“The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them. It’s hard to make strangers care about the good things in your life.”

This profound statement holds true in many aspects of our lives.

Besides Charles Dickens and Ruth Hogan, Stephen King is one of the few authors I admire who has always been able to stir so many different emotions in me in a single book.

Take, for example, the simple story of 4 adolescents who decide to embark on a journey to see the body of another youth who has been killed by a train. Any other author could have written this basic plot.

However, not anyone could have conveyed the complex web of senses such as pleasure, misery, horror, rage, decency, camaraderie, wonderment, and sympathy that are embedded throughout the story.

Stephen King's masterful storytelling allows readers to truly experience these emotions as if they were part of the characters' lives.

His ability to create vivid and relatable characters, along with a captivating plot, makes his books a must-read for any literature enthusiast.

Hello, welcome to another episode of Fred-Reviews-Books-Literally-Five-Minutes-After-He-Finished-Them!

After a brief break from the great book I'm currently reading, I delved into Stephen King's The Body last night and completed it just now. I couldn't resist reviewing it right away, which might be a testament to its quality!

The Body, also known as Fallen from Innocence, is the novella that inspired the highly acclaimed film Stand By Me. It follows four boys - Chris, Gordie, Teddy, and Vern - who live in Castle Rock, Maine. (Maine is also the setting of King's It, but the specific location is Derry, not Castle Rock.)

In September 1960, as summer is coming to an end, the boys learn that a boy their age, Ray Browers, has gone missing and his body is rumored to be near the railway tracks. Driven by curiosity, they embark on an expedition to find the body, while also experiencing psychological growth and self-discovery.

The characters are well-developed. Chris comes from a troubled family with an alcoholic and violent father. Gordon, the narrator in his adult self, has recently lost his elder brother in a jeep accident and feels ignored at home. Teddy's father is mentally unstable and has physically hurt him as a child. Vern is the one who first hears about the body and initiates the adventure.

The book explores various themes such as self-realization, the impact of death, the struggle to conform to social norms, childhood trauma, friendship in difficult times, the difficulty of expressing oneself, and memory. Despite its short length, it has many layers.

I found this novella to be satisfying, interesting, and at times, heartwarming. What I appreciated most was the absence of horror, which is unusual for a Stephen King book. This made the story more accessible to me and allowed me to focus on the aspects I enjoy about his writing, such as the excellent character development and descriptive writing style.

Stephen King's writing is not on the level of George Eliot or Jane Austen, but he is still able to evoke strong emotions in the reader and make them empathize with his characters. For example, Chris Chambers is written beautifully, and I could easily understand his struggles and cheer for him throughout the book. The writing is also very readable and the reading experience is fluid.

Another aspect I liked was the perfect length of the book. It didn't feel too long or too short, and King was able to convey his message effectively in a concise manner. The only small complaint I have is about the relationship between Gordie and his elder brother. In the film, their relationship is close and emotional, but in the book, Gordie seems more distant from his brother. However, this may be a matter of personal preference or a difference in the adaptation.

Overall, I highly recommend The Body, regardless of whether you have seen Stand By Me, are a Stephen King fan, or a horror fan. It is a great book with well-developed characters, impressive themes, and a writing style that won't disappoint. While I may not be a dedicated Stephen King fan, I can appreciate the quality of this novella and give it 4 stars.

Definitely my favorite book that I’ve read this year.

It truly stands out as a masterpiece of storytelling.

The author has crafted a narrative that is both engaging and captivating from start to finish.

The characters are well-developed and come to life on the pages, making it easy for the reader to become invested in their journeys.

The plot is filled with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, never knowing what will happen next.

The writing style is smooth and flowing, making it a pleasure to read.

Overall, this is some damn fine storytelling that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a great book to read.

It has left a lasting impression on me and I will surely be thinking about it for a long time to come.

I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for us in the future.

I made a decision to read this book as I had watched the movie and truly relished it. Therefore, I believed that reading the book would offer me a different perspective and enhance my understanding.

One character who really intrigued me was Chris Chambers. He is the kind of friend one would梦寐以求 to have. He is kind-hearted, humorous, and will always defend you. He is also honest and will push you to do your utmost because he solely desires what is best for his friends.

My favorite quote from the book is, "If your parents are to f!#>$% up to do it, then maybe I should" (Chris Chambers). I like this quote because it vividly demonstrates how deeply Chris cares about his friend Gordie. Gordie's parents are indifferent to his career as a writer, but Chris recognizes his true potential. He is essentially saying that if Gordie's parents won't support him, then he will.

From this book, I have learned that no matter how many times your friend teases or makes fun of you, they are just kidding around. A true friend will always be honest with you and stand by your side. That is the essence of true friendship.

I really wanted to like this as much as I enjoyed the movie “Stand By Me.”

However, I just wasn’t able to enjoy the characters in this book as much as the cinematic storytelling.

The book has its own charm and tells a good story.

It is based on the foundation of “Stand by Me,” which is highly regarded.

Despite not having the same level of character enjoyment as the movie, it is still worth the read out of respect for the source material.

The story likely has its own unique elements and details that add to its overall appeal.

Perhaps upon a second reading or a more in-depth analysis, I might be able to appreciate the characters and the story in a different light.

Nonetheless, it is important to note that the movie and the book are two different mediums, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Overall, this book is a worthy addition to the “Stand by Me” franchise and offers a different perspective on the story.

The article titled "Stand by Me and The Body: A Comparison" offers a detailed look at the differences between the novella "The Body" by Stephen King and the movie "Stand by Me" based on it. The author initially gave the novella two stars but later revised it to four stars, stating that the written story is more realistic than the movie in many aspects. For example, the behavior of the 12-year-old boys in the book is more in line with what one would expect, while in the movie, they are sometimes overly mature. The author also mentions that Gordie's relationship with his older brother Dennis is more realistic in the book. However, the author still prefers the movie for several reasons, including its emotional pull, the fact that it has been a comfort during tough times, and the childhood crushes on River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton. The author also points out a couple of flaws in the book, such as Gordie's excessive focus on his writing career and the inclusion of a bad side story. Overall, the author concludes that both the book and the movie have their merits and recommends reading the book and then watching the movie.

HD Film Tribute music video for Stand by Me. (That movie was based on this novella.) The song, of course, is "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King.

Update, 6/7/20:

It looks like I was wrong with my original assessment, and I disagree with my 31-year-old self below. In my defense, I wrote that review five years after I read this, and my memory was a little murky. As a result, I'm bumping this from two to four stars. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that I now think the written story is superior to the movie in most respects as it's more realistic. The movie kids were occasionally pretty mature for 12-year-olds. For example, when one was hurting or crying, another would go up to him and comfort him.

  

It's very touching, and goddam don't I just eat that kind of shit up when it's done right which is the case here, but it's also extremely unusual behavior for one so young. 12-year-old boys are, by and large, little shits. They can't help it. I could see a 16 or 17-year-old offering comfort for a hurting friend, but only very special 12-year-olds would do it, and it would have to be on the right day, and the wind would have to be right, and... well, let's just say it would have to be a perfect storm of circumstances.

In the book, when one breaks down, the others let him have his meltdown while they stand away awkwardly or make comments to each other because they don't know what else to do. In one scene a couple of them are just flat out laughing in hysterics over the show they're witnessing, though that was an anger explosion and not a crying jag. (That came later.) That's exactly how most 12-year-olds would handle such matters, but there are always exceptions.

Gordie's relationship with his older brother Dennis was also more realistic in the book. In the movie they're all buddy-buddy all the time, and we get scenes that make you go "Awwww, ain't that sweet," just like with the friends comforting friends bit I mentioned. In the novella, Dennis treats his little brother like a little brother 10 years his junior, which is exactly what he is. Most 16-year-olds would be a bit resentful having their 6-year-old brother along when he's trying to chill with his friends. Gordie mentions a couple of instances where Dennis was super chummy, but mostly they pursued their own age-appropriate interests and left each other alone.

Rob Reiner also added some interactions with the older bullies in the movie that were absent in the book, such as the hat scene. I understand the changes he made, and I wholeheartedly approve of them because they work in the movie where they wouldn't work as well in the book. Movies need different things to achieve cohesion. The converse is true as well. There are things in the book that just wouldn't translate well on screen. Stephen King himself tells us "Books and movies are apples and oranges – they’re both delicious, but they don’t taste the same at all." Stand by Me and The Body are a great example of this. The alterations in the movie make it a better movie, but they don't belong in the book. The book as written works perfectly as a book, but the changes in the film are unnecessary on the page.

However, this is staying on my "liked movie better" shelf. How can it not regardless of how I now think the book is technically better? It's a favorite for several reasons. It pulls at my heartstrings, I've seen it a million times, I about have it memorized line for line, it's seen me through some tough times, it's still my comfort food, I can relate to the characters, their emotions, their relationships with each other and other adult characters, the way they find out about some harsh truths in the world, the "Fall from Innocence" (which is the subtitle for this story). It just speaks to me. The book doesn't speak to me in the same way, though it came close.

Plus, I had a childhood crush on River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton, both of which started with this movie though I was too young to watch it when it came out, but I looked at their pictures on the back of the soundtrack record album which I got for Christmas in fourth grade. Also, the soundtrack is awesome, and I listened to it often as a kid. Seriously, there isn't a dud on it.

Another reason I like the movie better is that there are a couple of flaws in the book. Well, "flaw" might be putting it too harshly, but it's the best I can do. Gordie is overly focused on his career as a writer, and how this adventure influenced that. He jerks you out of the main story a couple of times to talk about that, and it's distracting. The worst example is when he gives us the side fiction "Stud City" about Chico which, to put it plainly, sucks ass. Showing how bad it was was one of the points of sharing that story, though. That and showing how his older brother's death showed up in his writing, and bro's death is very much a part of the main plot. But, like I said, the story blows. I had to slog through it, and I remembered how much I hated that part from when I read it 15 years ago. In fact, I remembered that better than I remembered the rest of the novella; that's how bad it was. As I was reading it this time, I kept remarking how much it sounded like Hemingway, which is something you never want to hear from me because I can't stand his shit. It was ironic that Gordie mentioned this after he was done telling that story ("style by Hemingway... theme by Faulkner"), and a relief to find out that he also thought it sucked. I'm sorry, but any story that forces me to read something that bad for 10 agonizing pages can never get five stars from me. Luckily, most of this "my life as a writer" stuff happens intermittently in the first three-quarters of the book, and the last quarter is where this earns most of its stars. This is odd since Stephen King is notorious for failing to stick the landing, but he pulls it off here.

So, contrary to what the 31-year-old idiot below says, read this, man, read it! Then also go watch the movie.

Original review, 8/10/10 (based on memories of reading it sometime in 2005):

I must admit that I had a hard time reading this without a lot of bias since one of my top five favorite movies, Stand By Me, is based on it. I had seen the movie before reading the story, and I'm afraid this is one of the rare cases where the movie is better than the book. There were a couple of changes between the story and the movie. One is that Chris Chambers has the gun at the end instead of Gordie LeChance. And though I'm not a Rob Reiner fan, he is one hell of a director, and I like him giving Gordie the gun. Stand By Me seems like a polished up version of "The Body." That movie is, after all, an incredibly tough act to follow. Also, there were other interludes in the story that weren't in the movie. For example, Gordie tells some of the other stories that he had written, and they kind of sucked and detracted from the main plot itself. It was nicely done in the movie with just the one story about Davie Hogan and the pie eating contest. And there I go again, comparing it to the movie.

The story isn't bad, I don't think. Just do yourself a favor and watch the movie instead.

Actual rating - 3.75

This rating of 3.75 indicates a certain level of performance or quality. It might suggest that the subject being rated has both strengths and areas that could use improvement. A score of 3.75 is not a perfect 5, but it's also not a low score. It implies that there are aspects that are quite good, perhaps even excellent, while others might need some attention. For example, if it's a product, it could have great features and functionality but maybe a few minor glitches or areas where the user experience could be enhanced. Or if it's a service, the overall service might be good, but there could be some delays or inefficiencies in certain processes. In any case, a 3.75 rating provides valuable feedback for the provider to understand where they stand and what they can do to further improve and reach a higher level of satisfaction among their customers or users.

I consider this to be the second finest Stephen King story that I have read up until now. It is a truly sensational read.

It reminds me somewhat of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, although I'm not making a direct comparison here. As the director of the movie adaptation accurately pointed out, the title of this story is a bit misleading.

In the movie, they called it "Stand by Me", and I believe that title suits this tale much better. I just watched the movie today, and it was also extremely impressive.

Perhaps I like it a little bit better than the novella, despite the fact that it lacks the sense of humor that we see in the original story.

Nevertheless, this is a very skillfully crafted coming-of-age story. King is an outstanding horror story writer, but maybe... just maybe, his true talent lies in this type of story.

Overall, both the story and the movie are well worth experiencing and offer unique perspectives on the journey of growing up.

I made up my mind that in 2020, I would make a greater effort to read some works of Stephen King. After reading "The Body", I truly wish I had begun my King exploration with it.

However, I didn't really have a great affection for the two short stories within the novella. When the first one commenced, I was left wondering if I had somehow obtained a strange electronic version that had jumbled together two separate novels.

What I found most appealing about the novella was the concept that the most significant things are the most arduous to express.

As it is stated, "The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are things you get ashamed of, because words make them smaller. When they were in your head they were limitless; but when they come out they seem to be no bigger than normal things. But that's not all. The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried; they are clues that could guide your enemies to a prize they would love to steal. It's hard and painful for you to talk about these things... and then people just look at you strangely. They haven't understood what you've said at all, or why you almost cried while you were saying it." This profound observation really struck a chord with me and made me reflect on the power and limitations of language when it comes to expressing our deepest emotions and thoughts.

Overall, despite my initial reservations about the short stories, "The Body" as a whole left a lasting impression on me and has made me eager to explore more of Stephen King's works.

Going into this book, I had a preconceived notion. I thought it would be about a group of 12-year-old boys who stumble upon a dead body and how that discovery alters their lives in a profound and dramatic way. However, as I delved deeper into the story, I quickly realized that was not the case at all.

In fact, the book is simply about the normal friendship that exists between four 12-year-old boys and their lives during that particular age. It explores the joys, the challenges, the dreams, and the everyday experiences that these boys go through.

There is no doubt that nobody knows how to write about 12-year-olds better than Stephen King. He has proven this time and time again, and he has done so once more in this novella. The way he captures the essence of their thoughts, their emotions, and their interactions is truly remarkable. Reading this book is like taking a step back in time and reliving those formative years. It is a beautifully written and incredibly realistic portrayal of what it means to be 12 years old.

In 1960, four twelve-year-old boys embarked on a truly ridiculous adventure, and this account is not only beautifully written but also incredibly moving. It's one of Stephen King's best works, devoid of the ghosts, vampires, horror, or supernatural elements that he is renowned for.

Instead, it simply focuses on four boys engaging in the kind of activities that typical 12-year-old boys would do. Their journey is filled with laughter, tears, and moments of self-discovery.

The novella is so captivating that it served as the basis for the very successful movie "Stand by Me." The story has the power to transport readers back to their own childhoods,唤起 memories of the friendships and adventures that shaped them.

It shows that sometimes, the simplest of stories can have the greatest impact.

Four friends went on a journey in search of a "corpse". Fern informed his friends about it.

The story ended with them finding themselves and the corpse.

A wonderful novel compelled me to download the film that was adapted from it to watch.

This adventure of the four friends was filled with mystery and anticipation. As they set out on their search, they had no idea what they would encounter. Along the way, they faced various challenges and obstacles that tested their friendship and courage.

The discovery of the corpse was a turning point in their journey. It made them question their motives and the true nature of what they were looking for. In the end, they not only found the corpse but also gained a deeper understanding of themselves and each other.

The novel that inspired the film must have been truly captivating to have such a powerful impact on me. I am looking forward to watching the film and seeing how it brings the story to life on the big screen.