This is one of King's best. He always paints characters in my mind that I feel something for, be it hate, love, pity, or any of a thousand other emotions. This book delivers on that, with feeling to spare. Mr. King is a master at taking us on a journey and this is one of the most exhausting journeys he could have taken me on. I originally read this when it was introduced piecemeal and, although I couldn't wait to read the next one, I was happy for the respite in between. It gives a believable look at what death row was like all of those years ago and, especially interesting since it is coming from a man from Maine (the whitest state in the nation), it gives us a good look at racism at it's worst. King's characters, although complex, are never confusing. This makes for a much easier and more comfortable read, something that I have come to look for in other authors and rarely find. I can always count on Stephen King to do the work for me and to carry me through the labyrinth that is his imagination.
Stephen King at his best makes a terrific book that noone should miss. You feel you're are inside the characters. Death row is seen in it's terrifying reality. John Coffee can cure from the mouse Mr. Jingles to the warden's wife dying from cancer. There is nasty Percy. Will he get his comeupance? The movie makes you visualize the characters, but King's prose makes the come alive. Is Coffe innocent? Will he get pardoned? This is one terrific book!!