The Green Mile

Ste p hen K in g: T he G reen M ile
ELEC TR O NIC V ER SIO N 1 .1 ( M ar 2 9 0 0). I f y ou f in d a n d c o rrect e rro rs i n t h e t e x t, p le a se u pdate t h e v ersio n
n u m ber b y 0 .1 a n d r ed is tr ib ute .

F ore w ord : A L ette r
D ea r C on sta n t R ea d er,

L if e i s a c ap ric io us b usin ess. T he s to ry w hic h b eg in s i n t h is l itt le b ook e x is ts i n t h is f o rm b ec au se o f a c h an ce
r e m ark m ad e b y a r e a lto r I h av e n ev er m et. T his h ap pen ed a y ear a g o, o n L ong I s la n d. R alp h V ic in an za, a l o ng -
t i m e f rie n d a n d b usin ess a sso cia te o f m in e ( w hat h e d oes m ostl y i s t o s e ll f o re ig n p ublis h in g r ig h ts f o r b ooks
a n d s to rie s), h ad j u st r e n te d a h ouse t h ere . T he r e alt o r r e m ark ed t h at t h e h ouse " lo oked l ik e s o m eth in g o ut o f a
s to ry b y C harle s D ic k en s."
T he r e m ark w as s ti ll o n R alp h's m in d w hen h e w elc o m ed h is f ir s t h ouse g uest, B ritis h p ublis h er M alc o lm
E dw ard s. H e r e p eate d i t t o E dw ard s, a n d t h ey b eg an c h att in g a b out D ic k en s. E dw ard s m en ti o ned t h at D ic k en s
h ad p ub li s h ed m an y o f h is n ovels i n i n sta llm en ts , e it h er f o ld ed i n to m ag azin es o r b y t h em se lv es a s c h ap books,
( I d on't k now t h e o rig in o f t h is w ord , m ean in g a s m alle r-th an -a v era g e b ook, b ut h av e a lw ay s l o v ed i ts a ir o f
in tim acy a n d f rie n dlin ess). S om e o f t h e n ovels , E dw ard s a d ded , w ere a ctu all y w ritt e n a n d r e v is e d i n t h e s h ad ow
of p ublic atio n; C harle s D ic k en s w as o ne n ovelis t a p pare n tly n ot a fr a id o f a d ead li n e.
D ic k en s's s e ria liz e d n ovels w ere i m m en se ly p opula r; s o p opula