The Body

The Body

1982 • 181 pages

Ratings68

Average rating4.1

15

Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s timeless novella “The Body”—originally published in his 1982 short story collection Different Seasons, and adapted into the 1986 film classic Stand by Me—is now available as a stand-alone publication. It’s 1960 in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. Ray Brower, a boy from a nearby town, has disappeared, and twelve-year-old Gordie Lachance and his three friends set out on a quest to find his body along the railroad tracks. During the course of their journey, Gordie, Chris Chambers, Teddy Duchamp, and Vern Tessio come to terms with death and the harsh truths of growing up in a small factory town that doesn’t offer much in the way of a future. A timeless exploration of the loneliness and isolation of young adulthood, Stephen King’s The Body is an iconic, unforgettable, coming-of-age story.

Become a Librarian

Series

Featured Series

2 primary books

#2 in Different Seasons

Different Seasons is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 1982 with contributions by Stephen King.

Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption
The Body

Reviews

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

An awesome book. I loved the adventure and how it formed the kids to something new. I really loved the short story “Stud City” within the book too.

August 12, 2013

One of the few Stephen King novels that were translated well into a movie.

February 16, 2023

“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, do you?”

This novella is a brilliant coming of age tale. I'm annoyed I waited so long to read it.

View