Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

by Stephen King

Andy Dufresne, a banker, was convicted of killing his wife and her lover and sent to Shawshank Prison. He maintains his innocence over the decades he spends at Shawshank during which time he forms a friendship with "Red", a fellow inmate.

Source: stephenking.com

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Horror, Thriller, Audiobook, Classics, Crime

181 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 1982

About the author

Stephen Edwin King was born the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his father left them when Stephen was two, he and his older brother, David, were raised by his mother. Parts of his childhood were spent in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where his father's family was at the time, and in Stratford, Connecticut. When Stephen was eleven, his mother brought her children back to Durham, Maine, for good. Her parents, Guy and Nellie Pillsbury, had become incapacitated with old age, and Ruth King was persuaded by her sisters to take over the physical care of them. Other family members provided a small house in Durham and financial support. After Stephen's grandparents passed away, Mrs. King found work in the kitchens of Pineland, a nearby residential facility for the mentally challenged.

Stephen attended the grammar school in Durham and Lisbon Falls High School, graduating in 1966. From his sophomore year at the University of Maine at Orono, he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, THE MAINE CAMPUS. He was also active in student politics, serving as a member of the Student Senate. He came to support the anti-war movement on the Orono campus, arriving at his stance from a conservative view that the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional. He graduated in 1970, with a B.A. in English and qualified to teach on the high school level. A draft board examination immediately post-graduation found him 4-F on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, and punctured eardrums.

He met Tabitha Spruce in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University, where they both worked as students; they married in January of 1971. As Stephen was unable to find placement as a teacher immediately, the Kings lived on his earnings as a laborer at an industrial laundry, and her student loan and savings, with an occasional boost from a short story sale to men's magazines.

Stephen made his first professional short story sale ("The Glass Floor") to Startling Mystery Stories in 1967. Throughout the early years of his marriage, he continued to sell stories to men's magazines. Many were gathered into the Night Shift collection or appeared in other anthologies.

In the fall of 1971, Stephen began teaching English at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

Reviews

[Nataliya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Remember that hope is a good thing, Red, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption is subtitled 'Hope Springs Eternal' - and that perfectly sums up the soul of his book.

It's hope that keeps you going - even after everything horrible that you can ever imagine has already happened to you, even after life has knocked you down over and over again, even after there seems to be nothing left. Hope is the last thing to die, they say. Andy Dufresne has taken that saying to heart, apparently.

The Shawshank Redemption is a prime example of why Stephen King will always remain among my favorite authors. Branded a horror writer, a representative of a genre that is so easy and tempting to altogether judge and dismiss by book snobs lovers¹ (and I have been among them on more than one occasion, I must confess) results in way too frequent overlooking of his captivating storytelling skills and excellent character development that is the driving force behind his stories. His best books - and this is one of them, undeniably - are based on "what if?" approach, and then watching his characters try to find their way out of the "what if?" situation, shaping themselves in the process of writing into fully fleshed figures which are so much more than just the vehicles for necessities of plot development.

¹ From Neil Gaiman's interview with King:

"I was down here in the supermarket, and this old woman comes around the corner, this old woman – obviously one of the kind of women who says whatever is on her brain. She said, 'I know who you are, you are the horror writer. I don’t read anything that you do, but I respect your right to do it. I just like things more genuine, like that Shawshank Redemption.'
And I said, 'I wrote that'. And she said, 'No you didn’t'. And she walked off and went on her way."

The Shawshank Redemption is the story narrated by Red, a prisoner at the fictional Shawshank prison in Maine, immortalized by Morgan Freeman (what a fitting last name!) in a well-known Frank Darabont screen adaptation of this book. Red tells us the story of his fellow prisoner Andy Dufresne, falsely accused of a murder he did not commit and sentenced to a life behind bars as a result. Andy, a small calm level-headed former banker, who would seem to be destined for the role of perpetual victim in the place where brawn seems to be worth more than brains, where he has met violence and humiliation and senseless brutality from both guards and prisoners. It was a place destined to break Andy's spirit. It's supposed to do that to everyone. That's the point.

And yet Andy Dufresne calmly refuses to be broken. Andy so fiercely clings to his humanity, to his hope that he becomes a legend. His demeanor - that of a free man even caged seemingly forever - is what gives hope to others, especially Red, his friend and narrator.

"So yeah - if you asked me to give you a flat-out answer to the question of whether I'm trying to tell you about a man or a legend that got made up around the man, like a pearl around a little piece of grit - I'd have to say that the answer lies somewhere in between. All I know for sure is that Andy Dufresne wasn't much like me or anyone else I ever knew since I came inside. He brought in five hundred dollars jammed up his back porch, but somehow that graymeat son a bitch managed to bring in something else as well. A sense of his own worth, maybe, or a feeling that he would be the winner in the end... or maybe it was only a sense of freedom, even inside these goddamned gray walls. It was a kind of light he carried around with him."

Andy Dufresne meticulously and patiently clings to a bit of hope, so irrational and fickle that anyone would have given up. And it's this hope, so inherent to his nature, that allows him to retain his humanity and quiet but undeniable dignity in a place where neither is supposed to exist. Violence, corruption, power, greed, cruelty - Andy goes through it all with his unexpected backbone of steel, allowing all of it to only barely tarnish his amazing resilient spirit, winning his little victories against the system along the way, in his own way brightening the existence of those for whom there'd appear to be little left, patiently fighting his fight to keep little glimpses of humanity in the place where they are rarely seen.

"Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure."

I first read this book as a fourteen-year-old teenage cynical know-it-all - and when I got to the end, I cried. Because it hit me then how, despite my teenage sense of invulnerability, the world can be cruel to you for no reason, and sometimes hope is all you have left. Now I'm twice that age, having seen a bit of the life's cruelty that King so frequently alludes to, and I no longer cry at the ending of this book; instead, I marvel with a feeling of sadness and quiet fascination at how aptly he captured the need to keep going despite all odds, even when it appears there is nothing left to live and hope for. Because hope dies last, and sometimes you just need to see it through to the end. And as long as you haven't lost yourself, your inner little sense of worth, there remains something to live and fight for.

"I find I am excited, so excited I can hardly hold the pencil in my trembling hand. I think it is the excitement that only a free man can feel, a free man starting a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.
I hope Andy is down there.
I hope I can make it across the border.
I hope to see my friend and shake his hand.
I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams.
I hope."

——————
Also posted on my blog.

[Nayra.Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

عند توزيع العقول..كل إنسان اعجبه عقله..و لم يعجبه رزقه
و عندما يقع عليك ظلم كبير..كبير من الطراز الذي يعصف بالاخضر و اليابس في حياتك..يكون امامك اختيارين
تندب حظك حتى الموت كمدا🙊
تشحذ قدراتك..لا لكي تنهض فقط..بل لتستفيد ممن ظلموك


يا عبادي اني حرمت الظلم على نفسي ..و جعلته بينكم محرما فلا تظالموا..هذا ما قاله الله عز و جل في الحديث القدسي
..بعد وقوع الظلم مباشرة و في فترة الانحطاط النفسي نتساءل مرارا ماذا فعلت كي استحق كل هذا؟
ولكن لا ليس{اندي دوفرين}ا

..ذلك المحاسب الذي خانته زوجته و تم قتلها مع عشيقها و اتهامه و سجنه مدى الحياة ..فخسر كل شيء في ساعات
كرامته..وظيفته ..حريته ..مستقبله..هل بقى شيء؟
نعم👀
فنحن البشر نبخس قيمة العقل دائما

و بذكائه فقط..استثمر اندي أزمته كما لم يفعل إنسانا من قبل
حتى صار الفيلم المأخوذ عن الرواية هو افضل فيلم أمريكي ..لماذا؟
لانه يبث الامل في النفوس الأكثر ياسا
فالسجن ليس نزهة بالتاكيد

و الطريف ان كينج باع حقوقه فيها بدولار واحد ..رغبة منه في إنتاجها..فهي بعيدة عن عالم الرعب و من افضل ما تم انتاجه في أدب السجون بدون مبالغة..لا ينقصها سوى العنصر النسائي

و لكنها تمنح القارىء اهم شيء
الراحة..والامل🍃

[Sanjay Gautam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prison ain't no fairy tales.

Almost everything that could be possibly said about it has been said. What makes this book different is the message it conveys - one of eternal hope. I was and am profoundly moved by this simple and eloquent depiction of hope, friendship, and redemption.

The story begins with the trial of a young banker, Andy Dufresne, victimized by circumstantial evidence, resulting in a conviction for the murder of his wife and her lover. After a quick conviction, Andy finds himself serving a life sentence at Shawshank prison, with no hope of parole.

Stephen King is one of the most enchanting storytellers of our time, and perhaps, the only one alive. His prose is equally enchanting, wonderful, and mesmerizing. It was a sheer delight to read him. And, by the way, it was my first Stephen King novel. All in all this is a great story vividly told that will leave you with a true sense of redemption in your soul. It is a riveting tale about friendship and the strength of character, about going up against what is wrong and unfair and coming out on top through pure true grit and a little luck, that will leave you in utter amazement!

It is such a moving tale that you just can't help but love it.


Highest Recommendations!

[Mort · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be a different kind of review.
While we all know that the book is better than the movie - no, this is not a debatable statement...while I strongly feel that everybody is entitled to their opinion, you are wrong if you don't agree and it's time somebody is brutally honest with you - we tend to forget that adapting a book into a screenplay is a writing art of its own.

The writer of the screenplay will always be at a disadvantage when adapting a book, especially when it is a popular story already. Here are some of the disadvantages:
* Time - In the movie industry, one page roughly translates to one minute on screen. This means that most producers of movies, unless it is a well established writer to begin with, will not even consider a script of more than 120 pages, and they prefer 90 - 100 pages. To condense any book down that much usually means some things has to be sacrificed, already taking away some of the magic of the story.
* Control - Once a screenplay is sold to a movie studio, in most cases, all control of the story and the written word is given up. The director can chop and change anything to make the vision he/she has of the movie into a reality. Sometimes it is practical reasons - the budget doesn't allow it, the correct location couldn't be found, the weather is not working along, etc. - and sometimes it's just a silly expression of art, but the story can be...ahem, excuse the crudeness..."whored down" for whatever reason. And, to top it all off, the powers that be can decide that the ending needs to be more "viewer friendly" and insist on a change - Great respect to Brad Pitt who threatened to withdraw from the movie SE7EN if they changed the ending, and therefor ensuring one of the best movies ever was released! .
* Ego - Ah, yes, the thing that makes Hollywood go round...I think a lot of people will be shocked if they found out how many times lines had to be changed to make it "funnier" or to make the best-paid actor look better on screen. How horrific...

Right, so the reason I chose this book to write the review on is because I have great respect for the man who adapted this brilliant Stephen King novella for the screen - Frank Darabont.
This is, in my opinion, one of the best adaptations out there. Darabont was also the director of the movie, which helped with the control. And throw Morgan Freeman in the cast, you know it has to be, at the very least, a good movie.

This was also the first "dollar-deal" - and I haven't researched this, only read about it many years ago, so correct me if I'm wrong. Stephen King made a deal with some aspiring screenplay writers that he would sell the rights to some of his stories to be adapted into screenplays for a dollar. Don't misunderstand, it's a dollar and they had the right to adapt the screenplays, not the rights to the entire story. I'm pretty sure he made a decent amount of money from the movies.
Anyway, Darabont adopted this story into THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and it impressed King enough to allow him to try and sell it. And the rest is history - this is a brilliant story (thank you Mr. King) told brilliantly on screen (thank you Mr. Darabont).

Darabont would make two further "dollar-deals" with King, maybe you've heard of them:
THE MIST will be the lesser known of the two. I absolutely LLLLOOOOOVVVVEEEEDDDD the end of that movie.
THE GREEN MILE...need I say more.

Darabont will also be the one who will bring THE WALKING DEAD to the small screen - and I'm going to leave it at that because they fired him during the second season and everything went to shit from there...

What's the best adaptation you've seen?

[BookHunter محمد · Rating 4 out of 5]

"يقولون إن المحيط الهادئ ليس له ذاكرة. هذا هو المكان الذي أريد أن أعيش فيه بقية حياتي. مكان دافئ مع عدم وجود ذاكرة. "

يقول علماء الجيولوجيا أن الصخور لا تحتاج في تشكلها إلا لعاملين: الضغط و الوقت.
و هل يوجد في السجن إلا الضغط و الوقت؟ و هل تختلف الحياة كثيرا خارج السجن؟
ليس في النوفيلا أيضا إلا الضغط و الوقت و الصخور الكثيرة المتنوعة.
صخرة الخيانة التي حطمت الحب و صخرة الجريمة التي حطمت الحياة و صخرة الظلم التي حطمت العدالة و البراءة و صخرة السجن التي حطمت كل أمل في الحياة.
ثم صخور جمعها آندي في السجن من الفناء ليصنع منها أشكال و زخارف تنبض بالحياة لا ينقصها إلا الروح لتنطلق و تحلق في حرية خارج الأسوار و صخرة أخرى خبأ تحتها آندي مفتاح الأمل في النجاة و صخرة أخيرة استقر عليها في النهاية بعد أن ألقى بمرساته بين صخور الشاطىء الناتئة.
نوفيلا رائعة و ممتعة.

[Henry Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few times the now classic movie is better than the book, but being a novella it lacks a rich, deep background , though good still a little cold the narrative, as these two main characters strangers to each other are in the same prison in Maine meeting in 1948 the story seems sparse nevertheless a deliberate ploy, Stephen King wants vague unworldly scenes which gives this the unreality it needs to succeed . The life of the guards and lawbreakers are intertwined, a curious blend of winners and losers still are they that different and the gray structures brings a petrified, some would say a depressing thick cloud as it turns to stone the habitually icy (I wish this had been at least 100 pages or more longer, however what will be will be ) , very dull
atmosphere here, a setting quite conducive to despair and the endless pain . The struggling to get by, men of violence do their pleasurable thing, no women here ...the intelligent man believes in the future but must suffer the present. Andy Dufresne a convicted wife killer with her lover but he says he didn't do that like all the inmates inside the Shawshank State Penitentiary. Red one of the few who admits his guilt like the new friend doesn't, a killer of his spouse and innocent others.The unusual friendship slowly develops not an ideal place for this and trust needs to happen very gradualy, to be earned . Years like glaciers inch by inch pass, decades in truth. The tough guards only care about staying healthy, despising the convicts, their low lives will never change though how different are the two bands? The inhuman conditions vanquish the cons most of them become manageable their eyes a mirrors into the dead souls. Another prisoner Red befriends the rather unimpressive looking former banker he attracts the nefarious element roaming around the prison yard. Since no women there they search for the best alternative the ones unable to resist themselves, moreover looks can be deceiving the little man defends his honor not successfully because he is short of physical prowess still he fights. Obviously an ending which fits is expected to be rather nebulous...that is a given. An account of imagination what is possible and the faith a person keeps in his heart for salvation. A touching book as the conversations Red and Andy have even in a hell hole reminds the reader how lucky they are outside the walls some stay inside forever. And Andy becomes a legend more myth than a solid animal walking by but not seen he cannot be for a myth has no body.

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've watched The Shawshank Redemption movie any number of times on cable TV (at least the last half of it; I almost always manage to miss the first half). So a few weeks ago when my husband asked me to find Stephen King's story The Body (the basis for the movie Stand by Me), I was delighted to find the novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption in the same collection. My husband hasn't read his story yet, but I've read mine. :)

A lifetime convict, Red (in the story, a redheaded man of Irish descent :( - no Morgan Freeman) narrates the story of Andy Dufresne, his unjust imprisonment for murder in Shawshank Prison, and his life and times in prison. Andy is a standoffish guy, but Red is the guy who can get almost anything for you (he draws the line at weapons and hard drugs). Gradually the two become friends. Red watches as Andy deals with the prison rapists called the sisters, and then becomes valuable to the prison guards and the warden himself because of his financial wizardry. Despite his circumstances, Andy has hope and a self-confidence that Red admires.

It was so interesting to see where the movie follows the original story and where it diverges. I like some of the changes introduced in the movie, actually, especially Andy's final fleecing of Warden Norton and the warden's final fate. But the theme of personal redemption came through for me more strongly in this story.

Remember that hope is a good thing, Red, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

Content notes: disturbing discussion of prison rape and prison life, a couple of uses of the N word to describe how prisoners are treated, an F-bomb or two.

[Brett C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a story about the human spirit. Andy Dufresne is wrongfully-convicted of murder and sent to federal prison. He survived the trials and hardships of prison because his spirit couldn't be broken. The readability and realism of the story kept me hooked the whole time.

I was pleasantly surprised to read this short story as I've only read Stephen King's horror classics. I would definitely suggest this if you enjoyed the movie and want to read the original idea. Thanks!

'Andy Dufresne who waded in shit and came out clean on the other side.' pg. 90

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 4 out of 5]

genuinely so surprised at how much i enjoyed this. it was so intriguing and i couldn’t wait to find out what happened. i think telling them story from Red’s perspective was genius and it made me like Andy’s character so much more.

[Eliasdgian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Η μια αφίσα διαδεχόταν την άλλη στο κελί του Άντυ Νταφρέσν στις πολιτειακές φυλακές Shawshank και τα χρόνια το ίδιο. Το 1949 ήταν η Rita Hayworth, το 1955 την αντικατέστησε η Marilyn Monroe, το 1960 η Jane Mansfield, το 1966 η Raquel Welch. Τελευταία αφίσα που κρεμάστηκε στον τοίχο του κελιού 14 της πτέρυγας 5 ήταν αυτή της Linda Ronstadt, τραγουδίστριας της κάντρυ. Τι στ’ αλήθεια σήμαιναν οι αφίσες αυτές για τον Άντυ Νταφρέσν;

«...το ίδιο πράγμα που σημαίνουν για τους περισσότερους κατάδικους... ελευθερία. Κοιτάς αυτές τις όμορφες γυναίκες και νοιώθεις ότι θα μπορούσες σχεδόν να σταθείς δίπλα τους. Να είσαι ελεύθερος... Δεν ένιωσες ποτέ έτσι, Ρεντ; Ότι θα μπορούσες σχεδόν να περάσεις μέσα τους;... Ίσως κάποια μέρα καταλάβεις τι θέλω να πω».

Θα μπορούσα να αραδιάσω ένα σωρό πράγματα για την πλοκή αυτής της νουβέλας, την άγρια καθημερινότητα της φυλακής, τους κτηνώδεις ανθρωποφύλακες, το μυστικό που έκρυβαν στα 'οπίσθιά’ τους οι επιτοίχιες ιλουστρασιόν θεές του Άντυ και πως πετραδάκι – πετραδάκι άνοιξε τον δικό του δρόμο προς την ελευθερία. Αλλά, ειλικρινά, αρκεί να θυμηθεί κανείς (ή να ξαναδεί) τη σπουδαία ταινία του Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redeption, 1994).

Τρεις επιμέρους διαπιστώσεις:

Ο Βασιλιάς του τρόμου, του σασπένς και της ανατριχίλας είναι πρώτα απ’ όλα ο κατεξοχήν Βασιλιάς της συγκίνησης.

«Μερικά πουλιά δεν προορίζονται για το κλουβί, αυτό είναι όλο. Τα φτερά τους είναι πολύ όμορφα, τα τραγούδια τους πολύ γλυκά και άγρια. Έτσι, τ’ αφήνεις να φύγουν ή, όταν ανοίγεις το κλουβί για να τα ταϊσεις, κατορθώνουν να ξεφύγουν».

Το πάθος για τη λευτεριά είναι δυνατότερο απ’ όλα τα κελιά.

Τόσα αστέρια, όσα εκείνα που αντίκρυσε ο Άντυ Νταφρέσν στον ουρανό της πολιτείας του Μαίην, είκοσι επτά ολόκληρα χρόνια μετά, ελεύθερος...

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

“I hope . . .”

The moral of the story? You have to crawl through a lot of shit in life before you reach Zihuatanejo.

Uncle Stevie will always be known as the Master of Horror, but it’s my belief that his not-so-scary stuff is where he truly shines. Hands down my favorite story ever, that just so happened to be converted into one of my favorite films as well. If you’ve not yet experienced it, you’re missing out on what my husband and I have dubbed “getting Shawshanked.” It’s one of those films that you can’t help but pause on when scrolling through the channels on the boob tube “just for a second.” That second turns into watching whatever remains of the film, and quite possibly crying a time or two. The book spares the reader the heartbreak which is Brooks, while the film offers the best miscasting of all-time with this “red-haired Irishman” . . . .



Another fabulous narration by Frank Muller which could only have been topped if it were Morgan Freeman doing the reading . . .

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is as good as the movie. 10 of 10 stars

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone driving north on Rte 3 "down in Massachusetts" this morning may have passed a girl driving an SUV, one hand covering her mouth, tears pouring down her face and neck. They may have wondered in passing if she was having a rough morning or had received some bad news...but would anyone ever guess that she was in throes of this cathartic sobfest courtesy of Stephen King and the beautiful final passages of The Shawshank Redemption? Probably not.

I cannot believe I have never read this. Actually, I listened to the audio and the narrator was superb. Having seen the movie countless times and identifying it as my all-time favorite, I pictured Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins throughout the story but that neither added to nor detracted from the experience for me...and this was just that...an experience. I am at a loss to articulate how truly magnificent this story is. The cadence and vernacular were perfection and the story was nothing short of brilliant: a story about friendship, hope and perseverance that will have you smiling through tears at the end. 5 stars.

[Fabian {Councillor} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually, I'm struggling with trying to review my favorite books, because apart from expressions like 'awesome', 'mind-blowing' or 'must-read', not too much can be said about stories like these. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why I tend to enjoy writing snarky reviews of books I disliked way more than trying to compose a decent review on a story I loved and want everyone else to read as well.

"Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" is one of them. I have to admit, I am a huge fan of prison stories and the way they are able to explore what imprisonment and isolation from society can do to a human's mind. Stephen King managed to explore this in such a perfect way, allowing hope and despair to flow into his words simultaneously. I've read many other reviews emphasizing it, and I can only sign what they are writing: this is not only a story about life in prison (which, by the way, is depicted in a very realistic way - not that I would be able to judge how life in prison really feels like, but at least King managed to convince me this is how it would feel like to be imprisoned for more than thirty years), but also a story about hope. And it is perfectly done. Not many stories before have been able to nearly reduce me to tears at the ending, but "Shawshank Redemption" is one of them.

It's no long story and, thus, will not take much time to read, so I can highly recommend giving it a try. Now, watching the movie version with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins will gain a high place on my to-do-list (right beneath reading more Stephen King novels), as nearly everybody seems to have watched this movie - and loved it - except for me.

[Mike's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Video Review Here: https://youtu.be/2hPmd3LCklU

It's really amazing to think that a story that has become so embedded into our pop culture and so many people still have no idea it's a Stephen King story. In 1982, he proved that he was more than just the "scare the pants off of you" author, but he could also write something uplifting and emotionally powerful as the best in the game.

This is THE story of resiliency, never giving up hope. Putting your faith in something that should be out of your control but finding a way to overcome against all odds. But it's also a story of true friendship between two men from completely different worlds.

It is absolutely amazing what King was able to do with just 100 pages in this story. It never once feels rushed yet flies through decades of times spent within the walls of Shawshank. If I have a single gripe about this story it would only be that I wish it was a full-length novel.

If you love the movie, and chances are that you do, do yourself a favor and pick up the novella. There's a reason it's one of the best Stephen King adaptations; because it's one of the most faithful.

[KamRun · Rating 4 out of 5]

می‌دونی مکزیکی‌ها در مورد اقیانوس آرام چی می‌گن رِد؟ می‌گن که اونجا هیچ خاطره‌ای وجود نداره و به همین علته که من می‌خوام زندگیم رو اونجا به پایان برسونم

بعد از کتاب پاپیون هانری شاریر (و اقتباس سینمایی آن با بازی به یاد ماندنی استیو مک‌کوئین)، کتاب امیدهای جاودان بهاری: رهایی از شاوشنک جزء بهترین‌های این ژانر محسوب می‌شود که هر دو درون‌مایه‌ای یکسان دارند: امید به رهایی
این کتاب را مدت‌ها پیش خریده بودم و خواندن آن را به روزهای سخت آینده محول کرده بودم و چه خوب هم به کارم آمد! در شب‌های تاریک پادگان شروع به خواندنش کردم، امیدبخش بود و گرم، مانند ساحل اقیانوسی که اندی دفرسن در زندان برای رِد توصیف می‌کند. گویی من مخاطبِ در بندِ اندی بودم که در گوشم می‌گفت مهم نیست کجا باشی، آزاد یا اسیر، در هر کجا که هستی یا به زندگی ات مشغول شو، یا مشغول مردن شو


نسخه‌ی فارسی این کتاب را به علت ترجمه‌ی ضعیف و اشتباهات نگارشی بسیار به کسی پیشنهاد نمی‌کنم، اما اقتباس سینمایی آن را - اگر هست هنوز کسی که آن را ندیده باشد - قویاً توصیه می‌کنم

[☮Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite movies and I watch it anytime it's rerun on tv. I've vowed to read more Stephen King because if you skip those of the horror genre, his other books are such wonderful, human stories. Having recently been in on some discussions of another prison book, The Enchanted, I couldn't help but compare the two books as I read along. I love both books, with their similarities and dissimilarities; but Shawshank offers such hope and redemption (I mean it is right there in the title), that I think that gives it an edge with me. Also the characters of Red and Andy are so great.

The narrator on the audio was not Morgan Freeman--darn--but was very good. I am always recommending the movie and now I'll start recommending the audio book just as heartily. 5+

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute brilliant novella about two long term prison inmate in Shawshank. You'll learn a lot about prison routine and how Red and Andy Dufresne came along. Why is Andy, a banker inside. Did he really murder his wife and her golf teacher? What about Rita Hayworth? Did she really visit that prison or is there another connection to her? Stephen Kind does an absolute outstanding job here. One of the best prison stories ever written. At the end there is quite a surprising twist. The characters mentioned are extremely well done. The prose exceptional (it's Red's story). Real life or life behind bars, there are many parallels. We also learn that hope is the most important thing. Awesome novella, absolutely recommended!

[Sarvenaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

فوق العاده بود.

[exploraDora · Rating 5 out of 5]

***5 well deserved stars!***

For me, The Shawshank Redemption is one of the best, most memorable films ever made.

I will assume that every one here has watched it or at least knows the story, so I won't talk about the plot. I will only say that the movie has been ranked #1 on imbd.com pretty much ever since imdb was launched. Plus, it's also considered to be one of the most popular, beloved films of all time.

So there was no doubt in my mind that I would love the book too. It is a brilliant story and I enjoyed reading every single line of it.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it's not a perfect, 5-star book in everyone else's opinion, but by god that was a satisfying read! You can't read/talk about this book without referencing its movie counterpart, because after all, Shawshank Redemption is one of the most popular and well-liked movies of all time. Another reason is that the book and movie are almost exactly alike. Sure, there are a few bits in the book that the movie leaves out, and a modicum of poetic justice is doled out in the movie that doesn't happen in the book. Otherwise though, they're one and the same, and I love them both!

[Israt Zaman Disha · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Remember that hope is a good thing, Red, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”

I watched the movie before I read the book. Actually, the movie is the reason why I read the book. It's unnecessary to speak how much I liked the movie. It would take an inhuman to not like it. The movie almost follows the book. Some rearrangements, eliminating some details and a little modification at the end, that is all the changes they've made in the movie. I think that's one of the reasons why the movie is so good.
In the end, both the movie and the book gives a sense of triumph which I liked best.

[Fatima difarko · Rating 3 out of 5]

"وقتي آزادي يه آدم رو ازش بگيري و بهش ياد بدي كه درون يه سلول زندگي كنه،بنظر ميرسه اون آدم توانايي فكر كردن در ابعاد گسترده تر رو از دست ميده"
چون فقط كمي مونده به سال جديد، و اين اخرين كتاب سالي بود كه برامون "شروع يك پايان" بود،
ميخوام درباره اين ديالوگش اينو بگم كه، درباره ما ايراني ها شايد سال ها همينطور بنظر ميرسيد، اما امسال... ما ثابت كرديم كه آزادي هميشه در وجودمون يه گوشه اي منتظر بوده.و الان بيدار شده.و بنظرم وقتي اون ادمي كه يه مدت از فكر كردن در ابعاد گسترده و فكر آزادي محروم بوده، وقتي يهو بيدار ميشه، هيچكس ديگه نميتونه جلوي افكار و اعمال و روحش كه آزاد شده رو بگيره.
خوشحالم آخرين كتابي كه خوندم حرفش نشون دادن اميد و آزادي بود. اين منو خيلي اميدوار ميكنه براي شروع سال جديدي كه با شعار "زن،زندگي،آزادي" و با ياد اون هايي كه اسمشون رمز ماست، آغاز ميشه.
يك جاي ديگه از كتاب ميگه
"بعضي از پرنده ها براي قفس آفريده نشدن، همين. پرهاشون زيادي روشنه،آوازشون زيادي خوش و وحشي"
اميدوارم توي سال ٤٠٢ بيشتر از قبل ايمان بياريم كه ما براي قفس افريده نشديم.همين مارو با نور اميد روشن ميكنه. و بياين آواز آزادي رو بخونيم. از نوع خوشش براي خودمون، و از نوع وحشيش براي اون هايي كه صداي مارو توي قفس حبس كردن.

به اميد آزادي.
به ياد دوستامون كه پيشمون نيستن.
و "زن، زندگي،آزادي"
عيدتون مبارك.
من منتظرم تا آخر سال ٤٠٢ رو باهم جشن بگيريم.

[Alora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this iconic short story by King and watched the movie after! I absolutely loved both the book and the movie! There were a few changes to the movie however they did not take away from the book! If anything, they added to the movie in a great way.

I find that I can always imagine King’s writing very vividly while reading! This is one of the reasons I love his writing. I love the slow burn he builds up to as well.

This story was powerful, heart wrenching and inspiring. It shows the strength and determination that a man can have when he sets his mind to something.

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman did an amazing job in the movie as well! I would definitely recommend this incredible story and movie.

[Semjon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the film adaptation of a novel is brilliant, the literary source can hardly be worse.

[Ruthy lavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It will never cease to amaze me how a 100 page novella could inspire what is possibly the best film of all time.
Not that we could ever expect anything less than a 5 star rating for anything written by SK, but this really is worthy, not least for how much of an astonishing story he tells us in those 100 pages.
Even if you have read it before, and especially if you have seen the epic film but never read the novella, read it, read it again… it’s just wonderful.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best set of novella length stories ever put together. Period. For anyone out there who accuses King of not beinjg able to write well, this set should end that argument.

Shawshank: "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" is a masterpiece. A streamlined cast of characters and clever telling of the story using the narrator as a main character, only to shift into first person to finish the story with expectant yet unresolved hope.

Apt Pupil: Scary. Really spooky stuff. Not so much for the blood and gore, although I had an itchy feeling know how much thought the author put into how to properly knife a hobo to death. No, the creepiest idea is that a person could come so far off the tracks and still be able to function undetected in society. Very believably done.

The Body: Almost sweet in its recollection of waning childhood. A story of friendships doomed to end, innocence dead but not yet buried, and a quest to see something awful leads to understanding. Written by another man at another time, this story might be considered a classic. I hope someday it's recognized as such.

Breathing Method: The weakest sotry of the bunch, and tip of the hat to people who love King for his ability to shock and get all the "gooshy" stuff just right. Simple put, the story itself isn't up to par with the other three. Still a must read for King fans, but the odd man out in this set.

[Shaghayegh · Rating 4 out of 5]

شاوشنک یکی از اولین فیلم‌های اقتباسی بود که از کینگ دیدم، و احتمالا یکی از اولین کتابای غیرترسناکش که سال‌ها پیش خوندم.
هنوز هم بعد از چندین بار دیدن فیلم و خوندن کتاب معتقدم که اقتباسی که از رستگاری در شاوشنک ساخته شد یکی از بهترین اقتباس‌های کارنامه‌ی کینگه، البته نباید از مسیر سبز چشم‌پوشی کرد که همپای رستگاری برای من در صدره.
کتاب رو که می‌خوندم صدای مورگان فریمن تو سرم می‌پیچید که با صدای رد حرف می‌زد و از خاطراتش می‌گفت، و حالا با تموم شدن کتاب دلم می‌خواد برگردم و برای بار نمی‌دونم چندم فیلم رو ببینم.

[Janete on semi-hiatus due health issues · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars. I read this short story and listened to the audiobook in Portuguese. I was surprised because I didn't know this story yet. And I didn't watch the movie either because I didn't realize it was based on a Stephen King story (my fault!). Although I keep in mind that there is much sexual violence in prisons and penitentiaries, these scenes disturbed me a lot. However, I was quite thrilled with the unexpected end of this short story.

[Hendrik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stephen King und ich werden in diesem Leben keine Freunde mehr. Aus unerfindlichen Gründen kann ich mich absolut nicht für seine Bücher begeistern. Statt der erhofften Spannung, stellt sich meist ein Gefühl tödlicher Langeweile ein. So leider auch bei dem Kurzroman Die Verurteilten / Pin-Up, in dem es um einen lebenslänglich Inhaftierten geht. Zwei Drittel der Geschichte werden mit Anekdoten aus dem Knastalltag gefüllt, die eher semi-interessant sind. Hat man dieses Tal der Ödnis endlich durchschritten, entpuppt sich der erhoffte dramatische Höhepunkt als herbe Enttäuschung. Am Ende kam ich mir fast selbst wie ein Gefangener vor, der nach dreißig Jahren hinter Gittern wieder in die Freiheit entlassen wurde. Eine Erlösung, aber die verlorene Zeit gibt einem keiner zurück.