Apt Pupil: Amazon.co.uk: Stephen King: Books

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NEW YORK TIMES

'Stephen King remains a master'

TIME

'The indisputable king of horror'

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Customer Reviews

23 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (23 customer reviews)

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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Three superb stories out of four ain't bad at all..., 25 Dec 1999

By A Customer

Cue American voiceover and dramatic music: "The Master Of Horror presents the stories of The Shawshank Redemption! Stand By Me! and now.... Apt Pupil!!! Stories that will chill your blood blah blah blah. Except, of course, these aren't horror stories at all, precisely, although at least two of them have terrifying moments. These three stories are examples of how superb King is as a storyteller - not a horror novelist or a hack - but as a crafter of exciting/can't-get-to-the-next-page-quick-enough/warm feeling in the stomach/lump in the throat style prose. The stand out is, The Body (made into Stand By Me for cinema), but Rita Heyworth And Shawshank Redemption and Apt Pupil are equally readable, and keep getting you even on the fourth or fifth time you read 'em. There's a fourth story as well, but you needn't worry about that one. There's quite enough to be going on with in the first three...King at his most eloquent.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King at his best!, 15 Aug 2005

By	Crazy Punk - See all my reviews

I think this collection of novellas proves that Stephen Kind is at his best when he's writing about real-life and doesn't slip into supernatural silliness (witness the ending of 'IT' for example).
The Shawshank Redemption is an utterly compelling story about friendship, survival and hope. It is realistic and believable whilst still retaining a fairytale quality.
Apt Pupil is a brilliant study of corruption and evil. King illustrates how evil can come be present anywhere - and in anyone. Todd is a brilliant creation, an innocent (if rather ignorant) child at the beginning he never progresses past the childish qualities of total selfishness and lack of sympathy for others, his total conviction that he is the absolute centre of the universe. Such is the power of the writing that I even began to feel sorry for Dussander/Denker- monster though he is - having to be subjected to the whims of this vile brat. I must admit that I was hooked until the very end - praying that Todd would get his comeuppance.
I was a bit concerned that several reviewers seem more disturbed by the death of a fictional cat, than by the violence against people or indeed the deaths of thousands of people during the Holocaust (which actually happened in real life!).
The Body is a likewise brilliant story of childhood and friendship.
The only weak point in the collection is "The Breathing Method" which is just rubbish. A naff idea for a silly story. It just goes to highlight the huge discrepencies in King's work.

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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BRIGHT BOY MAD ABOUT THE CAMPS, 23 Jan 2001

By	vce.teresas@memo.volvo.se (ENGLAND) - See all my reviews

I am an avid reader of Mr King and found this quite strange and disturbing and at the same time I wanted to keep reading. Even though it was slow in places there were times that I got quite caught up in it, to the point that my heart was racing as some absurd situation happened. I kept asking myself why?. This has plenty of twists and turns from Mr Denker (Dussander) to Todd who just lost the plot. Very interesting.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Indescribably Fantastic!
I'm 15, normally I find reading a real 'bore. This film was on T.V. , and I missed it. So I decided to get the book.

Am I glad I did! Read more

Published on 11 Oct 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
Disturbing, engrossing and utterly mesmorising. . . it has to be King. Shawskank Redemption is excellent, and unexpected while Apt pupil is disturbing and horrific, enhanced by... Read more

Published on 5 Dec 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars typical king:simple and scary
the ability of king never ceases to amaze.yet again he successfully manages to climb inside the mind of a young man who is on the brink of madness. Read more

Published on 5 Nov 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars A great collection of horror!
A masterly exhibition of four compelling stories from King's powerful mix of irresistible fiction. Each tale takes the reader into a powerful, shockingly real situation - no... Read more

Published on 13 Oct 1999

1.0 out of 5 stars you can do better
well at first I thought it might be interesting but the story gets too boring. in the end I couldn't bare looking at the book anymore

Published on 29 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest
This book was just great! When I started it, I wasn't so sure about it because 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption' wasn't what I had been expecting. Read more

Published on 16 Jul 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars I found this book interesting.
I first saw a Movie based on another of Stephen King's books when I was seven years old. I'm 12 now and I decided that reading one of his books was the best way to go. Read more

Published on 23 May 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars King's best and-practically-unknown written stories.
I read "Different Seasons" in the early 80's, after I became totally taken, not by the nature, but by the style of "The Shining" (the way the story was told... Read more

Published on 8 May 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Apt Pupil' is a vivid and brilliant novella.
It takes a good story to hold my attention, and "Apt Pupil" did just that. I wasn't bored for a second. Read more

Published on 3 May 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars This is A great book!!!!! :)
I thought that he is a greta writer and he is very weird to thingk of these kinda of story and that is how i like a witer that come from the mind. Read more

Published on 20 Mar 1999

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Apt Pupil (Paperback)

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