At the beginning of this second part of "The Four Seasons", I started it with a bit of anticipation because I didn't know what I was going to encounter. The previous one left me with a bit of a so-so feeling because I only liked one of the stories

Comparisons are hateful, but in this case, it is inevitable to compare with Las cuatro estaciones: primavera/verano, which is considered the first volume of a compilation of four short novels, a genre that SK is generally very good at. In fact, for the first book, I gave it 5 stars because both stories seemed incredible to me.

However, this is not the case. Both stories are short. I don't think they have the structure of novels. They are more like a short story or tale that has been lengthened to justify the book.

In the first story, a group of teenagers embark on what they consider the adventure of their lives in search of the body of a missing child in their town, and the problems this brings them are narrated.

In the second, an elderly gentleman is invited to a mysterious club where they share stories and tales that leave the members quite intrigued.

In both cases, King includes other stories narrated by the same characters, none of which seemed entirely interesting to me.

The second novel had quite a bit of potential but is ruined by the inclusion of another story narrated within the story. Stories within stories.

I need to read the SK that I have been a fan of again.

2/5

4.5 ⭐️

Stand by Me is one of my favorite movies. After postponing reading the book for a long time, I finally managed to do it.

The book is equal to or even better than the audiovisual piece. Each character is unique. Besides, I always felt a bit identified with Gordie LaChance. In this work, we get to know each of his thoughts in detail. On the other hand, Chris will always be the best of the four.

The story is very entertaining at times, although inevitably it always ends in tragedy. I would not change anything about it at all. It is a short story with a great deal of emotion.

I feel that I am becoming more and more familiar with Stephen King's writing style, and I am truly grateful!!

Muy buenos cuentos. En el primero, conforme iba leyendo, me sorprendió que se parecía demasiado a la película Stand by me. Era como si estuviera viendo la película en mis mentes. Y, de hecho, resulta que la película está basada en este libro. Me dije a mí misma: "¡Ay, no me había dado cuenta!" Y me reí un poco, jajajaja.

Es interesante cómo la adaptación de un libro a la pantalla puede llevar a diferentes percepciones. Aunque la película y el cuento compartan la misma historia base, la forma en que se presentan y se desarrollan pueden ser muy distintas. En este caso, la película seguramente ha añadido sus propios toques y detalles que han dado a la historia un aspecto diferente.

Me ha hecho querer volver a leer el cuento y ver la película de nuevo, para comparar y disfrutar de ambas versiones. Creo que es una buena manera de profundizar en la historia y descubrir nuevos detalles y perspectivas. Además, me ha recordado lo importante que es leer y disfrutar de las historias, ya sea en forma de libro o de película.

This is the first book I have read by this author about whom I had a negative prejudice.

To be honest, it is very beautiful. It is a good story, well told, with some digressions by the author that give it another nuance and actually enrich it.

Although I haven't read anything else by this author, I don't think this is one of his typical stories.

It has a certain charm and uniqueness that makes it stand out.

The way the author weaves the plot and develops the characters is quite engaging.

Even the digressions, which might seem out of place at first, actually add depth and complexity to the overall narrative.

I am pleasantly surprised by this book and it has made me reconsider my initial opinion of the author.

I would definitely be interested in reading more of his works in the future to see if they can live up to the standard set by this one.

"Different Seasons" (1982) in its original version gathers 4 novellas by Stephen King, which Spanish editors mysteriously decided to divide into 2 parts.

This second part contains those corresponding to Autumn and Winter.

My interest in these four stories was mainly focused on the first tale of this second volume: “The Body” (*****).

As soon as one starts reading, King's prose catches him and connects him with the environment and its protagonists, since beyond the main thread, it enriches its plot with complementary stories, meta-literary exercises and memorable characters with complex biographies.

Who didn't have in a lost summer of their childhood an adventure similar to that of Teddy, Vern, Chris and Gordie? That summer after which nothing is the same, whose effect lasts throughout our lives.

“The Body” was adapted to film by Rob Reiner in the wonderful “Stand by Me”, one of the excellent eighties classics, which among many others has the participation of the already mythical Corey Feldman.

“The Breathing Method” (****) is the story that corresponds to Winter. It revolves around a club located at number 249-B on East Thirty-fifth Street, where select gentlemen meet.

The club has a large library (which attracts anyone), a gym, a sauna, a particular “butler” named Stevens (who is more than he seems) and several traditions.

One of them is that one of the members tells a story, and the Christmas one is very special. In reality, it is the Thursday before Christmas when a mystery one is told.

David Adley (narrator of this story) had been attending the club for over 10 years when McCarron began the Christmas tale of that year: “The Breathing Method”.

Once again, King presents us with his literary games and I confess that my interest was more in the mysterious club than in McCarron's story itself, which tells the heartbreaking life of Sandra Sansfield and which is not impactful enough.

In short, a great level in the four stories presented in the volumes of “The Four Seasons”.

King

Love has teeth that bite, and the wounds never heal. No word, no combination of words can cure those bites of love. But the opposite is also true, that's the irony. If those wounds close, the words die with them.

In this novel, the second part of stories belonging to the four seasons, autumn and winter, is collected.

In the autumn part, we have "The Body", in which Gordie Lachance, as an adult, narrates an episode of his life when he was a child. His group of childhood friends and he discover the existence of a corpse of a missing child around their town and decide to go together to take a look. Far from revolving around the corpse itself, in this short story, we will get to know the lives of these children, all of them with serious family and personal problems, and the bond that is established between them. The excursion they have to make on the way to the body will mark their lives and their destinies and will let us explore their feelings, their environment, and their concerns.

For the winter, we have "The Breathing Method", which tells one of the stories told in a mysterious men's club in New York. When our protagonist enters the club, he notices the strange and sinister atmosphere it gives off, and his feeling intensifies when one of his companions tells the story of a pregnant woman and her disturbing birth. Although I think it's the weakest story of the four, it's the one that gave me the worst feeling, especially in the last conversation between the protagonist and the owner of the club.

After reading the four stories (I don't quite understand why it's separated into two novels when King has much longer books, to be honest), I have to say that my favorites have been "The Body" and "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption". I think King has a gift for getting into the minds of young and troubled protagonists, and those in which he narrates their descent into madness are always my favorites.

Still, I think all of them are worth reading and I'm glad to have read the author again with them after so many months. I promise not to let so much time pass for the next one.

Dos historias son presentadas aquí. En cuanto al cuerpo, se le asigna una calificación de 9/10. Esto indica que el cuerpo en cuestión posee características y atributos que son altamente valorados. Quizás sea un cuerpo fuerte, saludable y bien formado, con una apariencia atractiva y una funcionalidad óptima.

Asimismo, el método de la respiración también recibe una calificación de 9/10. Esto sugiere que el método utilizado para respirar es efectivo y adecuado. Puede ser un método que permite una buena ventilación pulmonar, una distribución equilibrada de oxígeno en el cuerpo y una relajación adecuada. Un método de respiración correcto es fundamental para la salud física y mental, ya que afecta la energía, la concentración y la capacidad de relajación.

Ambas historias, el cuerpo y el método de la respiración, son importantes y merecen atención. Un cuerpo saludable y un método de respiración adecuado pueden contribuir a una vida más plena y equilibrada.

I don't know if it caught me at the perfect moment for reading. But I really enjoyed this book and it was a pleasant surprise.

In this anthology called “The Four Seasons”, with four short stories by Stephen King that are not of horror or macabre nature, we see an author who is a rough diamond. In Spain, this anthology was divided into two books, with two stories in each. I already reviewed the first installment and was satisfied, as it has the original story that I fell in love with in its movie adaptation: “The Shawshank Redemption” (originally “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”).

I didn't know what stories this second installment contained and I let myself be carried away. The first story is “The Body”, which was adapted to the movie “Stand by Me”. The second is “The Breathing Method”. I wouldn't be able to say which story I liked more, but I'll tell you that both caught me from the first moment.

This book is a small matryoshka whose main story, simple, without major twists or thrilling events, hides other tales and short stories. And all of them show reflections, intimate concerns of the author that are so close, human and recognizable. They are stories with a sad, melancholic and reverent veil before destiny. Not fatalistic, but notably moving. Stephen King is able to invent dramas and domestic stories that depict the society in which we live and in which we can recognize something of our own experiences and those of our neighbors.

Alcoholism, school bullying, teenage friendship, destiny, the difficulties of social climbing, death, prejudices… Everything is there. It is impossible not to recognize oneself or feel that what the author is telling is exactly what you have felt at some point in your life. And he portrays it with such well-expressed words and facts that I couldn't put the book down every time I picked it up.

I have recognized elements that I had previously seen in the saga of “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I'm sure Zafón read “The Breathing Method”.

Perhaps it is the book that has made me reflect the most in recent weeks. It has led me to look back, remember my friendships (the ones that are and the ones that aren't), my experiences, my summers, everything that has made me who I am today. It makes me look at my children wondering what the future has in store for them, what people and events are coming their way and who they will be in thirty years… But the best thing of all is that it stems from reading two stories. Two stories by the master Stephen King.

Dos historias. Ambas muy diferentes.

Muy buenos relatos. Estos relatos tienen la capacidad de sumergirte completamente en la atmósfera que el autor crea. Te hacen sentir como si estuvieras dentro de la historia, experimentando todo lo que ocurre. Además, te llevan a reflexionar sobre las cosas. Son historias que te hacen pensar y analizar, que te permiten ver el mundo desde una perspectiva diferente. Son muy recomendables para aquellos que les gusta leer y disfrutar de una buena historia. Te invitan a sumergirte en un mundo de fantasía y emoción, y a salir de él con una nueva visión de la vida.