Set in the 1930s at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary's death-row facility, The Green Mile is the riveting and tragic story of John Coffey, a giant, preternaturally gentle inmate condemned to death for the rape and murder of twin nine-year-old girls. It is a story narrated years later by Paul Edgecomb, the ward superintendent compelled to help every prisoner spend his last days peacefully and every man walk the green mile to execution with his humanity intact.

Edgecomb has sent seventy-eight inmates to their date with "old sparky," but he's never encountered one like Coffey -- a man who wants to die, yet has the power to heal. And in this place of ultimate retribution, Edgecomb discovers the terrible truth about Coffey's gift, a truth that challenges his most cherished beliefs -- and ours.

Originally published in 1996 in six self-contained monthly installments, The Green Mile is an astonishingly rich and complex novel that delivers over and over again. Each individual volume became a huge success when first published, and all six were on the New York Times bestseller list simultaneously. Three years later, when Frank Darabont made The Green Mile into an award-winning movie starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan, the book returned to the bestseller list -- and stayed there for months.

And now -- with a new introduction by King's foreign agent Ralph Vicinanza, as well as the author's own foreword -- we have the first hardcover edition of this magnificent novel in which "King surpasses our expectations, leaves us spellbound and hungry for the next twist of plot" (The Boston Globe).

With illustrations and a new frontispiece for this edition by Mark Geyer.

This is the first Stephen King novel I've ever read. I don't care for horror and supernatural stories, but this particular story I felt needed to be read, not for the supernatural tale, but for the human experience.

In the 6 sections of the serial novel that comprises the paperback, King develops the story of John Coffey, who is sent to death row, which is also called "The Green Mile", for the rape and murders of twin girls. However, Paul Edgecombe, security guard, doesn't believe that this man, who's afraid of the dark, could have committed such a terrible crime. Intertwined within this story are subplots that include, Percy Wetmore, Eduard Delacroix, and William 'Billy The Kid' Wharton, and of course Mr. Jingles.

The movie is approximately 3 hours long, and it was worth every minute. I read the book in 2 days, and that's a record for me, and it was also worth every minute.


SIMPLY SUPERB!   December 2, 1999
 28 out of 29 found this review helpful

This book is an old man's (Paul Edgecomb - the head prison guard at Cell Block E), recollection of events that occurred in 1932 at the Cold Mountain State Penitentiary. In particular, it focuses on John Coffey, a convicted murderer and rapist of two small girls, convicted murder and psychopath William (Billy the Kid) Wharton and convicted murder Delacroix. And a mouse by the name of "Mr. Jingles". It is the story of a special gift which one of these prisoners possesses, one that none of us would probably want.

King has produced a profoundly moving story and I assure you, the last fifty pages of this book will be read through tear-filled eyes.

The characters and story are memorable; the lessons and messages are clear.

I absolutely loved this book...I think you will too! (Let's all hope Hollywood does a good job with it) Most highly recommended!


The Green Mile   March 22, 2000
 20 out of 22 found this review helpful

Recently I finished "The Green Mile", a novel written by Stephen King. This book was one of the best books I have ever read, considering that I am only 17 years of age. I have been a King fan for many years and I mostly enjoy his movies, but this book was amazing. The story is actually the narrator looking back at his life when he was a guard at a maximum security prison. He is telling this story from a nursing home, where he now lives. The book starts off exciting, but then quickly moves to the past and becomes a little boring. If you work your way through a lot of backround information and a couple chapters the book starts to pick up. Its the the type of book that you will read twenty pages over the course of a week and then suddenly find yourself reading half the book in a day. What I liked about the book was that there was a lot of stories in it. I thought the whole book was going to be about John Coffey, one of the main characters, but it wasn't their was little stories that were also written in this novel. Also I liked the style of writing a lot. Just the way that King described things and his intricut detail to everything. What I didn't like about the book was that it took a little long to get into it. It started off quick, but then started to lag. This was not a problem though because the rest of the book made up for the slow begining. One of the things that I hated at first but then learned to like was the flipping back and forth from when the main character was at the nursing home to when he was in the past at the prison. I really enjoyed this book a lot and if you are into Stephen King at all you will love it. I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, intriguing book to read over the course of a couple weeks. Have fun!


A magnetic book with a deeply involving story   January 25, 2000
 18 out of 20 found this review helpful

Is John Coffey a Murderer? As the large man is admitted to Death Row at Cold Mountain Penitentiary saying, "I tried to take it back, but it was too late," that is question Paul Edgecombe, head of security, must ask himself.After some investigation, and with the help of Eduard Delecroix, a convicted murderer, and his pet mouse Mr. Jingles, Paul discovers the truth and is forced to make the most difficult decision of his life. Along the way, William "Billy the Kid" Wharton comes to the Green Mile (so named for its lime carpeting) and shakes things up, just adding to the trouble caused by Percy Wetmore, the antagonistic rookie guard.The book is told in first person and six parts, as Paul Edgecombe recounts the events and carries on a simultaneous present tense story. I liked the book it has realistic dialogue as well as a down-to-earth view during the Great Depression, and the way it was written in parts gives it a unique feel. The Green Mile, by Stephen King, is definately worth the read.


Excellent...one of my favorite SK novels.   December 10, 1999
 16 out of 18 found this review helpful

I guess you either love this book or you hate it. I happen to love it. I think people who did not enjoy the book anticipated the Green Mile to be one of SK's infamous horror novels. It isn't. I think we associate him with that genre so much that we forget what a great storyteller he really is (does anyone else love the Dark Tower series? ).

The Green Mile was just a great read. It was so easy to become completely involved with all the characters, and the story is gripping (even if it is corny!). I highly recommend this book to those of you who appreciate King for his ability to tell a story. If you're looking for gore, keep on walking!