Fort Lauderdale News from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Page 68

Booths Bestsellers heads in different directions Aing Th listings below an based on eomputw-proeMMd sales figures horn 1,600 bookstores in very region el the United Stele. Non-fiction 1. LIFE EXTENSION. By Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw. (Warner, $22.50.) Ways to add years to your lite and lite to your years: a popularly written medical-science book.

2. JANE FONDA'S WORKOUT BOOK. By Jane Fonda. (Simon Schuster, $17.95.) An exercise book for women, seasoned with the film star's philosphy of physical well-being. 3.

LIVING, LOVING ft LEARNING. By Leo Buscaglia. (Holt-Slack, $13.50) Inspira-; tional talks by a University of Southern California professor. 4. WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE.

By Harold S. Kushner, (Schocken, $10.95.) Comforting thoughts from a rabbi. 5. EDIE. By Jean Stein, edited with George Plimpton.

(Knopf, $16.95.) Edie Sedgwick, minor celebrity of the '60s, remembered by friends and acquain-, tances. 6. RICHARD SIMMONS' NEVER-SAY-DIET COOKBOOK. (Warner, $15.95.) More than 100 recipes by the Hollywood television personality and exercise guru. 7.

NO BAD DOGS: The Woodhouse Way. By Barbara Woodhouse. (Summit, $12.50.) Advice on training dogs by a British expert: tie-in to a television series. PRINCESS. By Robert Lacey.

(Times Books, $16.95.) The life of the Princess of Wales in words and pictures. 9. A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC. By Shel Silverstein. (Harper Row, $12.45.) Humor in cartoons and verse.

10. A FEW MINUTES WITH ANDY ROONEY By Andrew A. Rooney. (Athe-neum, $12.95.) Reflections on contemporary life by the journalist and television commentator. 11.

INDECENT EXPOSURE. By David McClintick. (Morrow, 1 7.) The scandal at Columbia Pictures and Wall Street's part in It. DIFFERENT SEASONS. By Stephen King.

527 pages. Viking. $16.95. By Christopher Lehmann-Haupt New York Timet There's a somewhat contrived explanation for the title of Stephen King's latest work of fiction, Different Seasons. The subtitles of its four long stories, or novellas, are Hope Springs Eternal, Summer of Corruption, Fall from Innocence and A Winter's Tale.

Different seasons, get it? Also, King is trying to warn the reader that the book is a departure from his usual work, which up until now has been eight full-length novels, of horror. Not only are the stories in Different Seasons shorter, they are also not exclusively concerned with making the reader's flesh crawl. Indeed, the first story, Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hay worth and the Shawshank Redemption, is a clever account of a prison escape. And the third story, Fall From Innocence: the Body, is, among a number of other things, a memoir about becoming a writer. Different Seasons is also apt as a title because it suggests a variety of spices different seasonings, as it were.

Nonetheless, had the decision been mine to make, I would have been inclined to call the collection Rites of Passage. This is no clumsier a play on words than the present title, for all four stories concern the progress from one place to another, whether it is from inside prison to outside, or from the womb to the world, or from youth to maturity, or from life to death. More specifically, three of the four Stories are more or less built around the situation of literally having to pass through a tube of one sort or another. In the first story, a man has to make his way through a sewer system. The last story, A Winter's Tale: the Breathing Method, is about one of the most difficult births ever recorded or even imagined.

And in the long memoir Fall From Innocence: the Body, the narrator compares a moment of extreme terror with the experience he once had of getting trapped for a have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it." This complaint can be seen, of course, as the plight of any writer or any writer struggling to scale the power of his art to the strength of his feelings. But because of the context In which the narrator of The Body expresses this frustration it happens to come out at a moment in which the memoirist finds himself alone at sunrise with a grazing deer, and wishes he could find words that wouldn't diminish the feeling of peace he gets from the experience one can't help suspecting that the author's sense of entrapment involves at least in part his being a writer of horror stories. This suspicion is reinforced by King's somewhat self-conscious Af- -terword, in which he explains how the stories in Different Seasons came to be written, and betrays considerable ambivalence over being "typed" as a horror writer. In a sense, then, the very act of writing these stories is a rite of passage from a tight place. To a degree, King has been sue-, cessf ul in this escape.

The first and third stories the prison escape and the memoir depend on conventions of horror, yet also tran-i scend them by a considerable; margin. But only the future will tell how completely King can escape the genre, or even whether he really wants to. Right now, it seems, he is working on a novel about a haunted car. This sounds unpromising and will no doubt turn out to be terrifying. Meanwhile, one certain fact is re-established by these four stories, especially the final one, in which a combination of the cliche and the absurd is somehow parlayed into a remarkable chiller.

At the ungentle art of plucking on our nerves to gain our undivided attention, King remains a master. We never escape the threat that the protagonist of The Breathing Method feels that a door is going to blow open and reveal "an insane Clark Ashton Smith landscape where the bitter shapes of twisted trees" stand "silhouetted on a sterile horizon below which double suns" are "setting in a gruesome red glare." Clumsy King's prose may be at times, yet it never fails to remind us of our nightmares. PTTO 4 I. has four short works, none strictly Stephen King's Different Seasons relationship of an all-American boy and a Nazi, is weak precisely because it lacks that terrifying image of getting caught in a tight passage. Or it lacks any sort of play on our unconscious fears, the pervasiveness of which in his fiction minute or two while trying to crawl through a culvert.

In fact, a case could be made that the least satisfying story in the bookj Summer of Corruption: Apt Pupil, an extremely slick but somewhat hokey tale about the secret accounts I think for its great popularity. King may not be one to spin out delicate prose, but he surely knows what bothers people. There's also a less literal sense here, in which King seems concerned about being trapped or King goes west for 'Gunslinger' fantasies Fiction 1. DIFFERENT SEASONS. By Stephen King.

(Viking, $16.95.) Four novellas with mainly nonhorror themes by a modern master of horror. 2. THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER. By Jeffrey Archer. (Linden Press, $15.95.) Sequel to the author's "Kane Abel" in which two children of those an-' tagonists marry each other.

3. THE CASE OF LUCY BENDING, by Lawrence Sanders. (Putnam's, $13.95.) i A psychiatrist finds that an aberrant 8-I' year-old epitomizes the society of Flor- Ida's Gold Coast, where she lives. 4. THE PARSIFAL MOSAIC.

By Robert Ludlum. (Random House, $15.95.) Michael Havelock saves the world from nuclear extinction. 5. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL STORYBOOK.

By William Kotzwinkle. Abridged, profusely illustrated version of the novelization of the current film. S. THE MAN FROM ST. PETERSBURG.

By Ken Follett. (Morrow, $14.50.) Dur- ing a mission to Britain on the eve of World War a Russian terrorist col-i lides with his own romantic past. 7. CINNAMON SKIN. By John D.

Mac- Donald. (Harper Row, $13.95) In his 20th adventure, Travis McGee In-. vestigates a tragic but suspicious acci- dent that befalls a friend's family at sea. 8. LACE.

By Shirley Conran. (Simon Schuster, $16.95.) Three decades in the lives of a coterie of members of the International glitter set. 9. MASTER OF THE GAME, by Sidney Sheldon. (Morrow, $15.95) The hidden truth behind a woman business ty-' coon's rise to power.

10. EDEN BURNING. By Belva Plain. I (Delacorte, $15.95.) Romance and po--' litical upheaval on a Caribbean island. 11.

THE VALLEY OF HORSES, by Jean M. Auel (Crown, $15.95.) Continuing i the saga of human survival at the dawn of civilization begun in "The Clan of the Cave Bear." Stamps desolate landscape, might almost too demanding for the screen. Gunslinger stories were published three-year period, beginning in 1978, Magazine of Fantasy and Science which makes them recent, contemporary King, if not precisely "new." It also at least a token guarantee that, the western motif (admittedly an taste), they do fall into the realm of greatest assurance. is more important, if one is to King's afterword, is that The Dark The Gunslinger is not a detour for but the first venture down a potentially new avenue. book is available in hardcover from publisher, Donald M.

Grant, West R.I. 02892, but not at conventional It can be purchased locally at Enterprises, 5802 Stirling Road, impressed by the stories' rich atmosphere, by the seemingly effortless way the author quickly gets to the essence of a character, by the at once chilling yet fascinating (and oddly noble) orchestration of violence. Others will welcome a return to qualities some critics have lately sensed missing brevity, stylistic assuredness, and most particularly, a lack of pretentiousness. Its lean starkness notwithstanding, The Gunslinger does provide King with opportunities to engage the reader's wits with some narrative sleight of hand. Most of the stories chart the title figure's odyssey in straightforward, linear fashion punctuated by bursts of unexpected emotion, much of it violent.

Occasionally, however, King integrates cross-cutting and flashback to heighten tension. These are cinematic techniques, to be sure. Ironically, The Gunslinger, with its mutants, troglodytes, crumbling altars and title character of the recent movie The Road Warrior. A rip-off? No King's tense, 205-page odyssey turns out to have been written, says the author, over a 12-year span that began when he was still in college. If it suggests a superficial alliance with other narrative works (and indeed it does, until King's own style takes hold), it is probably because others have also found the notion of a post-armageddon reversion to primitive rituals to be a fertile dramatic terrain.

From a literary standpoint, King is perhaps closest here to Harlan Ellison's A Boy and His Dog, another "barren earth" saga, begun about the same time as The Dark Tower, and like it, still uncompleted. (In an afterword, King explains that the concept still excites him and that he is even now. working on new chapters.) Newcomers to King will likely be most THE DARK TOWER: THE GUN-SLINGER. By Stephen King. 224 pages.

Donald M. Grant, Inc. $20. ByBillKelley Suff Writer Readers who lament Stephen King's detour from the genre that has made him famous can take heart. The other (and significantly less publicized) new King book falls very much into the fantasy category.

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger is vintage King, but with a difference. The limited edition hardcover contains five separate yet thematically linked stories set in an apocalyptic world that resembles a burnt-out, thoroughly demysticized version of the Old West. Its "hero" The Gunslinger suggests a cross between the protagonist of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns and the Suff Ulntratka by IRA GATES horror. stuck. An insistent theme of the long memoir-story JTie Body about four boys on a sort of pilgrimage to view a corpse is the frustration of not having one's words understood, of making "revelations that cost you dearly only to New The Associated Press END-GAME.

By Michael Gilbert. Harper Row. 247 Pages. $13.50. It is not often one finds a book that is by turns whimsical, sprightly and brutally realistic.

But End Game manages to be all of these. One reason for the seeming incongruity is that nothing is as it seems in this intriguing novel by Michael Gilbert, a veteran English mystery writer. The hero, a personable Welshman named David Rhys-Morgan, is portrayed at the outset as a likeable wastrel who occupies his time getting fired from jobs, pub crawling and philandering. But one eventually learns this is far from his true self. The same applies to pretty heroine Susan Perronet-Conde, who is having an on-and-off love affair with David while making her way up the ladder in the world of high finance.

The plot itself is elusive too. All that is certain at the outset is that Scotland Yard is trying to home in on the complex financial empire of Randall Blackett, enigmatic founder of a conglomerate involving 60 or more companies producing an enormous financial return that has attracted the attention of British tax officials. Gilbert handles the story deftly, keeping control of the plot. David and Susan tie the loose ends together step by step to bring the story to a dramatic end. Most readable and plausible enough.

MIDNIGHTS. By Alec Wilkinson. Random House. 200 Pages. hypnotically prove The over a in The Fiction, provides despite acquired King's What believe Tower: King, exciting The the Kingston, bookstores.

Starship Hollywood. More for architecture in brief Wellfleet, is a small Cape Cod town. In 1975, it had a police force of eight a chief, a sergeant, and six patrolmen. The force increased to nine when Alec Wilkinson signed on. Wilkinson's reason: "I was 23, five months out of college, with a degree in music, and without any idea of what to do with myself In Midnights, Wilkinson, now a reporter for The New Yorker magazine, tells of the year he spent on the force, mostly working the midnight shift.

His story is absorbing. Although he had no training for police work, Wilkinson was hired to his surprise. He was given no formal training. He was issued a gun and told to learn from the other cops. It took a while but, little by little, Wilkinson did learn the rudiments of police work and in the process also learned much about the men he worked with.

He tells about these learning processes in nice, tight prose. As he tells about himself and the other officers, Wilkinson also subtly reveals what it is like to be a policeman in a small town where just about everyone knows every- one else. As one officer put it, "With the town being so small you have no place to relax. You go in to buy groceries someplace or have a cup of coffee and you hear people gossiping and you know the moment you leave they're talking about you." Not a pleasant feeling, and one of several reasons Wilkinson left the-force, but not before he had" gathered enough material to write this engrossing book. Horoscope By Jeane Dixon Astrology Columnist YOUR BIRTHDAY TOMORROW: New resources become available to you in the next few months.

Those who have recently formed partnerships make sizable gains. Romance with someone who is in the arts could lead to a permanent commitment. You find your self-confidence growing by leaps and bounds. Recognize the importance of obtaining family support for your efforts. A loved one who decides to oppose you could hinder progress.

ARIES (March 21-ApriI 19): Explain your financial situation to family members. They will be understanding and help you reduce expenses. Success at place of employment depends on hard work. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Serious-minded students and workers get a boost up the career ladder. Put your credit cards away until more cash is coming in.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The boss finds that you are able to handle greater responsibility. Do not let himher give you more work than you can handle. Avoid lecturing teen-agers. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Those of you in construction work receive good news. Financing becomes available in ways you had not anticipated.

A teen-ager is able to handle a job and school. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You feel better about things after talking candidly with loved one. A former boss could make you an offer. You have a better than average chance of winning contests VIRGO (Aug.

23-Sept. 22): An older person comes up with a solution to a problem you have wrestled with for weeks. Take young-co-worker under your wings. Cooperation works wonders. LIBRA (Sept.

23-Oct. 22): You find romance more exciting now. Use common sense to solve a money problem. Take matters into your own hands if dissatisfied with situation at work. SCORPIO (Oct.

23-Nov. 21): If you have been neglecting your personal appearance, now is the time to do something about it. Give mate the autonomy heshe craves. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec.

21): Do not become sidetracked by your domestic responsibilities today. Concentrate on your job. Look for ways to increase the productivity of those who work for and with you. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.

19): A cherished idea receives a big boost. Someone who is influential and wealthy takes a special interest in what you are doing. Be sure to keep your word. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.

18): Be precise about what you are working for. Others may have misunderstood your goals. Use your talents to achieve what you want. Luck plays a major role in romance. PISCES (Feb.

19-March 20): Narrow in on a target and go after it. A more tailored approach to business pays off. Get your finances in. better order before buying luxury items. i By Richard Carr Sump Columnist The latest block of four architecture-series stamps, to be issued on Sept.

30 in Washington, will feature: Frank- Lloyd Wright's Fall-ingwater structure in Mill Run, Pa. The luxury retreat, cantilevered over a waterfall, underscores Wright's belief that a building should harmonize with its surroundings. 1 The Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who was a lecturer and director at IIT. The Gropius House in Lincoln, designed by Walter Gropius, Who collaborated with Marcel Breuer, another pioneer of modern architecture. Dulles International Airport, located 20 miles from Washington.

Eero Saarinen sought to capture movement and the excitement of travel" in his design for "the national and international gateway to he nation's capital." Each 20-cent stamp in the block i- the fourth set since the series began in 1979 has its own legend, bearing the name of the architect, his birth and death years, and the name and location of each structure. The stamps are being printed in brown and black on the intaglio press. Panes will have 40 stamps and one plate number. Collectors may order first-day cancellations until Oct. 30.

They're it- i I rvhiuvuiv I S20r Stamp pays tribute to work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. urged to buy their own stamps and affix them to self-addressed covers for mailing to: "Customer-Affixed Envelopes," Architecture Stamps, Postmaster, Washington, D.C. 20066-9991. No payment is required for this postmarking service. Those who want the D.C.

post office to supply the stamps should send self-addressed covers and 20 cents for each stamp 80 cents for the block of four to: "Architecture Stamps," Postmaster, Washington, D.C. 20066-9992. Personal checks for orders of up to 50 covers will be accepted. Don't send cash. The Delray Beach Stamp Club will discuss stamps as a hobby and investment, with a focus on Venezuela, during its meeting at 7 p.m.

Wednesday in the Atlantic High School library at 2501 Seacrest Blvd. I..