Is there a reason there is no APT PUPIL thread?

[Albie]

This was the longest story of the collection at 182 pages.

It was the one story I did not like. I admit that I am not fond of the horror genre and while not a true horror story, it had scenes with actions that I found revolting or disgusting or both.

The two main characters were evil each in their own way. There was not much redeemable about either character and for me, not much for the story itself.

There is suppose to be a movie out and I admit that I was unaware of the movie nor that it comes from an adaptation of SK.

Any thoughts by others?

[Charms7]

I think there is an Apt Pupil thread (at least one) that I am aware of:

http://www.stephenking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13611&highlight=apt+pupil

[yankeesboi87]

The book was good, in my opinion. It may not have had a plot that interested me at first, but I did emd up liking it. It sounded like an odd story, but then I read it. The one story I did not like was The Breathing Method, but there's a seperate thread for that.

[Albie]

The thread you posted is about the movie. I have not seen the movie. I had never heard of the movie. Like the other movie adaptation from Different Seasons I would guess there would be differences between book and movie. When I have time I will read some of the movie posts but not having seen the movie, I can't comment.

[aptpupil]

You fool!

Aptpupil is everywhere. I appear on myriad threads around this place. I am never hard to find. Open your eyes, my friend! :cool2:

[Albie]

You fool!

Aptpupil is everywhere. I appear on myriad threads around this place. I am never hard to find. Open your eyes, my friend! :cool2:

Geez...I see your posts everywhere. I don't see posts about the Nouvella The Apt Pupil .

But perhaps you know if the Movie The Apt Pupil has made it to tv.

Have you read the nouvella?

[Albie]

The book was good, in my opinion. It may not have had a plot that interested me at first, but I did end up liking it. It sounded like an odd story, but then I read it. The one story I did not like was The Breathing Method, but there's a seperate thread for that.

Apt Pupil creeped me out. I read it all - have not seen the movie.

I did not like it because I found the characters despicable with no redeeming qualities.

I did like The Breathing Method story within a story about the mother-to-be. It was a bit gross but it had characters with redeeming qualities and plot that exemplified the human spirit. It was a bit hard to read and I had to read a lot before it became interesting to me.

[Albie]

Saw the movie last night. Did not like the Nouvella. The movie just could not show the complexity of the relationship and the movie ended very different from the book.

The movie tried to capture the old man - young boy love/hate relationship but it was impossible to do the book justice in two hours. I think perhaps 3 hrs might have worked.

[The Outsider]

This is THE most disturbing story written by Sai King that I have read so far. Not Desperation, nor the Regulators, nor Misery or Pet Sematary. I'd have to say Apt Pupil was plain ol' fashioned disturbing. The cats and dogs, the killings, the Nazism and the boy's obsession with it (not to mention that "tod" is German for death), and just the simple undertones of the whole novel were horrifying.

It was a great story, but the characters disgusted me, and at the beginning I thought Todd was simply curious, albeit an estranged sort of curious, and that the old man would have some redeeming quality, but no. Both were horrific people, and they just... disturbed me. Sorry for using that word so much, but its all I can think of. It was one messed up tale, my friends. Deeply unsettling.

[fredo]

Great story IMHO. Insanity lurks around every corner. Or something like that. I have wondered if SK was instrumental in the movie ending differently than the story after "Rage" was blamed for a shooting at a Kentucky school years ago.

[Midten]

Apt Pupil is probably my favorite Novella by Stephen King next to Secret Window, Secret Garden.

It's the best story in Different Seasons!

[JAMESTHEKINGFAN]

I didn't even finish the story--I got halfway through it before I stopped. The writing seemed too cumbersome, and over and over I just felt like I was reading instead of being entertained by the story.

As to the horror aspects, it seemed to be what people think of as psychological horror--a story in which people's thoughts and actions cause the reader to gasp in morbid fantasy. This type of story is of course harder to write than the traditional "monster" horror, because you don't have the escapist security of a Boogeyman to explain away everything; instead, the people's action, talk, and thought serve to carry the plot along, and create the more solid, if sometimes grotesque, metaphors and characterization.

On a certain level i agree with your idea that the two main characters had no redeeming qualities that are required for the story to work. Even the mother seemed somewhat weird, if not horrific, in the actions she took.

[amcbride]

I just read this short story and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The characters of Todd and Dussander were very different from other King characters because as you people have stated there was no good qualities about them...they were both simply disturbing. Which IMO is what was great because sometimes in this crazy world there are people like that. There were very dark moments in the book, but the whole concept of Nazis and Concentration Camps is very dark and disturbing itself. I think Todd was a good kid but the stories that the old man told him really messed him up in the head. Even after that he struggled with what was in his head and what was civilized and right, in the end we all know what part of him won. I enjoyed reading this til the very end, however I think it would have been good to see how Todd would have dealt with the cops when they began questioning him about the bodies, and that they were on to him. Overall nice read.

[JAMESTHEKINGFAN]

i just like for the characters to at least have some good traits. Can't be totally depraved, or too good. That would just be bad storytelling from my point of view.