Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
Written by Stephen King
About 110 pages
Originally published in 1982
Rate 5/5
This is the third book on the required reading list for my Themes in Literature class. Click here to read the "The Shining" review and click here to read the "Carrie" review.
Like all the previous books, I didn't know anything going into this book and I am glad I didn't because I didn't know what was going to happen. That being said, here's a brief glimpse inside the story. Though the title of the book has Rita Hayworth in it, she's not really a character, but she is important to the plot. Shawshank is a prison where the story takes place. The story is told in pieces by a friend of the main character. He doesn't ever directly say his name, so be on the look out for that.
What is Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption about?
Simply put, this is a story about hope and the American prison system.
My thoughts on Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
Stephen King does a great job with foreshadowing, he always mentions just enough details so that I feel inclined to read on. As soon as one question was answered, another would surface. The beginning of the story was really intriguing because the narrator didn't give away his name, and I suppose he never really did, it was just a nickname.
This wasn't like the other two stories I had read from Stephen King, it wasn't full of suspense in the same way. There were a couple of very graphic intense scenes, but they were mostly in the beginning. The way certain characters were treated was appalling and I think that's why the book would be considered horror.
Had this book been written by the actually main character of the book, I don't think it would have been as interesting or rewarding of a read. I liked that the narrator was the friend and I really appreciated the ending. Though it was a bit open ended, it was a grand conclusion.
Quotes (there were some really good ones!)
"I don't have to listen to rumors about a man when I can judge him for myself." (16)
"Maybe it was only a sense of freedom, even inside these gray walls. It was a kind of inner light he carried around with him. I only knew him to loose that light once..." (41)
"There was no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst." (73)
"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." (110)