Saturday, November 30, 2013

Week 12 - Book Intro

There are very few books that I have read (and I have read a LOT) that have evoked a physical reaction from me - both were written by Stephen King.

The Green Mile is the riveting story of Paul Edgcomb, the prison officer in charge of the death row cell block at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary in 1935. One of the inmates, John Coffey has been wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of two young girls, and is awaiting execution on death row. During his period of confinement, Coffey reveals a secret ability to heal and to 'give back' illness.

Edgcomb is the epitome of the tragic hero. He is a man of integrity, a man with  morals and sense of humanitarianism. He believes, in spite of their actions that brought them to this final place, that all of his charges should be treated humanely and with respect. Most of his peers on the block feel the same, but one - Percy Wetmore - is a sadistic and brutal guard. Wetmore seems to have it out for the emotionally weak inmate Eduard Delacroix, and the pet mouse he has adopted (Mr. Jingles). Afforded to the position via nepotism, Edgcomb and his staff cannot get rid of him.  After intentionally botched execution that he was in charge of completing, John Coffey touches Wetmore, and 'gives back' a terrible illness into him, causing him to have a moment of crazy. He shoots another inmate to death and falls into a vegetative state for the rest of his life.

I never thought I'd be so pleased at the painful and surprising retribution received by any one individual, nor so moved to tears over a pet mouse.

During the subsequent investigation, Paul Edgcomb questions Coffey at length.  Coffey says he can show him, but he will have to give something of himself - nothing was free.  Edgcomb, only half believing, agrees. Coffey takes his hand, and shows Edgcomb everything - from what really happened to the young girls, right up through the reality of Percy Wetmore.

The side effect from the sharing is unexpected, and Paul Edgcomb isn't sure if it's punishment or not. The story concludes with  Edgcomb in his senior years, evaluating his choices and his own mortality.

The Green Mile is akin to a modern day Dickens piece - superb characters rich in depth, intriguing plot lines, and an unexpected emotion evocation that is unparalleled by any other modern day author.










1 comment:

  1. For my taste--too much plot recap. The intro has to give us something we won't get after page 1--analysis, personal reaction, history of book or manuscript or original critic's reception, along those lines. So, in this, I think more of what you do in grafs 1, 4, & 7.

    Sidenote: I'm startled that King chose 'Percy Wetmore' as a name. I can't believe he didn't know of the famous Percy Westmore, one of a big family of Hollywood Golden Age makeup artists. Why would he choose such a similar name?

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