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Apt Pupil Kindle Edition

by Stephen King (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 1,648 ratings

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s timeless coming-of-age novella, Apt Pupil—published in his 1982 story collection Different Seasons and made into a 1998 Tristar movie starring Ian McKellan and Brad Renfro—now available for the first time as a standalone publication.

If you don’t believe in the existence of evil, you have a lot to learn.

Todd Bowden is an apt pupil. Good grades, good family, a paper route. But he is about to meet a different kind of teacher, Mr. Dussander, and to learn all about Dussander’s dark and deadly past…a decades-old manhunt Dussander has escaped to this day. Yet Todd doesn’t want to turn his teacher in. Todd wants to know more. Much more. He is about to face his fears and learn the real meaning of power—and the seductive lure of evil.

A classic story from Stephen King, Apt Pupil reveals layers upon layers of deception—and horror—as finally there is only one left standing.

Print length

226 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Scribner
Publication date

December 4, 2018
Grade level

7 - 9
File size

6207 KB
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4.6 out of 5

1,648 global ratings

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holds your attention

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2024

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I loved this book. I've read over 20 of kings books. about half way through my mind started to wander a bit but didn't take long till it grabbed my attention again and continued right to the end.
it will not disappoint!

SK is master of the macabre as always

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024

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“Apt Pupil” was disturbing, spine tingling, mind bending horror. I don’t know why they haven’t made a movie of it yet.

One person found this helpful

A gruesome look into the hidden nature of evil

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2021

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Stephen King is an author that arguably needs no introduction. He's such a famous name in the literary world and many of his works are known the world over. But it's only just now that I'm getting into his novels, considering his reputation for penning stories that aren't just super dark and gory, but incredibly long too. After enjoying my first two outings with him with "The Eyes of the Dragon" and "Lisey's Story", I decided to try and take things to the next level and dive into one of his even scarier works. This book sounded like it fit the bill (and it helps a friend of mine recommended it). And upon completion, I'm now giving my neighbors second glances, wondering what could possibly be happening behind closed doors.

Taking place during the mid-1970's, Todd Bowden is what many call an "apt pupil". He has two loving, doting parents, is popular and well-liked at school, is the star of his baseball team, and gets near-perfect grades. But little does anyone know that Todd has a secret, morbid fascination with history....specifically World War II and the Holocaust. And one day, all of his dark dreams come true when a bit of sleuthing causes him to discover that his elderly neighbor, Arthur Denker, is actually Mr. Dussander---a former Nazi SS officer who has been on the run from international law officials for years, and now hopes to live out the remainder of his life in peace, hiding out in rural America. But Todd is all too eager to squeeze out whatever "juicy" information he can about the unspeakable crimes the Nazis committed. And soon, he's blackmailing Mr. Dussander into unearthing all sorts of horrifying war stories in exchange for not turning him into the authorities. But revisiting death's head in such a personal, ugly fashion has a way of getting under one's skin, and gradually, this unlikely pair will find themselves slowly spiraling into madness. For Mr. Dussander, he'll find out that maybe his past wasn't as deeply buried as he thought. And for Todd, he'll discover a sadistic, terrifyingly evil side of himself he never knew he had.

It goes without saying that this novel is NOT for the faint of heart. Be warned; this story can get VERY gruesome in its depictions of the horrors of the Holocaust, the violence that both Todd and Mr. Dussander carry out in secret, and the dark thoughts that run through their minds at any given time, even during otherwise mundane moments of their day-to-day lives. Animal lovers in particular beware, as there's more than a few graphic scenes of both cats and dogs being tortured. But for as chilling and awful as these events are, it's still a very well-written tale, with a plot that moves at a slow, but steady pace; showing the gradual disintegration of Todd's morals and sanity, and the disgusting lengths he'll go to try and cover up his growing pile of crimes. It goes to show how many awful things could be happening behind closed doors with no one the wiser, and that evil can fester and grow in anyone of any age, from any background. And the reader is left to wonder if Dussander is the sole reason that Todd became so vicious? Or was that darker side always in Todd from the beginning, and Dussander only helped to bring out the evil that was already there? Would Todd have eventually become a killer even if he had never met Dussander? It's a frightening question with no clear answer.

The suspense is greatly built when Todd and Dussander become locked in a cat and mouse game of trying to one up each other, and a battle of wills commences over who will break their nerve or slip up first. But in an ironic twist (that I won't spoil), it'll turn out to be the simplest, smallest thing that finally does both of them in; something neither of them could've predicted or accounted for. It kind of plays into the old saying, "there's no such thing as the perfect crime". And in a weird way, it almost gives me the tiniest bit of hope that real life evil people like this will someday eventually be caught.

This book is definitely not for everyone. But if you can stomach it, it's a dark and haunting tale that'll make you think twice about the average people you pass by on the street, and what terrible things could be happening in your next door neighbor's house.

8 people found this helpful

Stephen Barth M. D.

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2023

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No problems. Arrived as advertised on time.

Easy quick read.

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2023

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Good Stephen King story. Worth the read.

Christina J. Collins

Stephen King amazing work

Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2020

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it was insane. It's about a boy named Todd who recognized an older man in his mid 70's through a war magazine at a friend's basement. The older man was a Nazi Solider. The kid forced himself in the old man's house to learn about the camp where many solider's done death, experiments, etc against the Jews. Every page got deeper and deeper, this kid Todd who's opened the old man's wounds he no longer wished to remember. Todd blackmailed the man nonstop, stating he will tell who this man is so he could be caught and hanged. The old man was hidden and free for a while until Todd had to show up. As the story goes further, they both get into deep trouble. The kid starts murdering homeless men, the Nazi soldier did the same, they both hated each other cause the kid started failing his straight 'A' report cards and the old man was fed up being bothered by the kid with his constant demands, details and so on. The end gave me goosebumps cause the Nazi solider was caught, committed suicide and the police were after the kid who actually started shooting everyone on a freeway and was gunned down... I mean, this book was WOW...

3 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2023

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Good book

One person found this helpful

Steven S. Airheart

An Interesting "What If" short story.

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2023

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I have read several King stories, and except for "11/22/63" I have enjoyed them. "Apt Pupil" is dark and descriptive, moody and occasionally humorous. Most of all, "Apt Pupil" is engaging and thought provoking. King drags the inescapable past into the outskirts of modern-day San Diego, provides the reader with a despicable villain and a willing and deeply disturbed student, or in this case an "Apt Pupil." This is a scary trip into the mind of a sociopath, and the inescapable reality that your quiet and friendly neighborhood can hide horrible thoughts and deeds of wicked people. Good reading, but as with most Stephen King books, not for the squeamish or the unprepared.

One person found this helpful

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Barry Young

wife loves Steven

Reviewed in Canada on October 22, 2022

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wife loves Steven

Luis Miguel Aguirre

Pésimas Condiciones - Daños durante el envío

Reviewed in Mexico on June 4, 2020

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El producto acaba de llegar y está en pésimas condiciones. Las portadas estar rasgadas y si las páginas tiene marcas de pisaduras y en incluso partes que están rasgadas. El embalaje venía incluso con un hueco enorme parece que lo arrojaron contra la pared repetidamente y luego lo pisaron. Es la primera vez que una de estas situaciones me ocurre a mi, y me encuentro bastante decepcionado.

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2 people found this helpful

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Debi Dutta

Apt buy!!

Reviewed in India on July 27, 2020

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Apt Pupil.

Nothing to tell about it to horror fans. I was searching for this book since a long time and finally got it here. New ans crisp paperback. Perfectly packed and sent by seller. Perfect print. An 'apt gift' for my husband!

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marie

he enjoyed very much has read it in two day

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2015

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I got this book for my son robert. he enjoyed very much has read it in two day. He is a great reader. thank you Marie

Sarah Ferrier

Book

Reviewed in Canada on February 12, 2021

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I have received the book and it is an interesting read. Have a good day.

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