399 pages
English language
Published Nov. 8, 2000 by Scribner.
In the Old South of the 1930s, when a gentle giant of a man is sentenced to death for the murder and rape of two little girls, the fact that he is black and the girls are white is inflammatory enough, but the situation is further complicated by his near muteness and gift for healing.
"Set in the 1930s at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary's death- row facility, The Green Mile is the story of John Coffey, a giant, preternaturally gentle inmate condemned to death for the rape and murder of twin nine-year-old girls. It is a story narrated years later by Paul Edgecomb, the ward superintendent compelled to help every prisoner spend his last days peacefully and every man walk the green mile to execution with his humanity intact."--BOOK JACKET.
An emotional and startling journey down the green mile, complete with fascinating characters, that'll stay with after the end.
In which the stereotypical magical black man stuns all by being spiritually gifted but is characterized as being hulking and stupid. Real classy
Un roman de Stephen King que j'avais bien aimé à l'époque où je l'avais lu. Marquant, par son cadre, ses personnages et son récit.
Oof. What a read! I really loved this book. Stephen Kind is such an amazing story teller. And so visual. He makes you hear and see things, and (unfortunately) to smell them too. I did not see any of the twists coming, and when last did that happen? Usually you can plot twists come trudging up over the horizon and by the time you reach them you can greet them by the hand like old friends.
This story is told from the point of view of Paul Edgecomb, a guard at the Death Row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. His life seems to be ticking over in a fairly orderly way until the arrival of John Coffey. Very large, very black, covered with scars and accused of a horrific crime. And yet even before he knows anything about him, Paul finds himself shaking hands with John Coffey. A thing he has …
Oof. What a read! I really loved this book. Stephen Kind is such an amazing story teller. And so visual. He makes you hear and see things, and (unfortunately) to smell them too. I did not see any of the twists coming, and when last did that happen? Usually you can plot twists come trudging up over the horizon and by the time you reach them you can greet them by the hand like old friends.
This story is told from the point of view of Paul Edgecomb, a guard at the Death Row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. His life seems to be ticking over in a fairly orderly way until the arrival of John Coffey. Very large, very black, covered with scars and accused of a horrific crime. And yet even before he knows anything about him, Paul finds himself shaking hands with John Coffey. A thing he has never done with a death row prisoner before.
Since this is Stephen King, you probably already know that things get pretty grim. You learn a lot more about the electric chair than you really need to know. But wow! What a book. A great story that tears you right along with it.
I did find the Christ symbolism a little over the top at times, but you know what? It made sense as well. Fantastic book.
''This happened in 1932, when the state penitentiary was still at Cold Mountain. And the electric chair was there, too, of course.''
One of my favorite King stories
