Red and Andy both survive decades in the prison's bleak, gray environment, 'institutionalized' until they can't even remember what it's like to function on the outside. In prison, they're placed at the mercy of 'honest' wardens and guards who are totally corrupt and make money on scams that should put them inside the walls with the prisoners they exploit and brutalize. Andy, the hero, is thrown in jail for a crime he didn't commit, while his buddy Red is the only person in prison truthful enough to admit that he dun it. The story's themes focus on issues of imprisonment and injustice. But the book's always been there, lending the movie its most powerful moments and asking for nothing in return. Seriously, this film has been aired on cable at least once every one or two months since 1997. Most people discovered this story via its 1994 movie adaptation, which bombed on its initial release, but found new life after being nominated for seven Academy Awards and endlessly rebroadcast on cable TV networks. We guess even the Master of Horror himself needs a break from the keep-the-light-on-at-night stories he is so well known for. The novella-a fancy word for a short novel-is a far cry from the shrieks and scares we often associate with King, which might explain why it was included as part of King's Different Seasons collection. Stephen King, known by many as the Master of Horror, threw audiences for a loop when he wrote Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, a story that details a one-of-a-kind friendship between two convicted inmates and how one of the inmates pulls off a gutsy (and frankly rather poop-laden) escape.

Killer clowns, telekinetic murderous rampages, haunted hotels, and…the undying nature of true friendship? Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption Introduction

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