldn’t stand about the book was the fact that it was told in flashback form. I don’t know what it is, but when it comes to flashbacks I don’t usually have a problem with them. It was just in this book it didn’t seem to work out for me.

The Bad: Just because a man isn’t smart, doesn’t mean that he won’t be able to find a way to make it be known that he wasn’t the one to the kill the girls. Just by looking at the man, one would be able to tell that he wasn’t a killer. Sadly, he wasn’t smart enough to even kill a person. I know it was part of the book, but it also hurt the story going through.

The Good: The emotions of the book is what drove it along. And it was what made the book so damn good. King was brilliant in the way he made everyone seem like their lives are nothing more than their emotions in the writing. It just seemed that this is the most emotional book that King has written.

Final Thoughts: Even if you have seen this movie, you need to read this book. Easily one of King’s best books just because of the emotion in it.

I worked in the corrections field for along time. What the story tell's, and shows, Is the extent of what truly
happens from the time the crime is committed, To the final determination of guilt. It shows also the racial
bigotry of that era and how people of color received that justice. Even in prison people can be merciful.
It also can show how political influence plays out in how people are hired, Promoted. Even in todays time,
Those with the political clout are given the preferred positions and promotions. This book is a great writing

If you've seen the award-winning movie with Tom Hanks, then by and large, you know exactly what to expect from this book. That's not to say you shouldn't read this book for fear it will be redundant. In fact, I would almost advise you to watch the movie first, then read the book. The movie recreates the novel almost scene for scene, so much so that, barring some minor omissions, the movie quotes much of the dialogue verbatim. I say watch the movie first because when you read the book, you'll compulsively imagine each of the characters using the actor that portrayed them in the film. Each actor that was cast was PERFECT for the character as they're described in "The Green Mile", so for those who have trouble transforming words into a face and accent, the movie helps out a lot. A word of caution though: while 3/4s of the novel is translated to film almost perfectly, the movie cuts out multiple scenes that occur later in the book, and ultimately changes the ending quite extensively ... and that's for the better. The final scenes in the book are good, without a doubt, but in comparison to the film, somewhat lacking for dramatic impact. Additionally, there is a chapter at the very end of the book that, really, can just be ignored, as it feels tacked on and doesn't add anything to the rest of the story.

If you're familiar with, and have read Stephen King's work, then in many ways you know what to expect from this novel: dialogue, including slang and vernacular, are handled beautifully in this novel, and as always, makes you feel like someone you know is relating this story to you. In the case of "The Green Mile", this is especially true since this is one of King's only books to use the first person perspective throughout. And it's not simply that instead of a lot of third person phrasing it uses first person phrasing, but that the narrator himself is truly a character both within and outside the story. What I mean by this is that "The Green Mile" takes the format of an old man recalling, bit by bit, his experiences from 60 years prior. As would be befitting of something like this, this means the narrative is frequently interjected with frank opinions, incongruous recollections, and general use of slang that makes it feel exactly like a real person is recalling a real set of memories. To some this might make the story somewhat confusing; at times, the narrative doubles back on itself (though this is mostly an artifict of the conversion from serial novella to one piece novel), and each chapter begins in the present day before flipping back to the 1930s.

Unlike many of King's novels, this story is largely devoid of any monsters, aliens, or magical happenings. In fact, other than a few scenes (possibly a half-dozen in number or so), this story reads mostly as a period piece centered around one strange man's time on death row. But this isn't a bad thing at all; this story is still incredibly compelling, reading like a combination of a character study and a classic mystery tale. The eventual plot twist heigtens the drama and throws things for a loop, which makes the conclusion of both the 1930s plot, and the current day plot nothing short of memorable to a degree that might bring forth a few tears. I would definitely advise that you leave yourself an hour or so to read right through the final chapters of the novel to avoid interrupting the pace and emotional impact.

I could write a thousand word essay and never do this book the justice it deserves. The FLAVOR of the time and place is more than HD could ever be. So please do not let me hear, "Oh, I saw the movie." So what? The intimate story is told in 7D, with help from the master story-teller. NO, NOT EVER will the move be as good as the story was meant to be - and is. (I saw the move as well, it was darned good!) Stephen transports you to a place and time that no longer exist. People lived in such a different world then; even though not that many years ago, that time is so... gone.. The narrative style is GENIUS. Of course it goes without saying that things happen in this book that are better left unspoken. But you leave satisfied.