Hugely ambitious and compulsively readable, Stephen King's latest offering in the macabre "The Green Mile" series, offers fans and new readers one of the author's most refreshing works to date.
King, national boogeyman-elect, is best known for his spine-chilling horror novels like "Christine" and "Pet Sematary" and his check-under-the-bed-before-you-go-to-sleep film thrillers like "The Shining" and "Misery."
"The Green Mile" is a serialized novel, to date of which three portions have been published.
"There was one thing that I liked about the idea, an appeal that I suspect only the writer of suspense tales and spooky stories can fully appreciate: in a story which is published in installments, the writer gains an ascendency over the reader which he or she cannot otherwise enjoy: simply put, Constant Reader, you cannot flip ahead and see how matters turn out," King writes in his candid and personal foreword to the novel.
Part One, "The Two Dead Girls," serves as the reader's introduction to the year 1932 and the events that have shaped the Green Mile's existence.
The Cold Mountains, positioned somewhere is the Deep South, serve as our back-drop, and prison block superintendent, Paul Edgecombe assumes the role of the narrator.
An official in a state penitentiary, Edgecombe tells us that the Green Mile is so dubbed because the wide corridor leading to the electric chair there is "floored with linoleum the color of tired old limes."
Edgecombe, a veteran of 78 executions, relates the events that will shape the narrative of this serialized installment and others: the arrest of John Coffey. Coffey, a quiet and taciturn black man has been convicted and sentenced to death for the brutal rape and murder of Cora and Kathe Detterick, 9-year-old twin sisters.
However, Edgecombe notices that Coffey is somehow different from other Green Mile prisoners. He rarely speaks in this episode and although his physical stature may intimidate other people, he seems to possess some semblance of meekness and humility.
With this first installment, King hopes to tempt readers to continue. The book is tied loosely together by the character of John Coffey, but other details and information are revealed, which forces the reader to discern what information is important to remember until the end and what else may be forgotten.
Part Two, "The Mouse on the Mile," diverges from the main storyline of the series and introduces readers to Mr. Jingles, an intelligent small brown mouse who befriends a shy Frenchmen named Eduard Delacroix.
King never hints at plots and sub-plots that may be "around the corner," so readers may be initially thrown by the events which occur in Book Two.
Part Three, "Coffey's Hand," the latest installment of "The Green Mile" series contains a miraculous epiphany. Edgecombe who suffers from a urinary tract infection is instantly cured after a meeting with Coffey.
In this installment, Edgecombe hopes to find out more about Coffey by questioning local officials about the twins deaths and the events which lead to his conviction.
The first installment of the series was a great introduction to the story of the Green Mile. Although the second installment was a diversion, the third installment proved that there are still several tricks under King's deft sleeve. If he continues in this vein, this novel is sure to keep new readers and fans spellbound until the series end.
The next chilling installment can be found in a bookstore near you on June 24. The "Green Mile" homepage is located at http://www.greenmile.com.
