The Green Mile was the very first King story that I decided to take on. At that time, I was eager to start delving into more 'grownup' books. The unique publication history of its serialized nature, which harked back to the Dickens era, was an extremely tempting way for my 13-year-old self to attempt reading something more mature in short intervals.

Each month, while still purchasing the latest Goosebumps (more out of a sense of loyalty at that point), I would embark on a journey to the Cold Mountain Penitentiary and experience the events surrounding the condemned killers on death row.

King has always excelled in creating vivid characters. Both Paul Edgecombe, the story's narrator and death row supervisor, and the imposing figure of John Coffey are the beating heart of the novel. King had to put in extra effort to establish a connection with his regular readers, hoping they would stay with the story each month.

So many of the story's themes were clearly not suitable for this impressionable young reader on the first go-round. While most of the novel focuses on magical realism, there are plenty of horrific moments that one would expect from King. Firstly, John's conviction for raping and murdering two young girls is brutally described. The gruesome fate that awaits Eduard Delacroix is almost equally shocking.

The events of this novel had a much greater emotional impact this time around, especially during the sixth and final part. It's a powerful and gut-wrenching ending for the characters that you have come to love. This is the highest-rated King novel on Goodreads, and it is completely justified. It will now be my go-to recommendation for anyone who wants to read King for the first time.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was undoubtedly one of the best books I have ever read. I enjoyed it even more than I expected, and I had set the bar super high!

It was also the most horrible book I have ever read - but in the best possible way! Not a single sentence was unnecessary. I relished every scene and interaction.

The main character was developed wonderfully. He really seemed like a real person, and at times it was difficult for me to remember that he was just fictional. It was easy to forget that all of this was just fabricated. Even the fantastical aspects were written and presented in a way that made them seem realistic and believable!

Some might argue that John Coffey's character development is a bit lacking as you don't learn too much about him and his life. But I thought this was perfect for him and for the role he plays in the story.

I found myself constantly eager to keep reading. I was so desperate to find out what would happen next that I forgot everything around me! But at the same time, I wanted to put the book aside and never pick it up again because I just didn't want the story to end.

I also want to mention that I had never seen the movie before, so I had no idea what would happen. I'm really glad about this because the events that unfolded in part 6 completely took me by surprise. Looking back, I have to say that the suspense and the buildup to it were done in a perfectly subtle way - something I would love to see more of in other books! I often correctly guess what will happen in the end, but this time nothing prepared me, and I was completely clueless throughout.

Overall, this was a wonderful reading experience, and I already know that this story will stay with me for the rest of my life and will be reread many times. I wish I could better describe my feelings about the topics of this book, but there are simply too many emotions. I tried telling my mum about my thoughts, but I just couldn't find the right words - nothing seemed to do this fantastic book justice.