Four entirely different short stories make this book up, three of
which were made into great movies. 'Rita..& Shawshank' was
every bit as great in the book as people rave the movie is. I would
by this book on the strength of this short story alone! But there's
more. Interviews I have heard with King have informed me that most
of 'The Body' (Stand By Me) was based on his own childhood
experiences, and fine ones they were. Once again King writes about
children trying to survive the horrors of an adult world in the
50's and 60's. Another great tale! 'Apt Pupil' was a so-so story
that starts off with true genuine suspense, but then trails off
into a series of events that aren't quite explained and don't make
sense. 'The Breathing Method' wasn't very good, but who cares? It's
the shortest of all the stories, and hardly the attention grabber
here. 'Shawshank' and 'The Body' are the two excellent stories that
I strongly reccomend you read. 'Apt Pupil' is pretty good, and of
course, a must for fans of the movie. I didn't even finish 'The
Breathing Method'.