The Green Mile short story. The Green Mile (book)

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The story is told from the perspective of Paul Edgecombe, a former warden at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, Cold Mountain, and currently a resident of the Georgia Pines Nursing Home. Paul tells his friend Elaine Connelly about events that happened more than half a century ago.

1932 Paul is the senior warden of Cell Block "E", which houses prisoners sentenced to death in the electric chair. In prison, this block, covered with linoleum the color of overripe lime, is called the “Green Mile” (by analogy with the “Last Mile”, which the condemned man walks for the last time).

Paul's duties include carrying out executions. The wardens Harry Terwilliger, Brutus "Beast" Howell and Dean Stanton, who help him in this, do their job, adhering to the unspoken rule of the Green Mile: " It's better to treat this place like an intensive care unit. The best thing here is the silence».

Standing apart from Paul's team is Warden Percy Wetmore. A young sadist, cowardly and cruel, he has fun mocking prisoners and dreams of the day when he will personally carry out the execution. Despite the general disgust that he causes on the Green Mile, Percy feels completely safe - he is the nephew of the state governor's wife.

At the time of the story, in block "E" there are two death row inmates awaiting execution - Cherokee Indian Arlen Bitterbuck, nicknamed "Chief", sentenced to death for murder in a drunken brawl, and Arthur Flanders, nicknamed "President", received a sentence for murdering his own father for the purpose of receiving insurance payments. After the Leader walks along the “Green Mile” and boards the “Old Circuit” (eng. Old Sparky) (as they call the electric chair in prison), and the President is transferred to block “C” to serve a life sentence, the Frenchman Edouard Delacroix, whom everyone calls “Del”, arrives in block “E”, sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a girl and manslaughter murder of six more people. The second to arrive is John Coffey, a dark-skinned man over two meters tall and weighing about 200 kilograms, whose behavior is more like a mentally retarded child than an adult. The accompanying documents indicate that John Coffey was found guilty of the rape and murder of two twin girls, Kathy and Cora Detterick.

At this time, a little mouse appears on the Green Mile. Coming from nowhere in prison, he unexpectedly appears and disappears every time, demonstrating a remarkable intelligence and ingenuity not typical of mice. Percy Wetmore goes berserk every time a mouse appears; he tries to kill him, but he always manages to escape. Soon Delacroix manages to tame the resourceful mouse and gives him the name "Mr. Jingles." The animal becomes the favorite of the entire “Mile”. Having received permission to leave the mouse in the cell, Delacroix teaches him various tricks. The only one who does not share the same attitude towards the mouse is Percy Wetmore.

The third prisoner to arrive in E Block is William Wharton, also known as "Little Billy" and "Wild Bill". Convicted of robbery and murder of four people, Wharton, upon arrival at the block, begins to behave antisocially and in every possible way irritate Paul, “The Animal” and Harry.

Paul is a close friend of the warden, Hal Moores. There is a tragedy in the Moores family - his wife Melinda is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. There is no hope for a cure, and Murs shares his experiences with Paul. Paul himself also has health problems - he suffers from inflammation of the bladder. It is Paul's illness that allows John Coffey to demonstrate his supernatural abilities. Upon touching Paul, John Coffey absorbs the disease as a substance, and then releases it from himself in the form of a cloud of insect-like dust. The amazing healing makes Paul doubt John Coffey's guilt - God could not give such a gift to a murderer.

Meanwhile, the situation in block "E" is heating up. Wharton, lying in wait for Percy Wetmore, who has lost his caution, grabs him through the bars and kisses him on the ear. Out of fright, Percy wets his pants, and Delacroix, who watched this scene, cannot help but laugh. In retaliation for his humiliation, Percy kills "Mr. Jingles", but John Coffey again shows his gift and brings the mouse back to life.

Paul and the Beast, outraged by Percy's behavior, demand that he get out of the Mile. Percy sets a condition - if he is allowed to supervise the execution of Delacroix, he will be transferred to the Briar Ridge psychiatric hospital, a job in which is considered prestigious for the warden. Seeing no other way to get rid of Percy Wetmore, Paul agrees. Delacroix's execution turns into a real nightmare - Percy deliberately did not wet the sponge in the saline solution, which is why Delacroix literally burns alive. "Mr. Jingles" disappears from the block during Delacroix's execution.

For Paul this becomes the last straw. Realizing that Melinda Moores, like John Coffey, has very little time left to live, he decides to take a desperate step - secretly smuggle a condemned prisoner out of prison in order to save a dying woman. "Beastie", Dean and Harry agree to help Paul. Having driven a truck to block "E", forcibly locked Percy in a punishment cell, dressed him in a straitjacket and put "Wild Bill" to sleep, the guards, with the greatest precautions, put John Coffey there and go to the house of the warden.

John heals Melinda. But, having absorbed the tumor, Coffey cannot get rid of it himself, as he did before, he becomes ill. Barely alive, he is put back into the truck and returned to the Mile.

Freed from the straitjacket, Percy begins to threaten Paul and the rest of the guards, which will make them pay for what they have done. He gets too close to the camera and John Coffey grabs him through the bars. As the guards watch, John exhales the absorbed tumor into Percy Wetmore. Losing his mind, Percy approaches Wild Bill's cell, grabs a revolver, and pumps six bullets into the sleeping Wharton.

John Coffey explains to the shocked Paul the reasons for his action - it was “Wild Bill” who was the real killer of Katie and Cora Detterick, and now he has received his well-deserved punishment. Realizing that he has to execute an innocent man, Paul invites John to release him. But John refuses; he wants to leave because he is tired of human anger and pain, of which there is too much in the world, and which he feels together with those who experience it.

Reluctantly, Paul has to lead him along the Green Mile. This becomes the last execution Paul carries out. An investigation into the death of "Wild Bill" concludes that the cause of the incident was the sudden insanity of the warden. Percy Wetmore, as expected, is transferred to Briar Ridge, but not as an employee, but as a patient.

This concludes Paul's story. Elaine, who has long lived next to him in a nursing home and considered him her peer, asks the question: if at the time of the events described, in 1932, Paul had two adult children, then how old is he now, in 1996?

Paul's answer amazes Elaine - he shows her a mouse, old and decrepit, but alive. This is "Mr. Jingles", who is now 64 years old. Paul himself is 104 years old. John Coffey's supernatural gift gave them both long lives, but Paul considers his longevity a curse for killing an innocent man. He was left completely alone - all his relatives and friends died long ago, but he continues to live.

Paul's last words: " We are all doomed to die, without exception, I know that, but oh Lord, sometimes the green mile is so long».

All characters

Paul Edgecombe- the narrator on whose behalf the story is told. Former warden of Cold Mountain Penitentiary's E Unit and current 104-year-old resident of Georgia Pines Nursing Home.
John Coffey- prisoner of block “E”, a huge African American. Autistic, but very kind and sensitive person. Has supernatural powers. Sentenced to death for the murder of two girls, which he did not commit.
Elaine Connelly- Paul Engcombe's faithful friend at the Georgia Pines nursing home.
Brutus Howell nicknamed " Beast"(English: Brutal) - the supervisor of block “E”, a close friend of Paul. A large man, but, contrary to his nickname, a good-natured man.
Harry Terwilliger
Dean Stanton- Warden of block "E", friend of Paul.
Curtis Anderson- Deputy Hal Moores.
Hall Moores- warden, friend of Paul.
Percy Wetmore- supervisor of block "E". A young 21-year-old man with a feminine appearance and a disgusting character. Likes to mock prisoners. Nephew of the state governor's wife.
Edward Delacroix, aka " Del" - prisoner of block "E", French. Tamed the mouse “Mr. Jingles” and taught him various tricks. Sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a girl and the manslaughter of six other people.
« Mr. Jingles" - a small mouse who appeared from nowhere in block "E". Endowed with remarkable intelligence and intelligence, unusual for mice. He becomes a close friend of Delacroix, who teaches him various tricks. After the execution, Delacroix disappears from the block, but in the end he becomes Paul's friend.
Arlen Bitterbuck, aka " Leader" - prisoner of block "E", Cherokee Indian. Sentenced to death for murder in a drunken brawl
William Wharton, aka " Little Billy" And " Wild Bill" - prisoner of block "E". 19-year-old maniac killer. The real killer of two girls.

Data

The novel was written in parts, and was initially published in separate brochures:
- Volume 1: Two Dead Girls (March 28, 1996; ISBN 0-14-025856-6)
- Volume 2: Mouse on a Mile (April 25, 1996; ISBN 0-451-19052-1)
- Volume 3: The Hands of Coffey (30 May 1996; ISBN 0-451-19054-8)
- Volume 4: The Bad Death of Edouard Delacroix (27 June 1996;
- The work won the Bram Stoker Award for “Best Novel” in 1996.
- John Coffey, when healing someone, spits out what appears to be insects. This is reminiscent of the demon Beelzebub, who is considered the lord of the flies, the god of healing and at the same time the devil.
- Apart from Paul Engcombe himself, none of those who were in any way related to the execution of John Coffey died of old age, but died either from illness or as a result of an accident.
- The plot of the book and the film, down to the smallest detail, resembles the storyline of Pontius Pilate and Yeshua from Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita”. It contains all the clones and parallels, only the names, types and historical surroundings have been changed - an unjustly convicted righteous miracle worker healing his executioner; an executioner torn between gratitude for the cure, sympathy and duty; a condemned man accepting his fate with due humility; punishment of the executioner with immortality. Even such a detail is repeated as the faithful pet, who shared his long punishment with his beloved owner, shrinking from the size of a faithful dog to a mouse.
Further fates of the heroes

In the last chapters of the book, the main character describes the further fate of the heroes of the novel.
- Klaus Detterick (father of the murdered girls) - died of a stroke in March 1933.
- Hall Moores - died of a stroke in 1941 immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
- Melinda Moores (wife of Hall Moores) - died 10 or 11 years later of a heart attack.
- Janice Edgecombe (wife of Paul Edgecombe) - died in a car accident in 1956 at the age of 59.
- "Mr. Jingles" (the little mouse) - died of old age on the day Paul showed him to Elaine at the age of 64.
- Elaine Connelly (friend of Paul Engcombe) - died of old age 3 months after "Mr. Jingles".

Translator: Weber, W. A. and Weber, D. W. Decor: Alexey Kondakov Series: "Stephen King" Publisher: AST Release: Pages: 496 Carrier: book ISBN 5-237-01157-8
ISBN 5-15-000766-8
ISBN 5-17-005602-8 Electronic version

Plot

Former guard at Louisiana's Cold Mountain Federal Penitentiary, Paul Edgecombe, tells his story.

Paul himself, along with his team, carried out the executions. One of these is described in detail in the first chapters of the novel, when a team of Mealy overseers executed an Indian Chief named Arlen Bitterbuck, a Cherokee elder sentenced to death for murder in a drunken brawl. Arlen walked along the Green Mile and boarded the Old Circuit. Old Sparky) - that's what they called the electric chair in the Mile.

And so, in October 1932 (just when Paul was suffering from bladder inflammation), a strange prisoner enters the block: a hefty, completely bald black man who gives the impression of a not entirely normal person. In the accompanying documents, Paul learns that John Coffey (that was the name of his new ward) was found guilty of rape and murder of two twin girls.

About a week later, Bill Wharton arrives in Block E, a white young man of disgusting behavior who committed outrages across the state until he was arrested for the robbery and murder of six people, including a pregnant woman. Upon arrival, "Wild Bill", as he is nicknamed at the Mile, causes a mayhem, nearly killing one of the guards, Dean.

After this, John Coffey miraculously cures Paul of his illness.

Working with Paul is a certain Percy Wetmore, a sadist and scoundrel. Percy bullies prisoners and other prison guards all the time, because he feels completely safe: Uncle Percy is the governor of the state. Particularly targeted by Percy is prisoner Edouard Delacroix, a Frenchman who was sentenced to death shortly before John Coffey for raping and murdering a woman and attempting to burn her. The fire spread to the dormitory building, where six more people were burned alive.

Delacroix has a tamed mouse, Mr. Jingles, who came to the Mile himself, a very smart animal for a mouse. Mr. Jingles easily learned to do tricks, such as rolling a spool of thread across the floor.

Once Wild Bill captures Percy and mocks him, he is freed by other guards, but after this humiliating incident, Percy's hatred for Delacroix, who laughed at his situation, goes beyond boundaries. Taking revenge on Delacroix, he crushes the mouse with his boot. However, John Coffey brings Mister Jingles back to life.

Percy disrupts Delacroix's execution by failing to soak a sponge (one of the contacts in the electric chair) in the saline solution, causing Delacroix to burn to death. Feeling guilty, Paul (after all, it was he who put Percy in charge of Delacroix’s execution) decides to atone for her by saving the prison warden’s wife from an inoperable malignant brain tumor, for which, with the greatest precautions, John Coffey is illegally brought to the prison warden’s house. Paul decided to do this only because he realized that John was innocent. John sucks out the tumor and miraculously retains its evil energy. And when he is brought back, barely alive, John catches Percy and breathes the disease into him. Percy, going crazy, pulls out a revolver and pumps six bullets into Wild Bill. It was Bill who killed those girls, and his well-deserved punishment is overtaking him. Percy himself never regains consciousness, and remains catatonic for many years.

Paul asks John if he wants Paul to let him out. But John says that he is tired of human anger and pain, of which there is too much in the world, and which he feels along with those who experience it. And that John himself wants to leave. And Paul, reluctantly, has to lead John along the Green Mile.

Paul tells all this to his friend at the nursing home and shows her the still-living mouse. John Coffey “infected” them both with life when he treated them. And if the mouse lived so long, then how long will he live?

Main characters

Paul Edgecombe- Storyteller, currently a resident of the Georgia Pines Nursing Home, formerly a prison guard at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Was married to Janice Edgecombe, whom he loved very much.
Brutus Howell by nickname Beast- one of the guards, a large, but, contrary to his nickname, a good-natured man, a close friend of Paul.
Hall Moores- warden, friend of Paul. It was his wife Melinda Moores, Janice's close friend, suffered from a brain tumor and was healed by John Coffey.
Percy Wetmore- one of the guards, a short young man (twenty-one years old) with a somewhat feminine appearance and disgusting character, cowardly, vile and evil. Much to the regret of his colleagues, the nephew of the state governor's wife.
Edouard Delacroix- a prisoner in block “E”, a Frenchman, a rapist and a murderer, although you couldn’t tell by his appearance and character. A short, gray man who befriended an incredibly smart mouse in prison, Mr. Jingles.
John Coffey- a prisoner in block “E”, a huge black man, somewhat autistic, but a very kind person. Innocently accused of murder. He has supernatural powers of healing, telepathy, and some others.
Bill Wharton, aka Little Billy, or Wild Bill- prisoner of block “E”. Wharton loves the first nickname, but hates the second. A young man of nineteen years old, a maniac killer, very strong and cunning, the real culprit in the death of the girls, for which Coffey was accused. Although he was declared sane, he was absolutely inadequate.

The novel was written in parts, and was initially published in separate brochures.
The initials of John Coffey (J.C.), as King himself wrote, correspond to the initials of Jesus Christ (eng. Jesus Christ).
In the first editions of the original novel there was a "blooper": a man dressed in a straitjacket with his sleeves tied behind his back rubbed his lips with his hand.

Percy yipped with pain and began rubbing his lips. He tried to speak, realized he couldn’t do it with a hand over his mouth, and lowered it. "Get me out of this nut-coat, you lagoon!" he spat.

The paragraph was replaced in recent reprints. In the translation published by AST (1999), the paragraph was also replaced.

Links

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Published under a pseudonym Richard Bachman

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"Green Mile": summary

The story is told from the perspective of a former prison guard named Paul. He once worked at Cold Mountain Prison in Louisiana. At the time you read the book, he is already quite old and lives in a nursing home. He decides to tell one of the stories of his life, which actually happened many years ago, to his friend Elaine.

The case takes place in 1932, just at that time Paul was working in block “E”, where the most dangerous criminals were kept, who were sentenced to death by electric chair. In this institution, everyone calls this terrible block the “Green Mile” because of the bright green color of the linoleum along which the prisoners will go on their final journey.

Paul's duty is the most terrible thing - carrying out executions. The other guards try to take their work calmly, they just carry out their duties, just like Paul. The only unusual thing is the behavior of the warden named Percy, he is young and impetuous, he has obvious sadistic inclinations, this man loves to mock prisoners, but at the same time he is essentially a coward. Surprisingly, Paul is even more negative about him than criminals. But Percy doesn’t care, he is a relative of the governor, and therefore feels absolute impunity. Stephen King conveys human emotions very subtly. “The Green Mile,” a summary of which is in front of you, is a deep psychological work.

Meet the Characters

At the time Paul talks about, there were only two prisoners in this section of the prison. One of them was a Cherokee Indian, he was sentenced for killing a man in a drunken showdown. And the second one stayed at the “Green Mile” for only a short time. He is transferred to another block, and the Indian is executed. And then the other two characters appear in block “E”. The first is the Frenchman Delacroix, he did a lot of bad things in his life. Sentenced to death for raping girls and killing people. And the second is John Coffey, a tall and strong African-American with a calm disposition; according to the documents, Paul learns that he is sentenced to death for the rape and murder of two twin girls.

It’s a strange thing, or maybe not, but in prison, it is in the “Green Mile” that a little mouse suddenly appears, he either unexpectedly comes out to people, or disappears. Percy immediately dislikes the animal; he wants to catch and kill the mouse. But Delacroix tamed the baby, he asked permission to keep him, and then taught him several simple tricks. The mouse becomes the favorite of the entire prison, and only Percy still hates him.

And then a third person ends up on death row, this is Wharton, he is only nineteen, but he is very dangerous, his cruelty simply knows no bounds, he is a real maniac who cannot stand people, he deliberately robbed and killed several people, for which he went to jail.

And then something strange happens in the book. Paul is very friendly with him; he has great grief; his beloved wife is sick with an incurable form of cancer and is dying right before his eyes. The boss tells everything to Paul, who perfectly understands his grief, because Paul himself is very sick, he has an inflammation of the bladder, which causes him severe pain. And then one day John Coffey does the incredible, he felt how bad Paul was, with a simple touch he completely dealt with the inflammation, pulling it out like a small mist from Paul’s body, and then released it from his mouth like a swarm of locusts. Paul couldn't believe his eyes, he couldn't understand how this thug, who talked like he was mentally retarded, could do this. Now Paul finds it strange that a person endowed with such a gift could do something bad.

Plot development

Meanwhile, many unpleasant events are happening in the Green Mile. Wharton quarrels with Percy, Delacroix sees the quarrel and cannot help but laugh at the cowardice of the second. Deciding to take revenge, Percy kills the mouse. But only John Coffey saves the situation again and brings the mouse back to life. It turns out that he is capable of this.

This was the last straw, the rest of the guards no longer intend to tolerate the antics of the spoiled Percy and demand his resignation, Paul is among them. Percy himself wanted to go to a more prestigious place, but he set a condition: he should be allowed to direct the execution of the Frenchman. Colleagues agree, because they believe that he cannot do worse. But this is not so, he arranges everything so that Delacroix is literally burned alive.

At this time, the prison warden's wife is getting worse, Paul understands that John could use his gift to help her, but there are only a couple of days left before his execution. Paul takes a very risky step: he and his colleagues neutralize Percy, who could inform on them, takes a car and takes John to a friend’s house, where a woman is dying. John saved her, but the disease did not want to leave his body, as it had before. His strength began to leave him before his eyes; he was taken back to the walls of the prison by car.

Denouement

When Percy was able to free himself from his bonds, he began to threaten everyone and everyone in the Green Mile that he would inform on them and that everyone would face reprisals. He comes very close to John's cell, suddenly Coffey grabs Percy and breathes out his hidden illness right in his face. This causes Percy to instantly lose his mind and shoot six times at Wharton, who was simply sleeping at that moment.

The confused guards do not understand what is happening at all, but John Coffey explains that he did not commit a crime, and the girls were killed by Worton, thus the punishment of God overtook the real murderer. Paul realizes that his premonitions were not deceiving and John is truly innocent. Then Paul offers Coffey an escape, but John refuses; he himself wants to leave this world, since he does not understand so many things: cruelty, anger, pettiness, low passions that many people are obsessed with. John feels very well the pain that absolutely everyone experiences. And he can't stand it anymore.

Paul has to walk John down the green corridor to the electric chair. Paul himself understands that he will no longer be able to do this. John is dying. An investigation into the death of a prisoner from bullet wounds revealed that one of the guards, who had lost his mind, was to blame. Percy is sent to an asylum.

Epilogue

At this point, Paul stops the story. Elaine has been living next to Paul in the almshouse for a long time; she asks about his age. And it turns out that he is already over a hundred years old, and the mouse, who is still with Paul, is over sixty. John awarded them both the gift of longevity, but Paul is not at all happy about this, because the torment for the murder of an innocent man has haunted him all these years. And besides, all his loved ones had already died, he was left alone. The last words of the former warden in this novel become the legendary phrase: “Sometimes the green mile is so long...”

Reviews of the book

Almost everyone in the world is familiar with the name “The Green Mile”; reviews of this book are almost all positive. Some watched the movie first and then read the novel. But this story simply changed many people’s ideas about our world.

If you are looking for a book with a heartfelt plot and unique characters, then choose the novel written by Stephen King - The Green Mile. Reviews about the book are very flattering.

The film based on the work is simply amazing. Dramatic, touching, enormous tension - you experience this whole range of emotions at the same time. It is simply impossible to break away from the storyline. The film makes absolutely the right impression, and the book is beyond praise. Many note that the book is not much stronger than the film, as is often the case. The movie is so good that it is not too different from the novel. Everything in it is harmonious and conveyed exactly as intended by the author.

“The Green Mile” is a book, reviews of which vary widely, but mostly positive.

Most readers unanimously say that the book is simply brilliant. Even though it has a very depressing atmosphere, it talks about murderers, racism, the death penalty and the injustice of life, but it is almost impossible to stop reading. This is a very touching book. This is a work for all times, and reading King's style is a pleasure.

And what turns and phrases does Stephen King use in the novel? “The Green Mile,” quotes from which have spread around the world, is full of aphorisms about life and man. Here are some of them:

"Romance never dies even for those over eighty."

“At any age, fear and loneliness are not a joy, but in old age they are especially terrible.”

“It’s better to jump right away, before you lose your composure and want to give up the jump.”

"Better an absurd love than no love at all."

Many readers believe that The Green Mile is the best work Stephen King has ever written. The novel is very easy to read. The plot draws you in from the first pages. While reading, you get used to the atmosphere of the work, worry, rejoice and live the story along with the characters. And if you watch the film after reading it, you will be able to better imagine the situation described in the book.

“The Green Mile”, which has numerous reviews, simply cannot help but like it. And you can find a lot of rave reviews. Compassion, empathy, love, true friendship, and so on are not alien to any person. When you read “The Green Mile,” you experience completely different and very strong emotions, experience the lives of the characters, and think about very serious philosophical problems. This novel is not only worth reading, but simply must be read; it can truly be considered a classic of world literature. “The Green Mile” is a book, the reviews of which are quite true.

Reviews

If you're looking for something worth reading, Stephen King won't disappoint. “The Green Mile,” the critics’ opinions about which we will consider, has become a cult book for good reason.

Many excellent reviews have been written about this masterpiece. Their content is not as clear as in the reviews of ordinary readers, but still even strict critics really like the novel.

The book “The Green Mile” at one time received reviews and reviews from the most influential publications. One of the reviews is given below.

“This is one of, if not the best. Here, fans of the writer’s work will not see horror, but will find a dramatic story of stunning complexity and realism. This is the story of a very kind man, born with the gift of healing and giving people life. Only in the modern world there is no place for such a person at all. He was imprisoned for crimes he did not commit and condemned to death. And even in these terrible circumstances, a person remains humble, kind to everyone who deserves it, and selfless, ready to give his life for another. This character tried to make the lives of his cellmates and guards at least a little better, realizing that he was living his last days in this world. Several times in the book there is still a certain mysticism, it is hidden in the unusual gift of John Coffey, but there is very little of it in the book, which is not typical for Stephen King's novels. Here this is completely appropriate, it only adds some spice to the plot and does not in any way spoil the realism that fills the content. Each phrase in the novel is very figurative and vivid; the reader perfectly understands the main characters, their actions, thoughts and emotions. The characters in the novel appear to be alive. The precious minutes spent reading this novel sometimes make you want to close your eyes, imagining what is happening on its pages, sometimes you want to scream, unable to contain your surprise, and sometimes you just want to burst into tears. This book brings tears to the eyes of even adult and courageous readers. It becomes painful because everything happens only in the book, that you cannot change anything and help the main characters. Empathy for the characters here is simply guaranteed. "The Green Mile" is an amazing book, it was created to give you the opportunity to look at life with all its injustice and cruelty without closing your eyes. Everyone should read this book to understand what life is."

Stephen King's "The Green Mile" wanted to say that humanity, with all its vices, is not yet ready for the coming of salvation.

Film adaptation of the novel by Stephen King

The Green Mile is not only a wonderful book, but also a wonderful film, which was already mentioned earlier. This is a mystical drama that has become a cult from the creator of horror stories - Stephen King. The film premiered in December 1999. The film received four Oscar nominations, three Saturn Awards and many other awards and nominations. The director was the director and the main roles were played by famous actors: Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan.

The film “The Green Mile”, reviews of which are as flattering as the book, has been loved by people of different ages for many years. Viewers are completely delighted with the film to this day, even though the film can be considered a classic of world cinema. The picture is not new, many people have become familiar with it, but it is simply impossible not to understand it or not to be imbued with it.

Those who watched this movie are divided into two camps. The first watch the film again and again, wanting to refresh old emotions. The latter, having watched it once, do not want to repeat it again, since the film is filled with injustice and pain, which human life is full of.

King touched upon very serious social issues in his work “The Green Mile”. Reviews of the work, even from sophisticated readers, are filled with delight and emotions. By the way, Stephen King himself believes that this film is the best adaptation of his novel. Surely this was the best praise for the actors and director of the film, because they were able to completely bring the author’s idea to life. And this doesn’t happen very often.

Tom Hanks wanted to personally play his character named Paul in old age, but the makeup looked very unconvincing on him and didn’t add any age to him, so another actor, Dabbs Greer, played these shots for him. Unfortunately, this role was the last in his life.

It's no secret that Stephen King is an extraordinary and unpredictable person. He personally visited the set. And he was most attracted to the dummy electric chair, in which, according to the plot, criminals were executed. Of course, the writer wanted to sit on it himself, because the model turned out to be very realistic, it was created according to real samples of the mid-twentieth century. To the surprise of the film crew, King admitted that he was very comfortable and even pleasant to sit on this device. Then he invited Tom Hanks to try this experiment on himself, but he politely refused, without leaving his role, saying that he was a warden here, and not a prisoner sentenced to death.

Just be aware that the presence of the electric chair in this book is a historical inaccuracy. Indeed, at the time when the events unfold in the novel, especially dangerous criminals were executed in a different way, by hanging. Only in the book and in the film it looked more impressive.

Bottom line

King touched upon very serious philosophical problems in his work “The Green Mile”. Reviews of the novel are flattering both among Russian readers and among the world community as a whole.

If you have not yet had a chance to read this novel by the great master of mystical stories, then you should do so in the near future. Any electronic library contains a work created by Stephen King - “The Green Mile”. Reviews are usually included.

Just get ready for the fact that the book will squeeze every last drop of emotion out of you, make you worry, hope, fear, and in the end, perhaps, cry uncontrollably over what you read. But it's worth it.

Read this work even if you are not a fan of King's genre. "The Green Mile" is a book that you need to read, no matter what country you live in, no matter how old you are.

Genre drama, psychological thriller Original language English Original published 1996 Translator Weber, W. A. and Weber, D. W. Decor Alexey Kondakov Series "Stephen King" Publisher AST Release 1999 Pages 496 Carrier book ISBN [] Previous Madder Rose Next Hopelessness

Plot

At the time of the story, in block “E” there are two death row inmates awaiting execution - Cherokee Indian Arlen Bitterbuck, nicknamed “Chief”, sentenced to death for murder in a drunken brawl, and Arthur Flanders, nicknamed “President”, sentenced for killing his own father for the purpose of receiving insurance payments. After the Leader walks along the “Green Mile” and boards the “Old Circuit” (eng. Old Sparky) (as they call the electric chair in prison), and the President is transferred to block “C” to serve a life sentence, the Frenchman Edouard Delacroix, nicknamed Del, arrives in block “E”, sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a girl and the manslaughter of six others Human. The second to arrive is John Coffey, a black man over two meters tall and weighing about 200 kilograms, whose behavior is more like a mentally retarded child than an adult. The accompanying documents indicate that John Coffey was found guilty of the rape and murder of two twin girls, Kathy and Cora Detterick.

At this time, a little mouse appears on the Green Mile. Coming from nowhere in prison, he unexpectedly appears and disappears every time, demonstrating intelligence and intelligence not typical of mice. Percy Wetmore goes berserk every time a mouse appears; he tries to kill him, but he always manages to escape. Soon Delacroix manages to tame the mouse, and he gives him the name Mister Jingles. The animal becomes the favorite of the entire “Mile”. Having received permission to leave the mouse in the cell, Del teaches him various tricks. The only one who does not share the same attitude towards the mouse is Percy Wetmore.

The third prisoner to arrive in E Block is William Wharton, also known as "Little Billy" and "Wild Bill". Convicted of robbery and murder of four people, upon arrival at the block, Werton almost kills Dean with his handcuffs, and in the cell begins to behave antisocially and in every possible way irritate the block guards.

Paul is a close friend of the warden, Hal Moores. There is a tragedy in the Moores family - his wife Melinda is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. There is no hope for a cure, and Murs shares his experiences with Paul. Paul himself also has health problems - he suffers from bladder inflammation. It is Paul's illness that allows John Coffey to demonstrate his supernatural abilities. Upon touching Paul, John Coffey absorbs the disease as a substance, and then releases it from himself in the form of a cloud of insect-like dust. The amazing healing makes Paul doubt John Coffey's guilt - God could not give such a gift to a murderer.

Meanwhile, the situation in block “E” is heating up. Wharton lies in wait for Percy Wetmore, who has lost his caution, grabs him through the bars and kisses him on the ear. Out of fright, Percy wets his pants, and Delacroix, who watched this scene, cannot help but laugh. In retaliation for his humiliation, Percy kills Mr. Jingles, but John Coffey again shows his gift and brings the mouse back to life.

Paul and the Beast, outraged by Percy's behavior, demand that he get out of the Mile. Percy sets a condition - if he is allowed to supervise the execution of Delacroix, he will be transferred to the Briar Ridge psychiatric hospital, a job in which is considered prestigious for the warden. Seeing no other way to get rid of Percy Wetmore, Paul agrees. Delacroix's execution turns into a nightmare - Percy deliberately did not wet the sponge in the saline solution, which is why Delacroix literally burns alive. "Mr. Jingles" disappears from the block during Delacroix's execution.

For Paul this becomes the last straw. Realizing that Melinda Moores, like John Coffey, has very little time left to live, he decides to take a desperate step - to secretly remove a prisoner sentenced to death from prison in order to save a dying woman. "Beastie", Dean and Harry agree to help Paul. Having driven a truck to block "E", forcibly locked Percy in a punishment cell, dressed him in a straitjacket and put "Wild Bill" to sleep, the guards, with the greatest precautions, put John Coffey there and go to the house of the warden.

John heals Melinda. But, having absorbed the tumor, Coffey cannot get rid of it himself, as he did before, he becomes ill. Barely alive, he is put back into the truck and returned to the Mile.

Freed from the straitjacket, Percy begins to threaten Paul and the rest of the guards, which will make them pay for what they have done. He gets too close to John Coffey's cell and he grabs him through the bars. In front of the guards, John exhales the absorbed tumor into Percy Wetmore. Losing his mind, Percy approaches Wild Bill's cell, grabs a revolver, and pumps six bullets into the sleeping Wharton.

John Coffey explains to the shocked Paul the reasons for his action - it was Wild Bill who was the real killer of Katie and Cora Detterick, and now he has received his well-deserved punishment. Realizing that he has to execute an innocent man, Paul invites John to release him. But John refuses: he wants to leave because he is tired of human anger and pain, of which there is too much in the world and which he feels along with those who experience it.

Reluctantly, Paul has to guide John Coffey along the Green Mile. His execution becomes the last one carried out by Paul and his friends. The investigation into Wild Bill's death concludes that the cause of the incident was the sudden insanity of the warden. Percy Wetmore, as expected, is transferred to Briar Ridge, but not as an employee, but as a patient.

This concludes Paul's story. Elaine, who has been living next to him in a nursing home for a long time and considered him her peer, asks the question: if at the time of the events described (in 1932) Paul had two adult children, then how old is he now, in 1996?

Paul's last words: " We are all doomed to die, without exception, I know that, but oh Lord, sometimes the green mile is so long».

All characters

Paul Edgecombe- the narrator on whose behalf the story is told. Former warden of Cold Mountain Penitentiary's E Unit and current 108-year-old resident of Georgia Pines Nursing Home.
John Coffey- prisoner of block “E”, a huge black man. Autistic, but very kind and sensitive person. Has supernatural powers. Sentenced to death for the murder of two girls, which he did not commit.
Elaine Connelly- Paul Engcombe's faithful friend at the Georgia Pines nursing home.
Brutus Howell nicknamed " Beast"(English: Brutal) - the supervisor of block “E”, a close friend of Paul. A large man, but, contrary to his nickname, a good-natured man.
Harry Terwilliger
Dean Stanton- supervisor of block "E", friend of Paul.
Curtis Anderson- Deputy Hal Moores.
Hall Moores- warden, friend of Paul.
Percy Wetmore- supervisor of block "E". A young 21-year-old man with a feminine appearance and a disgusting character. Likes to mock prisoners. Nephew of the wife of the governor of Louisiana.
Edward Delacroix, aka " Del" - prisoner of block "E", French. Tamed the mouse “Mr. Jingles” and taught him various tricks. Sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a girl and the manslaughter of six other people.
« Mr. Jingles" - a small mouse who appeared from nowhere in block "E". Endowed with remarkable intelligence and intelligence, unusual for mice. He becomes a close friend of Delacroix, who teaches him various tricks. After the execution, Delacroix disappears from the block, but in the end he becomes Paul's friend.
Arlen Bitterbuck, aka " Leader" - prisoner of block "E", Cherokee Indian. Sentenced to death for murder in a drunken brawl.
William Wharton, aka " Little Billy" And " Wild Bill" - prisoner of block "E". 19-year-old maniac killer. The real killer of two girls.

Data

Please bring the information into an encyclopedic form and distribute it to the appropriate sections of the article. According to the decision of the Wikipedia Arbitration Committee, lists are preferably based on secondary summaries containing criteria for inclusion of elements in the list.

The novel was written in parts and was initially published in separate brochures:
- Volume 1: Two Dead Girls (March 28, 1996; ISBN 0-14-025856-6)
- Volume 2: Mouse on a Mile (April 25, 1996; ISBN 0-451-19052-1)
- Volume 3: The Hands of John Coffey (May 30, 1996;

The film based on the novel by Stephen King tells about a very unusual case in an American prison in the 30s of the last century. A new prisoner appears on death row, a huge black man, charged with the murder of two very little girls. The rules in prison are quite harsh, but fair, but only up to a certain time.

1935 Paul works as a warden at the Cold Mountain Federal Penitentiary in Louisiana, in Block E, where prisoners awaiting execution in the electric chair are held. The floor in the corridor of the block along which convicts go on their final journey is painted green, hence its nickname - “The Green Mile”.

Among the other guards, Percy Wetmore, a cowardly, vile and evil young man, has recently been working in block “E”. He mocks the prisoners and is confident in his permissiveness, since he is the nephew of the wife of the state governor. Tired of Percy's endless antics, Edgecombe and his colleagues enter into an agreement with Wetmore - he will be allowed to supervise the execution of a prisoner, after which he will write an application for transfer to another institution.

A huge black man, John Coffey, is sentenced to death for the rape and murder of two girls. Soon after him, the robber and murderer William Wharton, nicknamed “Wild Bill,” enters prison. The Frenchman Edouard Delacroix is also on death row, who tames the smart mouse Mr. Jingles, who appeared in prison, and teaches him various tricks.

Meanwhile, it turns out that John Coffey is endowed with supernatural powers - with the help of the laying on of hands, he healed Edgecombe of a bladder infection, and then brought Mr. Jingles back to life, whom Delacroix trampled on Percy in revenge. Edgecombe begins to doubt Coffey's guilt.

During Delacroix's execution, Percy makes a deliberate mistake - he "forgets" to wet the sponge that is placed on the convict's head in salt water for better electrical conductivity - and thereby dooms Delacroix to a painful death.

The guards at Block E, meanwhile, decide to secretly take John Coffey to the house of the prison warden, whose wife is sick with an inoperable brain tumor. Everything works out brilliantly, and Coffey heals the woman, but the tumor is too large, and Coffey is brought back to prison completely ill. When Percy approaches his cell, Coffey grabs him and gives him the tumor inside him. Percy goes crazy and kills "Wild Bill" with a revolver. While talking to Edgecombe, Coffey reveals to him through his powers that the killer and rapist was in fact "Wild Bill". Edgecombe decides to commit malfeasance and secretly help John Coffey escape from prison at night. However, Coffey decisively rejects this proposal and asks not to interfere with the execution, since he is very tired of the horrors of the life around him.

Shortly after John Coffey's execution, the entire E-Block crew is fired and transferred to a juvenile prison.

In the finale, the viewer again sees a nursing home, where the aged hero says that John Coffey, having healed him, gave him a long life, and at the time of the story, Paul is already 108 years old. To confirm his story, Paul takes Elaine to a small barn not far from the nursing home, where the rather aged mouse of the executed Delacroix, Mr. Jingles, lives to this day, to whom the main character brings food.

The Green Mile short story. The Green Mile (book)

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