The Green Mile--Bracket 8 Winner!!

[Aaron]

http://www.thedarktower.org/gallery/data/510/medium/Green_mile_6_faces_trade.jpg
The Green Mile
Signet, 1996


Bracket #8

Voting for this Book is Closed

Final Average Score:
4.435897436

Bracket Winner!!

The Green Mile will advance to Round 2

[jayson]

3

It was good, but it didn't do anything special for me and I've never felt compelled to read it a second time.

[Tiffany]

I gave it a 4. I really enjoyed it and had a little cry while reading.

[Sam]

This is one of the best King has written. For those who did not like it, I challenge you to reread the series. I know there are recaps and all that because the series was released in parts. My understanding is that those were cleaned up and essentially eliminated in the collected volume. This book gives one of the best descriptions of what prison is like for those living and working there. If you have read this and though some of the prison scenes felt contrived and fake, I'm telling you that they felt very real to me. I worked in a prison for eight years and was a supervisor when I left. Everything except the carrying of guns rang very true to me. And I know of prisons where the officers/guards DID carry guns decades ago.

Give it another try. This one gets a HUGE 5 from me.

[mae]

A four? A three??

This is one of King's masterpieces. A book he will be remembered for.

[alinda]

I rate this story a 5. I read it in it's entirety not in the
installment series. I rather doubt that would have
influenced my vote in any case. It is a brilliant book,
I loved it!:thumbsup:

[jayson]

I stand by my 3. I like what I like and don't what I don't. For me it read well because I like King's writing style. Other than that, it didn't do much for me. I don't expect others to agree with me. That's the fun of these polls. If we all thought exactly the same way about every book this would be an exercise in futility.

Sam's thoughts about the realism are interesting to me because of his experience working in a prison. Kudos to King for getting it right.

There are aspects to me that seemed contrived, but nothing about the prison itself.

[mae]

This is the only King book that made me cry. And I never get emotional when I read or watch movies.

I had tears streaming down my face at the end, when Mr. Jingles died.

I dunno, it just hit me so hard, the way King wrote it. Just remembering it now gives me cold chills.

[jayson]

That was one of the parts that felt incredibly contrived for me.

[John_and_Yoko]

How long is this going to be up? I'm currently READING The Green Mile, so I haven't voted yet. I hope to finish it on Monday, so will this poll still be up by then? I do want to vote something other than "Never Read"....

[Daghain]

I gave it a big, huge 5. I read it in installments and loved it.

[The Lady of Shadows]

meh. it was okay. i gave it a 3.

:ducks for cover:

[mae]

This will close next Thursday, the 11th, so you should have time.

[John_and_Yoko]

This will close next Thursday, the 11th, so you should have time.

That's good. :) And I haven't dismissed the notice, so it'll remind me to vote once I do finish.

My current plan is to read one of each of the six books every day, and so far I read the first yesterday.

[Heather19]

Definitely a 5 for me.

[Girlystevedave]

Sadly, I never finished this one. :unsure:

[Sam]

:panic::onfire:Quick, read it again and finish it this time!!:onfire::panic:

[Girlystevedave]

I know..I know. I didn't not finish it because I didn't enjoy it. It's just hard for me to read/enjoy a book if I've seen the movie first.
Believe me....I will finish it one day.

[Sam]

I understand that, but if you enjoyed the movie, the book is a much richer tale.

[mae]

I didn't like the film version much at all, yet the book is one of my favorites ever.

[Girlystevedave]

I understand that, but if you enjoyed the movie, the book is a much richer tale.


I know. Sadly, I got very close to the end before getting distracted and not finishing. :lol:
But, from what I read...I did really enjoy it.
(I'd have to be a freak not to)

[Jean]

A four? A three??

This is one of King's masterpieces. A book he will be remembered for.
Sorry, I don't see why... I gave it a 1, I never even finished it. http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_sad.gif

[ManOfWesternesse]

Another 5 for me. Great Book.

[Darkthoughts]

I gave a 5. I've only ever read it in it's entire version.

For me it had all the elements I enjoy in a King book - great characters, great villains and an interesting and twisting plot.

I'm not always a fan of plots where someone is wrongly accused of a crime, but this story, like Sureshank, I had no problems with.

[jayson]

I didn't like the film version much at all, yet the book is one of my favorites ever.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who didn't care for the film. :)

[Jean]

I didn't like the film version much at all, yet the book is one of my favorites ever.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who didn't care for the film. :)
Not the only one, or the only two. Every time I remember that Peter-Pan-like fairy dust, I can't help giggling.

[mae]

A four? A three??

This is one of King's masterpieces. A book he will be remembered for.
Sorry, I don't see why... I gave it a 1, I never even finished it. http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_sad.gif

That's too bad, but I guess that's why you'd rate it so low. With all my dislike for DT4 I only managed to rate it a 2, the lowest I'll go. I can't see how, if you'd've finished TGM, you couldn't have rated it higher.

[Jean]

I don't really see why reading the ending would in any way change the impression... it was a real torture to read, I wasn't interested in the characters in the least, and the whole thing bored me like reading (especially reading King) seldom does. I don't think I'll ever try again, unless I'm locked up with nothing else to read. http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_sad.gif

[jayson]

Not the only one, or the only two. Every time I remember that Peter-Pan-like fairy dust, I can't help giggling.

I giggle as well, after making some kind of retching sound. http://planetsmilies.net/vomit-smiley-9529.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)

[Sam]

Jean, I can honestly say that I am saddened that you didn't enjoy it.:( My question would be did you read an original or a translation. I'm sure you read an original, but I'm hopping it was a translation.

[Jean]

alas, I always read originals... I couldn't have formed an opinion if it was a translation... http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_sad.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_sad.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/bear_sad.gif

I can hope, though, that tastes sometimes change as a person develops. I remember hating The Tommyknockers first time I read it, and I hardly made myself reread it last spring - and now it's one of my very favorites. So maybe in the future -

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gifhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k291/mishemplushem/Facilitation/0134-bear.gif

[Randall Flagg]

How long is this going to be up? I'm currently READING The Green Mile, so I haven't voted yet. I hope to finish it on Monday, so will this poll still be up by then? I do want to vote something other than "Never Read"....
The poll closes on 12/11/08.

[ManOfWesternesse]

I don't really see why reading the ending would in any way change the impression...

I suppose my only question is, where's the cutoff point where you should vote 'Never Read...' as opposed to voting an actual number.

If you read.... half / quarter / chapter 1 / page 1 / ?

[mae]

Personally, the ending was very strong. Like I wrote earlier, I actually cried at the end.

[jayson]

I suppose my only question is, where's the cutoff point where you should vote 'Never Read...' as opposed to voting an actual number.

If you read.... half / quarter / chapter 1 / page 1 / ?

I would say that it's dependent on why it wasn't finished. For example, if you'd read a percentage of it and decided at that point that you were never going to be able to get into the story then I would think it's perfectly reasonable to score it accordingly. On the other hand, if you simply didn't finish it because you got interrupted and never got back to it that might warrant a "never read" because your intention is still to finish it.

[ManOfWesternesse]

I would say that it's dependent on why it wasn't finished....
Sounds right to me.

[Brice]

:nope: If you skipped one word, one period for whatever reason then you didn't read the book. Sorry! :(


And Jayson, surely you at least loved that the TGM film has one of your favorite actors in the lead role. :P

[jayson]

And Jayson, surely you at least loved that the TGM film has one of your favorite actors in the lead role. :P

:lol:

My feelings about Hanks are in line with Eric Cartman's.

"Tom Hanks couldn't act his way out of a nutsack." - Eric Cartman

[Brice]

:lol:

There's still hope for your dream TDT cast. :D

[Letti]

I have seen the movie many times but I have never read the book. I am planning to.

[jayson]

:lol:

There's still hope for your dream TDT cast. :D

:lol:

Given our joint disapproval of a film version of DT, your proposed cast is as good as any other.

[Jean]

:nope: If you skipped one word, one period for whatever reason then you didn't read the book. Sorry! :(
I am inclined to think the same, but only as far as a thorough analysis is concerned, not an estimate of an impression (which is as I understand the present vote). I would take both qualitative and quantitative aspects: if you got past the middle of a book, and then found out you couldn't make yourself go on, it means that you didn't like it, not that you didn't read it. It wouldn''t, however, entitle anyone to serious detailed criticism, which, I agree, would take reading all there was to read - though to state one's opinion, why not, by all means.

(for example, I am, and have been for more than a year now, five or ten pages away from finishing The Running Man, and I have to say I lost interest so totally that for all that year couldn't summon patience to take it back from the shelf and find out "how it all ended"; which does mean the book left me indifferent, and entitles me to say so.)

[John_and_Yoko]

I gave a 5. I've only ever read it in it's entire version.

For me it had all the elements I enjoy in a King book - great characters, great villains and an interesting and twisting plot.

I'm not always a fan of plots where someone is wrongly accused of a crime, but this story, like Sureshank, I had no problems with.

Shawshank, actually.

As to the reason for voting "Never Read" as opposed to a score depending on how much you read and the reason for it....

That's all well and good for novels, but what about short fiction collections?

So far I've been voting "Never Read" on short fiction collections even if I have read some of their contents in their entirety--my reasoning being that I hadn't read THE VOLUME ITSELF in its entirety. What would be the criteria on that?

[willie3]

I read this in installments.
As each book was released, I would go back and re-read each of the preceding books.
Yes, this means I read the first book six times.
Maybe not King's best work of fiction, but in my top ten.
And I really appreciate his marketing strategy.

[obscurejude]

I found the book and the movie to be tear jerkers.

I've only read the whole version of the book and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Darkthoughts]

Shawshank, actually.

Pedant :P

[John_and_Yoko]

Shawshank, actually.

Pedant :P

Thank you! :D

EDIT: I'm now halfway through the book, but am not yet sure how I'm going to vote....

[Mianjo]

I gave this a 4. Really good book...solid characters...I still have my original copies of the series, and it holds up well on reread. I love how much of the symbolism is so accessible as well.

[Merlin1958]

You know, I have to say that IMHO I thought it was a good read but maybe more importantly it was one of the very few SK books that actually was better in movie form than as a book. I know that may be considered as blasphemy by some but, I have read everything he has written and its just one mans opinion lol

[Sam]

I am really surprised at the number of 5's for The Green Mile. I really had expected there to be more of them. The number of people who never read it also surprised me. I thought that number would have remained in single digits.

[mae]

Yup, 14 NRs is pretty bleak. It's such an amazing novel, people. Start reading NOW! :unsure:

[John_and_Yoko]

Finally finished and so have voted--I gave it a four. Some parts of it I felt had greatness, others felt like he didn't quite have a handle on what he was writing about (I'm sorry, that's just how it felt to me). For awhile I was tugged between a 3 and a 4, then I thought of 4 (really 3.5, but rounded up), but now I think it is a 4 period.

[Brice]

:nope: If you skipped one word, one period for whatever reason then you didn't read the book. Sorry! :(
I am inclined to think the same, but only as far as a thorough analysis is concerned, not an estimate of an impression (which is as I understand the present vote). I would take both qualitative and quantitative aspects: if you got past the middle of a book, and then found out you couldn't make yourself go on, it means that you didn't like it, not that you didn't read it. It wouldn''t, however, entitle anyone to serious detailed criticism, which, I agree, would take reading all there was to read - though to state one's opinion, why not, by all means.

(for example, I am, and have been for more than a year now, five or ten pages away from finishing The Running Man, and I have to say I lost interest so totally that for all that year couldn't summon patience to take it back from the shelf and find out "how it all ended"; which does mean the book left me indifferent, and entitles me to say so.)

My thinking here is that you've either read a book or you haven't. If you've read parts of it then you haven't read THE book, regardless of what the reason may be. Now you may not have liked what you read and be positive if you read the rest you wouldn't like it, but if it's unfinished it's unread. I do see your point however.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I enjoyed the book immensly, Thought the movie was one of the best adaptations, enjoyed the Chap book medium. 5