Set during the American Depression, King's tale of a prison ward superintendent and the giant, gentle prisoner condemned to walk those last forty yards to his death captured the imagination of readers everywhere when first published in six installments in 1996. Not only did King's tale resurrect the serial format of storytelling once employed by Charles Dickens, The Green Mile literally had readers on the edge of their seats awaiting the next episode. When the final installment appeared, King made publishing history by simultaneously earning slots for all six volumes on the New York Times paperback bestseller list.