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A review by thatdecembergirl
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
5.0
"Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" is the original material to the phenomenal, now-classic 1994's Darabont's movie, The Shawshank Redemption. And if you ask me to sum up my opinion, here it goes: the movie was fabulous, the book was marvelous.
It doesn't often happen when a movie diverges from the book's storyline and makes it a little better a notch. I am not saying the book is worse, or one is lesser than the other, all I'm saying is that those two have different tones and feel to them.
In both, the narrative is presented from the watchful, observant eye of Red, Andrew Dufresne's closest friend and one of the black inmates in Shawshank prison. Red offers his tale slowly, gradually telling the readers what's happening, jumping the timeline here and there because that's how his memory works. He tells the story of Andy Dufresne lovingly, warmly, with awe, with admiration, with apparent fascination that gives his narrative a shroud of magic, making it almost like a legend. Like a prison myth. And it makes an incredible read because, despite everything, there's still a considerable chunk of guesswork in Red's testimony. He's not Dufresne. Red does not know everything to a t, and when he does know things, he cannot guarantee that he's 100% correct about them.
In Stephen King's hand, Dufresne becomes almost like hope itself.
Something (or someone) too good to be in a place as bleak and dreadful as Shawshank prison, so you can't help to question if he's actually real.
But the thing with movies is that the audience can directly see what's going on. This adds a layer of believability, of humanity, to the character of Andy Dufresne. Because we actually see him working. We see how he carries himself. We see how he talks, how he smiles, how he keeps his cool, low-key demeanor and presses on. We all see him clinging to hope. In Darabont's movie adaptation, Andy Dufresne goes beyond a prison legend or a myth to an all-fleshed-out being. I honestly don't see any reason not to love him.
Lately, there is a term for books called healing novels or healing fiction, and according to this website, it refers to:
Well, to me, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" is one of those 'healing fictions'. Don't try arguing with me since I don't take criticism on this. I know I'm right. Because while it's true that this book isn't free of awful things happening to its characters and we are crawling on fours along the pages where something terrible could occur at any given time, at the end of the day, we are all going out on the other side feeling clean and hopeful and alive, and it's all worth it.
It doesn't often happen when a movie diverges from the book's storyline and makes it a little better a notch. I am not saying the book is worse, or one is lesser than the other, all I'm saying is that those two have different tones and feel to them.
In both, the narrative is presented from the watchful, observant eye of Red, Andrew Dufresne's closest friend and one of the black inmates in Shawshank prison. Red offers his tale slowly, gradually telling the readers what's happening, jumping the timeline here and there because that's how his memory works. He tells the story of Andy Dufresne lovingly, warmly, with awe, with admiration, with apparent fascination that gives his narrative a shroud of magic, making it almost like a legend. Like a prison myth. And it makes an incredible read because, despite everything, there's still a considerable chunk of guesswork in Red's testimony. He's not Dufresne. Red does not know everything to a t, and when he does know things, he cannot guarantee that he's 100% correct about them.
In Stephen King's hand, Dufresne becomes almost like hope itself.
Something (or someone) too good to be in a place as bleak and dreadful as Shawshank prison, so you can't help to question if he's actually real.
But the thing with movies is that the audience can directly see what's going on. This adds a layer of believability, of humanity, to the character of Andy Dufresne. Because we actually see him working. We see how he carries himself. We see how he talks, how he smiles, how he keeps his cool, low-key demeanor and presses on. We all see him clinging to hope. In Darabont's movie adaptation, Andy Dufresne goes beyond a prison legend or a myth to an all-fleshed-out being. I honestly don't see any reason not to love him.
Lately, there is a term for books called healing novels or healing fiction, and according to this website, it refers to:
...those that you can read comfortably without having to consume much energy while reading. They are also comforting and invigorating. Free of any difficult or complex plot, these “healing novels” are about empathy, healing, comfort, courage, and solidarity.
Well, to me, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" is one of those 'healing fictions'. Don't try arguing with me since I don't take criticism on this. I know I'm right. Because while it's true that this book isn't free of awful things happening to its characters and we are crawling on fours along the pages where something terrible could occur at any given time, at the end of the day, we are all going out on the other side feeling clean and hopeful and alive, and it's all worth it.
"Remember that hope is a good thing, Red, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."