18. The Green Mile

18. The Green Mile by Stephen King (6/21/2011 - 6/25/2011)

There are many reasons why I love this book, not least of which is that I tend to love Stephen King's writing, especially his older works.  There is a density to his writing that makes it feel real -- every character, no matter how short his or her appearance in King's novels, has a first and last name, a background, a story that I as the reader can use to flesh out the surrounding landscape of the book.  Consequently, there is something about Stephen King's writing that makes me too want to be a writer, makes me want to be able to construct my own stories the same artful way that he does.  (This is unlikely, as that is part of King's voice and not mine, but nonetheless: I am envious of his skill :) )

The plot is both easy and difficult to explain:  It is the narration of a former Death Row prison guard as he looks back on his life and what happened during about six or eight months in the 1930s.  But it is also about John Coffey, a man and a prisoner who possesses an extraordinary gift but also a terrible price to pay for that gift -- and about how others around him respond to his very existence.  I have a difficult time writing about the plot without giving anything away, which I certainly don't want to do.  The events of the story are astounding. 

I also love the Green Mile for its depiction of the death penalty.  I won't go into much of my own opinion here since I know the potential that has for opening political debates, but suffice it to say that I am against the death penalty.  And despite this book's setting -- quite literally on Death Row -- I feel like it ultimately carries a very anti-death penalty message.  (This may turn you off from the book now, and if that's the case, then this probably isn't the book for you.)

For the record: I have not yet seen the movie version of the Green Mile, so I can't offer any comparisons.  Since Tom Hanks can be a decent actor, I have hope that it hasn't been butchered. But unfortunately, I don't have a lot of hope :) Stephen King novels tend to be destroyed when they encounter Hollywood (ex. The Shining), so the movie could be awful. I'll try to get back to this point after I've seen it.