Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

Stephen King

Sep 2020 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s beloved novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption—the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award–nominee The Shawshank Redemption—about an unjustly imprisoned convict who seeks a strangely satisfying revenge, is now available for the first time as a standalone book.

A mesmerizing tale of unjust imprisonment and offbeat escape, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is one of Stephen King’s most beloved and iconic stories, and it helped make Castle Rock a place readers would return to over and over again. Suspenseful, mysterious, and heart-wrenching, this iconic King novella, populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, is about a fiercely compelling convict named Andy Dufresne who is seeking his ultimate revenge. Originally published in 1982 in the collection Different Seasons (alongside “The Body,” “Apt Pupil,” and “The Breathing Method”), it was made into the film The Shawshank Redemption in 1994. Starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, this modern classic was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is among the most beloved films of all time.

Ratings and reviews

5/2/2022 In writing this review, I want to make a few quick notes. I had just finished the book. Before reading, I've watched the movie (which inspired me to read the book.) I'm only 18, so allow that perspective to help establish my POV. I absolutely loved this book. It's my all time second favorite (behind "Jurassic Park." ) I do prefer the movie as Morgan Freeman played the role of Red more soundly. However, I feel as a lot of that is due to the fact of being able to detect the pure emotion in his voice. I also find the remarkable quotes more appealing in the movie. None the less, this was a great book. My only complaint is that it isn't longer. Even in the 128 pages, I found reading it to be almost second nature. Taking me only three days (during school classes as a Substitute). Again I really liked this booked, and that's why I give it five stars.

It's a captivating story with a good protagonist and a compelling narrator about life in prison and the lengths one will take to bide their time. It's easily my favorite King book.

Love it reading the sample to see if it's something I could r ead,again after all these years

About the author

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection You Like It Darker, Holly, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers, If It Bleeds, The Institute, Elevation, The Outsider, Sleeping Beauties (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: End of Watch, Finders Keepers, and Mr. Mercedes (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works The Dark Tower, It, Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and Firestarter are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.