The Green Mile - Stephen King

The primary reason that I ventured to read this book, was the need to watch the movie adaptation of it, casting Mr. Tom Hanks in the lead role. It is possibly the only Hanks movie that I've missed out on, especially from his older work. With respect to the author, Stephen King, this was my second outing with him, after "The Shining" - which I read on my Kindle ( in contrast to the audiobook of Green Mile ) I've got to say that with respect to the book - I like Green Mile much more than the Shining. The Shining came up a better creation in its movie format.

Charles Dickens published most of his books in installments, and this was on King's mind when he wrote this books - he calls them chapbooks. This can be detected as a new part gives a little recap of how the previous installment left off. But this didn't dampen the flow.

About the novel; The novel is based on the happenings at the State Penitentiary in Louisiana, in the year of 1932. Racism was very rampant, and our novel's main character is a giant of a man, with the initials JC - as in Jesus Christ. This man, had a very strange gift, similar to that Sage. But just like that Sage, the modern JC didn't mind sacrificing himself, for he was "very tired" and "hurting" due to the badness prevalent everywhere. Now make no mistake - no where in the novel is this allegory made - not even hinted. But this is, as usual "reading" of this reviewer, for there is no point in stating a synopsis of a novel, in this era, as another frequent book-worm reviewer stated in these very pages recently. So the outline will be left to a bear minimum. The comparison to Jesus Christ, is what dawned upon me, as I read this book. Such a good man, the reader cannot help thinking. He didn't deserve what he got, the reader can't help thinking. The happenings related to JC, in this book, reminded me of the historical figure, for the incidents suggest that the writer had the historical Sage in his mind, when formulating the character of his penitentiary inmate.

I read the Stephen Fry narration, and he did a very good job, accentuating with the Southern drawl, as appropriate. This narration method, complimented by how King identifies racism for its ugly self, even in those who like to think of themselves as refined, gives a hint of how deep rooted discriminating thought processes, can harm society. Possibly this is one of the biggest lessons t obe learned from this book.
Here's and excerpt; ""Hammersmith, the reporter - Hammersmith who had been to college in Bowling Green, Hammersmith who liked to think of himself as enlightened, Hammersmith who had told me that mongrel dogs and Negroes were about the same, that either might take a chomp out of you suddenly, and for no reason. Except he kept calling them your Negroes, as if they were still property ... but not his property. No, not his. Never his. And at that time, the South was full of Hammersmiths."

In summary,  I am glad that I read this book, even though this type of  genre - thriller with a touch of the Supernatural isn't my usual read - hence the book being slotted for the traffic hours. I may possibly read a couple of "Kings", provided I can get them in the same format. He's proving to be a bit of a guilty pleasure.

A word about the movie before I wind up; The movie edition I think is edited round about right, and the novel too am afraid would've been benefited with  that length. The late Michael Clarke Duncan was nominated for an Oscar for the best supporting actor, and oh boy, does he deserve it, if not the award ! The movie too is very good, although at over three hours it is a bit of long sit in.