The Body (Penguin Readers ∙ Level 5) (1982)

3.5 stars. It wasn't amazing, but I liked it. It's not King's trademark horror but I wanted to give it a read because I really enjoyed the 1982 movie, Stand by Me. What attracts me to this book is its unique structure. It is a linear story with a clearly defined goal, but there's no villain. No antagonist even, really. It's a story about a group of 12-year-olds dealing with something difficult, something they shouldn't have to deal with as children. And it does an interesting and successful job at that.

That being said, I just couldn't really get into the book like I did the movie. I found myself skimming a lot of it. It was still really well written and I know the story is a good one, so I really have no idea why I couldn't get into. Maybe the film overshadowed it too much or something? I don't know. But I did like the fact that the ending gave you more details on everyone's futures. I'm still not really sure what to rate it as I know for a fact that the storyline itself is great, but seeing as I really struggled with it, I don't feel like I can give it any more than a 4. ( )

Detta är en så otroligt fin men tragisk berättelse. Jag känner igen mig i alla fyra pojkar, på olika sätt. Det är synd att den är så kort men det känns ändå okej med tanke på att det finns en film. ( )

Stephen King did it again with this story of four young boys who set off on an adventure to find a dead body.

The story seemed very autobiographical--told by a narrator who was a writer as well. ( )

Book vs. Movie analysis here. ( )

How do you read books on here?