What's Breathing Lessons about?

I read "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" back when Stand by Me was out (the story is was adpated from was "The Body"). I read three of the four stories in Different Seasons, and I loved loved loved "Rita Hayworth and ..."

After I saw the film, I reread the story, and I was amazed by how much Darabont expanded the story and still had it remain true. There are some differences, most notable (for me) is the difference in the length Andy was in prision. Overall, I think I prefer the movie more, because it is so much richer in its detail. And, I admit it, I'm a sucker for the opera scene.

"Breathing Lessons" is about a taxi driver who takes a very pregnant single woman to her doctors' visits and her Lamaze classes (I think). They talk about her plans for raising the baby. At the end, there's a bad wreck, and the mom is, well, decapitated. But her body remembers the breathing lessons and manages to give birth before it dies.

As was said above, it'd be tricky to market that as a movie.

right in the middle, where I've had rather an interesting surprise.

If that's the surprise I'm thinking of, he got me too. There are clues but I thought it was fairly subtle. Micole guessed it, of course. *g*

I liked the book, and I'm interested to hear your take on it.

I've just started LMB's Paladin of Souls after really enjoying her Curse of Chalion (and the Vor books too, over the years). I'm only a chapter or two in and she has me chuckling with her small character sketches and slice of life portraits. She's good at flawed people and the start to this book feels very Chaucerian. I couldn't wait for Paladin to come out in paperback, but I didn't want to pay the $40 (cdn) for the new hardcover. Fortunately/unfortunately, I found it remaindered.

I just gave my housemate Curse of Chalion for her birthday--but if she doesn't start in on it soon, I may have to borrow it from her. I've never read any LMB but after seeing all the raves about her here, I'm eager to start.

The Paladin of Souls is a wonderful book.

Ginger, did you get a chance to read Say Goodbye yet?

No, JS, but I do have it neatly piled in my to-be-read pile, which also includes the 9/11 Report, The Things They Carried, a Jennifer Crusie book, a couple of mysteries and a book about tuberculosis.

I loved Paladin of Souls. As soon as I read it, it leaped over Memory in my mental ranking of Lois McMaster Bujuld's books, and is currently in first place.