Firstly Im not adding a rating yet since I want a bit more time to think about it. Secondly, I read this over the course of about a week but had to put it down for nearly a month straight for personal reasons. Thirdly, I need to see more people praising this book for how satisfying it is to watch Percy Wetmore getting reprimanded for being Percy Wetmore. ( )

This might be King's best work, in my opinion. It's so well written that you feel like you're right there and just as horrified as Paul, Harry, Brutal, and Dean. If you enjoyed the movie, I highly recommend reading the book. ( )

Some books are worth waiting years for to read and I have certainly waited a very long time to read this one.

I have to confess I am not a Stephan King fan as Horror or science fiction just doesnt work for me but having watched the Green Mile Movie some years ago I have always wanted to read the book and when I happened to find a copy among a pile of books lately I just knew there was no time like the present.

My only problem with reading a book after watching such an iconic movie is that I am unable to imagine the characters for myself, but setting that aside.......What a phenomenal read this was Now I am actually jealous of readers who haven't read the book yet because this one is such a beautiful, compelling and brilliant story, I was blown away by the read.

The Green Mile is a unique tale of Paul Edgcombe, a prision guard in charge of death town in Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Convicted Killers all await their turn to walk the Green Mile and their date with the Electric Chair. When John Coffey is condemned for a terrifying and horrendous crime, Paul Edgecombe is confronted with the terrible wondrous truth that will change his life forever.

I went though all sorts of emotions when reading this story. The writing is vivid and the story believable and you feel and experience everything this tale has to offer. There were actually times I felt the humid heat so well described in the book. The characters are so realistic and believable, and the plot twists and turns kept me turning the pages. A little sprinkle (just a little) of magical happenings make this novel the perfect story that I will remember a long time from now. John Coffey’s character made me well up on so many occasions and yet there is a lovely sense of hope in the novel that keeps the book from becoming depressing.

I only have a tiny paperback copy of this book which I really have to replace with a hard copy for my real life bookshelf.

If you have this on your TBR Shelf ...........Do yourself a favor this summer and bump it right up to the top of the pile as this is a book you won’t regret reading and only after you have finished then watch the movie. ( )

The Green Mile is a great read. If you liked the movie, then you'll probably like the book. They have the same feel. This is actually one of the rare times when I like the book and the movie equally.

I listened to the audiobook this time and it was really good. ( )

Almost thirty years on, I'm finally reading this as a single novel. The first time, I read it in the monthly installments that came out, and enjoyed the heck out of it.

But this time? This novel has struck me like no other King novel. King has scared me. King has tugged at my heart. King has shown me evil and good, wonder and despair. He's made me laugh and made my cry. He's created characters that I loved and characters that I've despised, and even characters that have been incredibly close to people I know in real life.

He has never written a book that's affected me the way this one does. Even reading it for the second time, knowing some of the twists at the end, King's writing, his story, his storytelling, his characters, his situations...they hit me.

When a book hits me like this, I literally feel my mind splitting into two different, but equally active modes:

The first is the Reader, who still continues to move through the story, immersed in the story, and enjoying every word as it carries me on the path that King has woven. This is the part of me that's deeply affected.

The second is the Writer, who steps back a bit and sneaks over to that curtain and lifts it to take an admiring look at the inner workings of the story, the mechanics that King built so carefully and put in place to make this entire machine work so well. This is the part of me that's impressed and also trying to learn from it.

King has always been good at creating his everyman characters. They aren't rich, they aren't overly exciting...they're just you and me, but thrown into extraordinary circumstances. He's also been pretty good at creating those meaner characters, the bullies and the brutes. He's also created a lot of very good exceptional characters, Carrie White, Danny Torrance, Charlie McGee, Johnny Smith, and he's done it again with John Coffey. So, it's not these that make this novel special. They're what make it a King novel.

I think it comes down to two things.

The first is the incredible set pieces that King builds into this novel. Coffey with the two girls in the field. The first death of Mr. Jingles. William Wharton's arrival. The very bad death of Eduard Delacroix. Coffey with Melinda. Coffey with Percy, and Percy with Wild Bill, and two more scenes toward the end of the novel that enter into spoiler territory. I don't know that King's created a novel and packed such powerful scenes into it since maybe THE SHINING or IT. His novels all have one or two, but nine or ten? No. So, that's one. King was on fire with this one.

The other is how much King was able to dig into life and death and the consequences of both. How he was able to talk about the influence and indifference of God. And how he was able to build such nobility and pathos into his flawed characters that it literally hurts to see them in pain.

I don't think King ever wrote another novel like this, one so deeply affecting. But I will say, to anyone who ever doubts the man can write, this will always be the one I'll point to to prove them wrong. ( )

Former prison guard and nursing home resident Paul Edgecombe tells the story of John Coffey, a prisoner that he looked after back when he was the head guard on Death Row (the "Green Mile") in a Depression-Era penitentiary. Coffey is a giant of a man, but simple-minded, and has been convicted of raping and killing two young girls. There are lots of story lines, ranging from a severe urinary tract infection to a magical mouse, but the main show involves Coffey's supposed guilt, and a special power that he seems to possess. I won't spoil any more of the plot.

All of King's novels have a type of character who is a straight shooter, and a moral person, and brave, and ready to mix it up if honor so dictates. This character type is presented too abundantly in this work for my taste, and I just felt like a lot of the devices were over-the-top in asking for our involvement. For a setting and group of characters that presents so many opportunities for moral shading, I just felt like there was too much black and white.

That said, this novel has a lot going for it. There are several interlocking stories and subplots, and they all gel together very nicely. I also found the ending, which takes place in the frame story at the nursing home, to be unusually satisfying. And the narrator, Paul Edgecomb, really is a very likable fellow, and seeing him at two different stages of his life really makes the reader think about aging, and the elderly.

So many of King's novels deal with a battle between spiritual forces of good and evil, but this book almost seems to be more about magic, and the change is refreshing. There are fewer explanations for the phenomena that we see, but that preserves an air of mystery and wonder about them happening. Sometimes explanations are nice, but I think that in this case, King makes a wise decision by leaving some things open for interpretation. ( )

There are very few books that have made me absolutely break down and sob, and this was one of them. The story is so real; I've never wanted to reach into a story and help so badly before. Stephen King has penned a masterpiece with this book. ( )

* all reviews come from web comments*
Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk the Green Mile, keeping a date with “Old Sparky,” Cold Mountain’s electric chair. Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen his share of oddities in his years working the Mile. But he’s never seen anyone like John Coffey, a man with the body of a giant and the mind of a child, condemned for a crime terrifying in its violence and shocking in its depravity. In this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecombe is about to discover the terrible, wondrous truth about Coffey, a truth that will challenge his most cherished beliefs...and yours.

another all time favorite King book for me. yes the movie is amazing as well and i dont think you can go wrong with either.

the characters are great and and even knowing the out come this book will tug on your heart strings for how tragic this story can get. its also not a long book but it some how manages to fit in so much great contend which is impressive.

so you want a great prison drama and you never read a King book before. i think this book is a good gate way into Kings work and proves that he is more then just a horror writer. i know many people who are not a fan of horror and still think thats all what King does but this book will change those peoples minds if they read it. ( )

WOW!

While not my favorite King book, that is still probably tied with The Stand and Wizard and Glass, this is definitely King at his peak. Such an amazing narrator, such a great and condensed plot, perfect amount of twist and guess work for the reader.

The characters are all top notch, some do fall into less rememberable roles but it’s made up with how great most of them are (like the mouse!)

Man every time I read a King book, it makes me want to read another.

( )

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Holy crap! I don't know if you (meaning anyone who might actually read what I write here) feel the same way, but sometimes you can tell that a book is amazing because you can actually "feel" what you are reading. It's hard to explain, but if you've felt it, you know. And damn did The Green Mile make me feel. The characters were superbly executed, the settings excellent, and the plot, well, damn. Wow. I have so much to say (type) about this book, but I'm at the same point virtually speechless (what is the keyboard equivalent of speechlessness?). This book has really left me awed and amazed. Another one I can't believe I haven't read until now. Amazing! If you haven't read it, read it. If you have, read it again! Wow!!! ( )

OMG, so good?? I saw the movie well over a decade ago so I only remembered a few keys things from the story (I don't even know how closely it follows the book, I should rewatch it) and I wasn't super-excited to pick it up to be honest ... but it was GREAT!! Kept wanting to read on, but paced myself to only reading two parts per day (not as King intended, but whatever).

Also, for a Stephen King-book it had a surprisingly satisfying ending, which we all know isn't always the case. Ended up crying on a train like an idiot. ( )

Having seen the film I decided to read the book and am happy I did. Unlike most of King's books, the use of horror isn't used to engage the reader; in its place hope, healing and joy, qualities we rarely see in his stories. What's inspiring is how King gives John Coffey a spiritual healing ability in spite of his ominous presence. In some ways the film is actually better due to how an aging Paul Edgecombe tells the story from the old folks home toggling back and forth as he recalls it. A 'circus mouse' that exposes the incompetence of a guard adds a nice element to the story too. When you get a sense of the characters you see how ideal the movie casting was. I enjoyed the book and hope that King pens some similar books. ( )

I'm not a fan of serialized books. But when the full book came out, I was waiting for it. It was really good. Highly recommended.

FROM AMAZON: Welcome to Cold Mountain Penitentiary, home to the Depression-worn men of E Block. Convicted killers all, each awaits his turn to walk the Green Mile, keeping a date with “Old Sparky,” Cold Mountain’s electric chair. Prison guard Paul Edgecombe has seen his share of oddities in his years working the Mile. But he’s never seen anyone like John Coffey, a man with the body of a giant and the mind of a child, condemned for a crime terrifying in its violence and shocking in its depravity. In this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecombe is about to discover the terrible, wondrous truth about Coffey, a truth that will challenge his most cherished beliefs...and yours. ( )

Simply brilliant. Easily one of King's best. ( )

The Green Mile is told by Paul Edgecombe—E block's head screw—at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. When John Coffey, a larger-than-life, innocent black man with supernatural powers arrives on the block, no one can predict the chaos that will ensue. Throw in a couple of murderess inmates, one exceptional mouse, and a sadistic officer, and all heck erupts. The plot alternates between acts of loving human kindness and heinous deeds of violence to tell a sentimental story that is unique, sad, and at times hilarious. I believe this is one of Mr. King's finest achievements. ( )

Rarely does it happen to me that I read a book which actually causes me to tear up to some extent and which I can't stop thinking about even months after turning the last page. You might should have heard about the movie adaption starring Tom Hanks and the late Michael Clarke Duncan (may he rest in peace), and if you haven't considered watching it yet, then please don't hesitate to do so for even one moment. The Green Mile is easily one of my favorite movies of all time, and to be completely honest, I had certain doubts about whether the Stephen King novel it was actually adapted from would be capable of causing the same range of emotions in me as the movie did.

And oh, how it succeeded with doing that.

First off, allow me to mention something about my love-hate-relationship with Stephen King. During the 80's, he built up for himself a reputation as being one of the major horror writers of his time, but few people actually know about the few touching, emotionally affecting stories he can be called responsible for - let me just mention Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption, both of which are beautiful movies actually based on a less famous work by Stephen King. I am the first one to admit that King has a capability to write novels you will have a lot of troubles with if you expect to find stories with literary worth. But books like The Green Mile are what I love this author for.


For those who are unfamiliar with the story, The Green Mile is the nickname for the death row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary, a prison in Louisiana. During the 1930s, our protagonist Paul Edgecomb receives John Coffey into his custody as supervisor of the death row. Coffey turns out to be physically intimidating, but mentally challenged. How could a man like him, a man who is afraid if the lights are not kept on during the night, have been capable of murdering two innocent girls? Trust me, this is not a story about Coffey's guilt or innocence, however. What King confronts us with is a character-driven story about the daily events on the death row, raising moral and ethic questions along the way, allowing us to care about the small amount of characters he presented to us. Untypically for King's novels, we only meet a few characters, but even those of minor importance to the story are drawn out in such a fascinating way that it becomes difficult to resist caring for all of them.

Originally, King published this book in six different installments before releasing the six parts altogether in this novel. Each of those six parts focuses on different elements to the story, with all these parts interfering with each other along the way and finally weaving together a convincing picture of a prison in the 30's. Is this book only about life in prison, however? No, it isn't - by far it isn't. In a frame story, King introduces us to the older Paul Edgecomb who revisits the events on the Green Mile in an attempt to write down his story before his memory can begin to fade away. King starts off each of the six installments of the story by including more insight on the story of Paul's older self, until he finally manages to masterfully create the illusion of two deeply connected plots.

Supernatural elements are a minor part of the story, though - as skeptical as I usually am about stories involving magical realism - its inclusion mainly just allowed to emphasize the beauty of the story.


"Coffey like the drink, only not spelled the same way." Coffey is introduced as a simple-minded man who is not capable of even understanding what he is accused of, and Paul Edgecomb realizes this - just like he realizes that there is more to the character of John Coffey than just the accusation of having raped and murdered two girls. The cast of characters in this novel is truly convincing - we meet Brutus "Brutal" Howell, Eduard Delacroix with his beloved pet mouse Mr. Jingles, and of course Percy Wetmore. If you haven't met Percy yet, you just have to know that there are actually polls circling around the internet asking whether Hannibal Lecter or Percy Wetmore is the most evil antagonist ever to be introduced in a novel/movie. And Percy actually has more than just a few votes.


Talking about Mr. Jingles, I will miss him. Oh, how I will miss him.

In the end, this story manages more than just to raise questions. It turned me into a pile of emotions, ranging from nostalgia over grief up to relief - but mostly nostalgia. The last pages included some of the best writing I have ever encountered and yes, I will gladly admit that both the movie and the book made me cry, and I don't find it difficult to believe that they will continue to make me do so in future. Because out of all the movies I have seen and the books I have read, The Green Mile in both its book and its movie version is a story I am going to revisit over and over.

If you have only seen the movie, then please don't fear reading the book because even though it is a completely different experience due to a few minor changes and, obviously, a huge distinction in its narrative, the book doesn't fail to convince even after having watched the movie. And if you have only read the book - then what are you waiting for? The Green Mile is, in my opinion, one of the best book-to-movie adaptions which have ever entered the big screen.

A beautiful, touching book which I am never going to forget.

Buddy Read with Anne who I have to truly thank for continuously encouraging me to keep up reading! ( )

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Ero partito poco convinto, superato un po' lo scoglio iniziale ho letto questo libro dovendomi fermare a forza per non finirlo tutto in una sola seduta... forse uno dei migliori, forse IL migliore di Stephen King. ( )

This is absolutely one of Stephen King's BEST! This is the kind of work that made him the legend that he deserves to be. It stands alongside his greatest works like It and The Stand, and I daresay Lisey's Story!

A great tale might actually have a very simple premise. And though, really the tale does not have that simple a premise, its plot is only a few feet deep and yet, the way he followed the style of Dickens in publishing this in parts, is amazing. I of course listened to the whole, and maybe that made the listening much better!

There are parts of this great tale that simply move you to tears, and that, is what a great author is wont to accomplish! ( )

ABSOLUTELY KING AT HIS FINEST!! ( )

The best King story I've read yet, featuring all of his storytelling strengths without his weaknesses. ( )

Good story, but I am not a fan of King’s writing. His overwriting is what does me in. Never read anyone who can draw out a description or plot point to the degree King can. I’d say I skimmed ove 1/4 of this book due to overwritten, endless descriptions of things. His books tend to be overly long as a result and I end them exhausted from the effort to self edit his run on writing ( )

4.75* ( )