#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s beloved novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption—the basis for the Best Picture Academy Award–nominee The Shawshank Redemption—about an unjustly imprisoned convict who seeks a strangely satisfying revenge, is now available for the first time as a standalone book.
A mesmerizing tale of unjust imprisonment and offbeat escape, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption is one of Stephen King’s most beloved and iconic stories, and it helped make Castle Rock a place readers would return to over and over again.
Suspenseful, mysterious, and heart-wrenching, this iconic King novella, populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, is about a fiercely compelling convict named Andy Dufresne who is seeking his ultimate revenge.
Originally published in 1982 in the collection Different Seasons, along with “The Body,” “Apt Pupil,” and “The Breathing Method”, it was made into the film The Shawshank Redemption in 1994. Starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, this modern classic was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is among the most beloved films of all time.
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"i loved the movie so naturally i was going to love the book and this didnt disappoint me. i love king's earlier stuff and this just proves how great a writer he is. great story that is gripping and had you on the edge of your seat constantly. so good that i finished it in one sitting! "
— Rachel (5 out of 5 stars)
" Apt Pupil and Shawshank Redemption were great. I couldn't get into the other two though. "
— Alicia, 2/16/2014" Loved Morgan Freeman, and Tim Robbins in the movie, too. "
— Modiggy, 2/10/2014" Really enjoyed the four stories in this book. "
— Michael, 2/1/2014" If you have never watched the movie, read the short story first. Really good stuff. "
— Matthew, 1/20/2014" Great novellas. The dialogue in apt pupil was pretty dated. The movie based on the same novella is nothing like it. Great collection though. "
— Monica, 1/13/2014" If u like this story because of the movie, read the book. It will be a totally different experience. "
— Paulog, 1/13/2014" didnt even know king wrote this even thought it was a ture story. 1 of the best books ive read and will do again "
— Marcus, 1/7/2014" I had a cheap paperback of this come to me in the mail. It was the one that promoted that dribble film of Apt Pupil. I loathe that story as much as that film, but the rest, well that's just wonderfulness. "
— Matt, 1/1/2014" Very interesting. I love Stephen King's imagination. Some of the stories in here have even inspired different ideas that I would love to try either writing or drawing someday. "
— Alvina, 12/22/2013" I loved the movie, and the novel is equally as good. "
— Leena, 11/27/2013" If I could rate this 6 stars I would. "
— Judi, 11/23/2013" Steve's best short story collection. Bar none. "
— Todd, 10/15/2013" Very entertaining and satisfying story. No real supernatural element to it, but amazingly GREAT nonetheless! Artfully done! The movie was a very worthy effort to capture the magic of this tale! "
— Harold, 9/1/2013" This book gave me hope. Hope is never die and hope will help me stronger and lover myself. Thank u for coming suddenly, " Steven King", u are pretty awesome! T "
— Linh, 6/5/2013" Stephen King at his best!!! "
— Laurence, 5/24/2013" I didn't know Shawshank Redemption was a book first. Anyway, I never saw the film, but I really liked the book. The ending was very uplifting, and I liked King's writing style and the way that Red (the narrator) came alive in the words. "
— Samantha, 10/17/2012" Read this in a novella and was surprised. "
— Shaun, 9/10/2012" It was my first Stephen King experience and I have to say it was quite peculiar... Shawshank redemption was a great story to start off the book, and you travel deeper and deeper into the King world "
— Mika, 5/10/2012" Classic Stephen King. It was a great story, very well written. "
— Oliver, 2/13/2012" This has got to be the ONLY book whose movie I preferred to the book- Great story but the movie managed to bring out the details better. "
— Muthoni, 12/24/2011" If you liked the Green Mile, you'll like this story. With many similarities to the Green Mile, this is a memorable King book, that was made into an Academy Award-winning film. "
— Matt, 11/30/2011" i wish gordie had the gun when he tells ace to suck his fat one, in the book chris has the gun. "
— Jason, 6/15/2011" Loved, loved, loved this story - and this movie - I cannot "not" watch it when it is on television - I cry at the end of this movie, everytime ... "
— Kristine, 5/11/2011" I'd never seen the film but had heard much about it so was expecting great things. I don't think anything could have lived up to the hype. It was a good enough read, not exceptional "
— Tess, 5/11/2011" Great. Short and sweet, but still, the movie is better. <br/> <br/>4.0 / 5.0 "
— Evan, 4/28/2011" The movie is actually better then the book. "
— Evan, 4/26/2011" One of those rare occasions when the movie was better than the book, or in this case, the short story. "
— Bob, 4/21/2011" If you loved the movie, you will adore the book. "
— Brian, 4/17/2011" Without doubt one of my favourite King stories. A story of hope, strength of character and dignity in the face of the most adverse circumstances. "
— Ruth, 4/14/2011" i watched the movie first of the story Hope Spring Eternal so i knew what was going to happen eventually but i couldnt put the book down on that first story. i enjoyed it immensily. i do wish that the story had been told by Andy so i could know exactly what he thought when. "
— Sammy, 4/13/2011Stephen King has written more than sixty books, many hitting the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. He has won the World Fantasy Award, several Bram Stoker Awards, and the O. Henry Award for his story “The Man in the Black Suit.” He is the 2003 recipient of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2007 he received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America. His epic works The Dark Tower and It are the basis for major motion pictures.
Frank Muller (1951–2008) was an Audie Award–winning narrator. A classically trained actor, Frank appeared on both television and the stage. His credits include Hamlet, The Crucible, The Taming of the Shrew, The Importance of Being Earnest, Law & Order, All My Children, and many, many more. In 1999 Frank was awarded the AudioFile Lifetime Achievement Award, the top honor in the audiobook community. He has also won twenty-three Earphones Awards.